June 9: Museum Day

Thanks to Kevin and Melissa's planning, we had reserved tickets to the Rijksmuseum in the morning and Van Gogh Museum in the afternoon. We took the tram to the museum area with ample time for coffee and a pastry. Ever the clever Google user, Kevin found and walked us to a great little neighborhood coffee shop before our 10 AM admission. We walked every gallery for 3+ hours, then lunch, happened to be Italian again, then a 3:15 PM entry at the Van Gogh Museum until it closed at 6 PM. Again, every gallery including the special exhibition gallery, followed by a visit to a nearby bike rental shop, cycle ride back through the busy Vondelpark, (public urban park of 120 acres), back to the hotel, tram to another well-researched Indian restaurant, and tram back to the hotel. A full, wonderful day and a good night's sleep.

The day in captions.


Extraordinary Canal-side Home

Early morning near the Rijksmuseum

Kevin & Melissa


Chai & cappuccino. Cappuccino pattern held all the way to the bottom.

Coffee shop cat.



Crazy toilet message. 

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history. The museum is located at the Museum Square, Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw.


The Rijksmuseum Library. Four stories linked by a fantastic spiral staircase.




Painted Dog of the Day

Ensemble taking advantage of the Rijksmuseum's exterior acoustics. Cyclists stream by in both directions with pedestrians seeking opportunities to cross. But more to the story. 

The underpass was an integral part of the original Rijksmuseum's design. Amsterdam allowed the building of the museum on the condition that the existing street would remain open to all traffic. It was the gateway to new developments in Amsterdam South. The underpass at street level (often called ‘tunnel’ but it really isn’t that) was wide enough for a tram line. But that was never built. The underpass was open to motor traffic until 1931. The museum director at the time had already been asking for a traffic ban since 1925 but only achieved the compromise that motor traffic would be banned. Consecutive directors tried to turn the central underpass into a main entrance three times, in 1945, 1963 and 1975. But the city refused to give up the vital traffic connection. 

https://bikecity.amsterdam.nl/en/inspiration/rijksmuseum-passage/


Potato Eaters. Sorry, Nancy, not sweet potatoes.

Outside the Van Gogh Museum

Still cannot smile for a photo.

Cycling miles: 35 today; 35 total. No cycling, a tram day.

 

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