Line your own canal with little ceramic houses |
For my own record - and as a recommendation if you're planning to visit - here's a list of the places we visited, in no particular order -
- the Central Library is fabulous - seven airy floors of books and other collections - in a few minutes, you feel more "civilised" even if you don't actually pick up a book
- the Tropenmuseum is one of my favourites - ethnographic collections and good temporary exhibitions, currently by Jasper Krabbe
- Hortus Botanicus has been going for 375 years and has a very nice caf, as well as greenhouses and all sorts of other plants
- the Jewish Historical Museum currently has a fabulous photo exhibition, the Howard Greenberg collection ... but we didn't have time to see any of the museum itself
- Amsterdam Museum gives you, should you take time to read the labels and think about what you're seeing, a good history of the city, though those labels are rather heavy on the "city of prosperity and freedoms" message
- the Rijksmuseum is on everyone's list, of course - and aren't there a lot of guided tours there at any one moment! We spent most time in the "special collections", especially the ship models
- NEMO, the science museum, has lots of interactive activities for kids (and adults) but be warned, it's noisy and active!
- historic boat collection is along the quay beside Nemo - many of the boats are lived on - more big boats are along the quays of Java Island
- the Maritime Museum knocks the socks off the one in London - wonderful displays, lots of little videos explaining things, and the model ships include smaller boats with carefully-stitched sails
- cutting-edge photography exhibitions at Huis Marseilles and Foam
- modern and contemporary art at the Stedelijk Museum - the current exhibition is Marlene Dumas, and the caf is kept busy
- parks - Flevopark in the east, and Vondelpark just south of where we were staying - walking in these wonderful green spaces is very restorative, but as everywhere, you have to watch out for bikes
Now for some street scenery -
Leaning forward ... in anticipation of something? |
Front garden! |
Red lights, hmm... |
Another forward-leaner ... Anno 1653, it says on the gable |
In the roundels, twin wolves |
Bring out the sofa from your houseboat if the the weather is fine |
Note the accordion player, top left (it may help to click on the photo to enlarge it) |
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