Amsterdam - Day 4 EYE Institute and Nieuwmarkt

Our last full day in Amsterdam, having finally gotten over my jetlag, I was able to step out before breakfast to catch the canals before the sun got too high in the sky.  It was worth the effort as the canals looked quite different and there were nice reflections in the water.  

We then took the ferry over to see the EYE Film Institute, architecturally stunning, both outside and inside.  The free ferry was a totally new concept for us, but makes so much sense!  Bike and pedestrian traffic flowed smoothly on and off the ferry without the logjams created by gates of one kind or another.  It was commuting heaven!  The Institute was in between gallery exhibits although there were permanent exhibits on the history of film among others.  But the architecture alone was worth the trip.

We returned to Central in the afternoon and finally located Chinatown, very close to the Red Light District.  We missed it on our first day there but it was easy to miss - it was not a very distinct area.  We hung out in Nieuwmarkt Square people watching until it's time for our dinner reservation at La Stage, a one Michelin star restaurant on the nearby canal.  It was a great way to wrap up our Amsterdam stay.   If you would like to read about this food experience, please visit Food Sparks, the food blog.

The following day, we waved goodbye to Amsterdam from the deck of our cruise ship as it left the harbour and went through the lock that let us out to the open sea.  Bruges would be our first stop.

Morning on the canal - like a painting

The Flower market revisited

There was a totally different feel to the canals with their mirrored calmness in the morning

No surprise - the wedding bike!

The stunning EYE Institute on the other side of the canal

The free ferry that took us across the canal

The EYE Film Institute - outside and in





Stunning stairs that take you to a seating area that totally reminded me of the Ryerson Learning Centre here in Toronto

A multi-storey parking lot for bikes near the waterfront!

Tunnel from the waterfront to Central

Swan parade on the canal near Chinatown

Office party on the canal

Temple in Chinatown

Hanging out in Nieumarkt Square, watching the bikes and people go by 

Taking advantage of the wifi outside the restaurants

Vaarwell, Amsterdam!

Amsterdam - Day 2

Our second day in Amsterdam started off with a visit to the Textile Market nearby (only open on Mondays).  It was rather like a flea market with lots of textiles - more of interest for me as a people watching place.  We then headed south, with every intention of getting to the Rijksmuseum in the early afternoon.  

We spent a good half hour in the Westerkerk as it has a fascinating candle tree that piqued my photography interest.  On to Kalverstraat, a pedestrian street with lots of shops and the easy to miss De Papegaai Hidden Church.  Needless to say, it took us much longer than expected to get to the museum, with so many distractions along the way.  The Flower Market and the canal behind it was worth a second morning trip to get the reflection off the water.   

By the time we got to the museum, rested up in the cafeteria, it was mid-afternoon and the closing announcement came on an hour later.  These Dutch museums close early!  We didn't leave enough time for the museum other than checking out the essential Golden Age galleries.  All the more reason for a return visit which I fully intended to do.  

Morning view, on the way to the Textile Market, looking south at the Westerkerk's tall spire down Prinsengracht - many houseboats parked on both sides.  A spot on these canals cost as much as a house on land!

Textile market, more like a flea market with textiles

The Dutch are so green!

What they do to kids who don't behave...

Cheese museum outside and in

You can taste you way through the cheese shop above the museum!

Canal house with interesting facade

Beautiful organ inside the Westerkerk

Even more beautiful candle tree inside the church

A resident artist at work inside Westerkerk

More distractions - the shop windows!

It's a Monday in September, yet it felt so leisurely in Amsterdam...

De Papegaai Hidden  Church - it's hidden alright, I have to backtrack to find it.  The narrowness on the ouside belies the much wider church inside.  The church was originally hidden in a garden behind a regular housefront belonging to a bird-trader in the days when Catholicism could not be practised openly - hence the nickname De Papegaai (parrot).

Inside the Hidden Church

Many old houses in Amsterdam have this device for hauling large pieces of furniture up through the windows.

Finally, we got to the Flower Market and its amazing shops, selling all kinds of exotic flowers and plants, fresh, dried or otherwise, including cannabis starter kits!


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The Singel Canal behind the Flower market - the only way to get the reflection is to come here in the morning, which I did - on a second trip (good thing it's only a 15 minute walk from our BnB)

House with many shutters!

Working women...

Leafy part of town - houses with backgardens facing the canal

The walkway to the Rijksmuseum

This group made use of the good acoustics in the covered walkway to play Vivaldi's Four Seasons on repeat... 

Captive audience

The renovated atrium of the Rijks

Rijksmuseum Research Library - the largest art history research library in the Netherlands

What everyone came to see - Rembrandt's Nightwatch

It was a relief to be let out into the sunshine after the dark Dutch art - even though it's their Golden Age.  And what better place to be than at the Museumplein with its "I amsterdam" sign, watching excited children chasing giant bubbles.  It's a great way to wrap up the day. Exhausted, we climbed on board a tram and was thankful for the efficiency of Amsterdam transport - the driver will sell you the tickets you need, no need to scramble.

Dinner that night was interesting - it was the first time we ate at a restaurant where you get different ambiances set up depending on the menu you chose.  Please pay a visit to Food Sparks to read about this interesting idea.