davidandmarta.blogspot.com: amsterdam, day 3

don't worry! there were only 3 days on this vacation, so this is the last of the detailed recounting of our little trip. our last day was warm and clear and perfectly sunny, just as the previous 2 days had been. in the morning, we hopped on the bikes and pedaled south to visit the floating flower market along a canal street. the netherlands grows tulips and lots of flowers, and in the flower market, you can buy seasonal blooms, more tulip bulbs than you've ever seen, and any touristy trinkey or knick knack that you can imagine. (delftware windmill salt shaker? yep. socks with a marijuana leaf on it? of COURSE.)

a sea of tulip bulbs

after that, we had tickets from an online reservation to the van gogh museum. with one look at the long line of tourists waiting to gain entrance to the museum, we knew the online reservation was the smartest move we'd made all weekend. this museum is incredible, and it seems like EVERYBODY knows it. once we were inside, the crowds didn't thin much. it was hard to do battle with a crowd to get close to all the paintings i wanted to see up close, but we did it and are glad we did. van gogh painted for only 7 years, but it was a prolific 7 years. the museum captures all that time, including the mental illness and ear chopping business, and the final year of making a new painting daily until his tragic suicide. it was a small, well curated and well executed museum with WAY too many people inside.

after the van gogh museum, we had a nutella waffle in the shade while taking in the big view of the museumsplein. this is a big stretch of grassy parkway connecting a few museums in the south part of the city. there is a big old "i amsterdam" sign to climb on and use your selfie-stick in front of.

but my favorite part was only discovered after the waffle was done, the i amsterdam sign was explored, and the rijkmuseum was approached. there is a bike and pedestrian tunnel that passes under and through the museum. yep. it's pretty great.

bike tunnel!

bike zone under the museum!

we also went into the rijksmuseum, which is big and magnificent, to peek at a few rembrandts and vermeers. you know, dutch masters. while in rome, so to speak.... but the paintings are breath taking.

rembrandt's the night watch

after a quick trip through the museum, we went into vondelpark, which is pretty much like new york's central park. there are lots of little cafes and restaurants, and we picked this pretty awesome one for lunch. after that, we found yet another corner of the park for getting cozy in a sun shiney beer garden.

dappled park ride

lunch spot

and cozy post-lunch spot

david found a little horse spot on the edge of vondelpark, and it sure seems that vondelpark is in a pretty swanky neighborhood. here is the front of the hollandsche manege riding school (it's the white one) tucked into a row of homes. inside, the riding arena is gorgeous, the horses are so so pretty, and even the stairs up to the cafe on the observation deck are, well....swanky. it was swanky.

after the bike riding and horse viewing and park relaxing and museum visiting, we cleaned up and found some dinner al fresco on the nearby and beautiful prisengracht. david got some cucumber swirls and tonic.

man, that trip was a good time. this last picture of ourselves on a post dinner cross-canal stroll kind of perfectly captures how we feel about vacation.