We woke up in Amsterdam in disbelief that we were surrounded by all these amazing buildings and canals.
Super Nel and I decided to spend the day at the Rijksmuseum (no I didn't forget a space-that's how it's spelled). We purchased a ticket to this museum before we left home and thank goodness we did. We skipped a line that had easily 50-60 people waiting for a ticket. I know I've said this before, but I want to say it again-if you plan to visit these museums please purchase your tickets ahead of time. There is usually a $1-3 fee for purchasing online but it's worth every penny.
When we got inside the museum our tickets told us we could download a free interactive app from iTunes to use as multimedia audio tour. Or you could purchase the multimedia tour in an electronic device from the museum for €5 per person. I'm all about things that are free so we downloaded the app and pulled out our earphones.
This app blew me away!!!! I have never seen a more well organized and engaging application for a museum. You open the application and it has a selection of tour options: you can pick a tour based on the artwork or the century.
Here I am listening to the Rijksmuseum app at one of the paintings.
The application helps you understand the artwork better.
The app shows you where to go in order to find the artwork like this:
There are endless options for a tour.
Pick the tour you want to do.
Follow the directions to your starting point.
Then when you arrive at the artwork it gives you three options. The first is 1-2 minutes of audio about the Art piece and the author. The next option is it shows you video specific to the artwork. You might see the artists sketches before they started painting or what the art looked like before it was restored. The last option is to listen to a curator speak about the artwork and to tell you the history behind it.
The three options for this artwork.
This was by far the most amazing museum I've ever been to. We stayed inside for about 5 hours completely engaged and loving the application. We did the 90 minute highlights tour, 90 minute architecture tour (about the building itself) and a short Asian Collection Tour. Here are some of the highlights:
Stained glass from the Gallery Hall.
Mural from the Great Hall.
I couldn't get enough of this painting. It's a painting of a couple after their wedding. This was a painting unlike any other, because the couple is in the painting together. Also, the couple is touching, which was uncommon at this time. The man has his hand in towards his chest which represents a deep love for his wife. And the women is blushing which represents her returned love for her husband. The ivy located in the bottom left corner of the painting is a representation of fertility. I loved this painting. Maybe because we're on our honeymoon it really spoke to me.
Compare these paintings with the other couple above. These are also marriage paintings but more traditional. This couple is painted in separate paintings as was the norm during this era. Also, notice that neither person is smiling.
It's hard to see in this photo, but this artist did an amazing job capturing every single detail in this painting. The lemon peel is amazing!!
I loved this giant ship replica. It reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean. My brother Josh and I love that movie. I know another friend who also loves this movie. He can watch it again an again and still love it every single time.
This painter captured a traditional Catholic Church during a time when no ornamentation was allowed. You can see no stained glass or anything ornate. This feeling was captured in the painting.
If you get close enough you can see the wrinkles that are painted into this man's face. So much detail!!!
The famous Rembrandt Night Watch Painting. This painting is larger than life!!! Í learned during the architecture tour that there is a trap door under the painting. They can hide this painting in a bunker under the museum in less than a minute if there is any danger-they used it during World War II to keep the painting safe.
If you look up behind the man with the black hat you see someone with only half a face. It is believed that this man was Rembrandt himself. He painted himself into the painting
This library reminds me of the Beauty and the Beast library. This is a 1800 research real life library. I would love to have a library like this one day.
I found this painting interesting because it was the son of a King. However, he ended up being a very spoiled and self-centered prince. The curator on the app said he could be compared to a spoiled child today. A teenager that has an iPad and iPhone with unlimited access to whatever they want. When this Prince went on to rule he did not become as successful as his father-hard to imagine why.
I just liked this painting because there's a unicorn.
A self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. I really enjoyed the brush strokes. He learned this style of painting while studying in Paris.
This painting said that the initial thought is the painting is about the riches and delicacies of life. However, in the background you can see Jesus visiting the people. It's supposed to be a painting about the temptations of everyday life and what is truly important.
The Asian art collection was smaller but worth the visit. Here's Shiva in all her glory.
This guy is regarded as a protector of the Buddah and his monk followers.
These two statues are the protectors of a temple. Each one represents some of the sayings of this faith. It is believed that one is saying Om and the other Ah to keep predators at bay.
We returned to our hostel in need of a much needed nap. This hostel is located in Vondelpark which is a slightly smaller version of what Central Park is to New York City. It's a really nice place and we chose the 6 person private room. We're sharing with Adele, Ala, Mel and Adrianna.
Our Amsterdam hostel from the outside.
Our private 6 bedroom dorm
There are a set of 3 bunkbeds in the room.
Each bunk bed has a locker to store any valuables while away from you room.
The view of the park from the window of our room.
Our first day in this amazing city was a success. Amsterdam really makes you feel like you're in a whole different country halfway across the world. I can't wait to explore more tomorrow!
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