Rijksmuseum

So, I’m not gonna lie. I have really wanted to go to the Rijksmuseum since I learned about this guy:

Not since I learned about Van Gogh as a person or as an artist; since I learned about him as a Playmobile guy. I saw him in the airport quite a few years ago and I wanted him, but I couldn’t get him because I hadn’t been to the museum yet. Now I have! (I kinda love Playmobile) The funny thing is that there are very few works by Van Gogh in the Rijksmuseum (four). It makes sense, because there is a Van Gogh museum down the street. (We didn’t go there. Undoubtedly it would have been delightful, but we spent 5 hours looking at art and that was enough for the day)(I would have chosen the Rembrandt museum, but it’s closed on Mondays)(And it is not even in Delaware)(A lot of things in Delaware are closed on Mondays. If you have been a long time reader of POTD you already know that).

The big Rembrandt (both in size and fame) here is The Night Watch. Unfortunately, it is being restored and we couldn’t see it. They are working on it right in the gallery in which it is usually hung. The workers were working on something, and Keith was pretty sure they were going to just flip it over and let us get a glimpse (it’s 12ftx14ft. Imagine just flipping it).

I loooooove Rembrandt and I was amused that even though I thought his work was on the next floor up (you know: ground floor, first, second instead of first, second, third still gets me) when I saw one of his paintings I just zoomed to it. I kept thinking who did that? I love that. I have a new artist. Nope, Rembrandt is still my guy.

Keith is a fan of Vermeer (as am I). There were several to enjoy. I also enjoyed some roving scientists who apparently like art in their spare time.

I really like miniatures and oogled the doll houses. They were never children’s toys, but made for really rich women. They had Delft china made and fabric woven specifically for the doll’s house. The estimates were that these doll houses cost $30,000 at the time – as much as an actual house.

I loved this docent’s enthusiasm for sharing with the kids. I love how many kids are on that couch.

Sometimes you see yourself in paintings.

This accordion player was in the tunnel that runs under/through the museum. The acoustics were great. He was playing Toccata and Fugue in D minor first, then the last movement of Winter from the Four Seasons – without music. We had absolutely no cash to give him. (We have a rule to ALWAYS put money in for a musician busking. Or a juggler.) Gahhhh. No euro!! No pounds! Not even dollars.

We need to covid test before flying. We saw a testing station on a boat. How great is that? Where better to be tested in Amsterdam. We couldn’t figure it out. (Keith couldn’t figure it out. I stood next to him and make helpful (?) comments about things that were happening around us while he researched. The guy working there didn’t speak a LOT of English, so we gave up.

Then we had meringues.

Then we window shopped (lime green glass slippers with hidden Mickey ankle straps!)

Then we found a Lego store. I was wild. I am going to include some of the pictures I took. Do not imagine that this is even half.

Then we rode the shortest escalators (whose existent was pointed out by a reader)(Hi Daniel and Amanda)(Train!)(Hey, we took the tram to the museum. It was quite train-ish) we’ve ever seen. We rode them several times. No one else seems the least bit excited about them. Huh.

Then we went back to Wok to Walk, because when you really enjoy something, you can have it two days in a row. And then you can have french fries in a paper cone, because everyone else is. I said I wasn’t very hungry, but I seem to do my best eating when I amn’t very hungry. (Amn’t . Why isn’t that a thing? It is now.)

Then we trained back to get to the covid testing place. We checked it out this morning – open until 8pm, no reservation needed. $55 (someone is making bank on this. A rapid test. $55) We got there at 7pm. Closed. Sign now says open 6am to 6pm. If they are not open at 6am tomorrow, that is going to be very unpleasant.

Then we packed. Some of the suitcases are very, very, very close to the maximum weight. Keith likes to live dangerously.