Amsterdam, Netherlands
Scenic canals, bright flowers, ever-changing weather and delicious food painted a beautiful picture of Amsterdam for us today. This city of winding waterways and unique architecture, the apotheosis of the Netherlands’ long struggle against the sea, welcomed us with stories of seafarers, sublime art and occasional sunny smiles.
We began our explorations with a cruise on the famous canals of the “Venice of the North.” Guided by remarkably skilled pilots, the long narrow boats made their way through a maze of narrow channels and tight turns, taking us past 17th-century merchant’s homes, long rows of dark bicycles and sleek granite monuments. Around us, the banks of the canals were lined with other boats of all descriptions, from half-sunk derelicts to large and beautifully kept houseboats roofed with patio gardens.
We disembarked our boats a few steps away from the world-famous Rijksmuseum and spent the rest of our morning in the company of the Old Masters. Led by our local guides, whose commentary came through perfectly in our wireless earphones, we wandered through gallery after gallery, from one stunning masterpiece to another. The glowing golden light and deep shadows of Rembrandt’s portraits and Vermeer’s simple domestic scenes, so exquisitely rendered, drew us into a rich vision of the past and connected us to lives lived long ago. Approached closely, each painting resolved into astounding details of brushwork; pearls became careful constructions of highlight and shadow, curling hair blurred into a wash of medium tones, defined only by a few delicate strokes of the finest brushes. Viewed at this range the masterworks offered us another level of connection, directly to the hands of the great artists who created them centuries ago.
After a quick lunch we continued painting our own portraits of Amsterdam, walking in the company of our guides through the busy districts of the city, visiting other museums or simply strolling and shopping. All of the city’s attractions provided the spectrum for our palates, somber hues of monuments to commerce and war, bright primary colors of blossoms in the flower market, cobblestone grays, neon reds, mossy greens. We each worked hard at creating our own compositions of travel experience and by the end of the day we were ready for the good sustenance needed by all creative artists. Our dinner this evening was an elegant affair, hosted in a beautiful 17th-century building that had been the headquarters of the Dutch West India Company. It was in this building, in the room where we sat, that the governors of the company made the decision to build the fort on island of Manhattan that later grew into New York City.
Pleasantly tired from the long day, well sated by the excellent meal and proud of our accomplishments in the arts of travel, we returned to our ship for a well-deserved rest.
