Our morning commenced with a 1 hour river cruise along the Canals of Amsterdam. with it's origin in the 12 century as a Dam for the River Amster, it's history of wealth and propserity in the 17th century litters the canal banks as we meander along the canals during our journey. The canals are the result of deliberate city planing and which features four consentric half circle canals with thier begining and end in the IJ bay, designed to support the city with transport, water and defence. Lining the canal banks are rows of stately homes built mostly during the 17th century which are a reminder of Amsterdam's ten position as the financial, diamond and trade hub of Europe. Today's Amsterdam is propserous, however tourism is the trade. Streets and cafes are teeming with tourists of all ages here to experience the bohemium nature of Amsterdam. The cruise was peaceful and was certainly a great way to see the city in a short period of time.
After a quick bite of a traditional Dutch Apple and Cinnamon pancake for lunch, We headed to the Rijks Museaum of Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum has been a working museum for more than 125 years. The current building, which resembles a fairytale castle, was designed by the architect Pierre Cuypers, was opened in 1885. After more than a century of intensive use, this huge building needed a radical makeover. In 2012, after 8 years of renovation, the refit was completed and it is now a thoroughly modern space that pays homage to the original architect and the long history of Amsterdam. We were priviledged to see the works in the museums collections and stood in awe amongst some of the oldest paintings and artefacts that we had ever seen, dating back to the 1100's in some cases. Highlights for me were seeing gothic works such as the Tree of Jesse (1455) and Masterpieces such as; Van Gogh's Zelfportret (1887) as well as Goya's Portret van Don Ramón Satué (1823), Rembrants ‘Nachtwacht’ (1642), Vermeer's Het memeisje (1660). There was also a special collection of model ships from the Dutch East India Company, various armour, swords and pistols some of which dates back to the 16th century. An afternoon well spent in Amsterdam!
In the evening we visited the iconic Red Light District and spent time walking down the alleys where the infamous 'ladies of the evening' parade thier wares in the windows in the hope of making a sale. There are plenty of windows and ladies! We even found a Rock and Metal Bar in the middle of district to spend some time appreciating the art of Heavy Metal....so no need to note that between the music and the ladies this was Rossco's favourite part of our time in Amsterdam!