Museum Quarter
For my second full day in Amsterdam, my plan is to spend the morning at the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum is located in Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter. In addition to the Rijksmuseum, the quarter is also home to MOCO, Stedelijik and the Van Gogh Museum from yesterday, As my hotel is very conveniently near the Museum Quarter and I’m up early I get to take a quick stroll through the quarter and even enjoy a chilly but beautiful morning coffee and cookie! Looking back, I realize that I did spend a lot of time walking around and through the main part of the quarter. It’s a beautiful area to chill and I do regret not slowing things down and hanging out here more.
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is a massive beautiful building on the east end of the Museum Quarter. Since Amsterdam is a heavy bike commuting city one cool feature of the Rijksmuseum is the dedicated bike lane that runs THROUGH the centre of the museum itself! So even before checking out any of the exhibits, I’m already pretty impressed by the museum already! As the Rijksmuseum is one of the included activities on my Go City Pass, I pick up my entry ticket from the front desk and make my way to view the exhibits.
The Night Watch
One of the centerpiece exhibits at the museum is Rembrandt’s The Night Watch. While I would never claim to be an art connoisseur I can appreciate the size and scale of this masterpiece. Because they’re doing a bit of restoration work on the piece. There is a mechanical scaffold that sits right by the painting. I find it interesting the contrast between the time this was painted to all the technology that surrounds it now. Rembrandt didn’t have a scaffold he could easily get up and down to different sections of the painting. It likely would have been all manual work. To me this adds to how much work would have gone into creating this work of art.
For the next several hours I wander through the multiple floors and wings of the Rijksmuseum checking out all the different exhibits. It not only houses paintings from well known artists, but also art from all parts of the world and from multiple time periods. For someone that isn’t a big “art guy” I manage to spend a good few hours here. For someone that has a stronger appreciation for it, I can certainly see this being a full day affair!
Albert Cuyp Market
After spending my morning at the Rijksmuseum, I make my way over to the nearby Albert Cuyp Market. Albert Cuyp Market is a multi block street market that is home to hundreds of stalls that sell all manner of things. This includes groceries, hot food, goods etc. It’s considered one of the larger ones in Europe and is a great place to check out some great local Dutch dishes. After strolling the entire length of the market, my mind turns to food and I continue my quest for local food. So for lunch I pick up Kibbeling (fried fish) from Volendammer Vishandel J.C.M. Koning (A fish shop), bitterballen from a stall named “Dutch Snacks” and a fresh hot stroopwafel for desert. I could really get used to all this food!
Relaxing Afternoon
After lunch, I don’t really have any set plan for the afternoon. I decide to head back to my hotel to rest a little. However, I decide to take the long scenic route back. Even after two and a half days of strolling through Amsterdam, I am still amazed that there is so much new character and beauty around every corner. Amsterdam is one of those cities you can happily get lost in and always find something cool and new.
A’Dam lookout
After a short respite in the afternoon, I set out again. This time I head towards Amsterdam’s central station. There are a series of FREE ferries that will take you to various points across the river. My target is the A’Dam lookout. This is a funky tower overlooking Amsterdam from the North side of the river. This is also covered by my Go City pass, so after getting my ticket, I ride the elevator to the top floor. From there I take another set of stairs which leads to the roof of the building. The entire roof is a viewing platform with its own bar, patio and even a set of swings for the thrill seekers that want to “swing over the edge”. Purposely timing my visit with sunset proved fruitful. As I am treated to a gorgeous view of Amsterdam as the sun sets behind it.
After taking in the view a little bit, I decide to avail myself of the rooftop bar. Having a beverage to this view as the sun dips below the horizon is certainly a wonderful way to end off the day.
As the sun sets, I again take the stairs down a floor to their indoor bar. This is the “square” top floor that is offset from the rest of the building and gives the A’Dam building its unique look. I originally intended to have a drink and dinner at this top floor lounge. However, nothing on the menu appealed to me and I settled for taking in the atmosphere over another drink. I would also pop back out to the rooftop one more time to catch a few evening photos of Amsterdam before heading back across the river on the ferry.
Asian Kitchen
Upon disembarking the ferry, a cool mist or fog was creeping onto the streets of Amsterdam. With a slight temperature drop, instead of trying to find a unique spot for dinner, I decide to find something affordable, quick and familiar. I sought out an Asian restaurant called Asian Kitchen which seems highly rated by many locals. It’s on the way back to my hotel so it made for a perfect quick bite. It hit the spot as a hot, tasty affordable meal.
After dinner I make my way back to my hotel for a hot shower and get ready to turn in. I don’t have any burning plans tomorrow so a sleep in is in order. However, I’m still excited to just wander around the city tomorrow.
Visited Amsterdam briefly in the past. Didn’t realize how much I have missed! Thanks for broadening my horizon!