The next stop on my trip through Holland was the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
But before we go there, let's start from the top! The Lookout Tower is located just next to the northsea canal which runs through this city. Although the prices were unforgivable (it was 19€ per person), the sight was still worth it. While the tower is only about 100 meters high (about 300 feet), it really does give a very good oversight of the city.
From up here you can't see the famous grachts (canals) which run through the city. But they are located behind and next to the main train station (which is the big building in the middle of the last picture). From below one can see just how close some of the buildings are located next to the water. In fact on one of the boat tours it was said, that there several canals that have buildings located right next to them (like in Venice). The majority, however, is located on land beside them. Here is an example:
One of the more iconic pictures from Amsterdam. If you are not from Europe, you might be surprised by the amount of bikes here. It is said that there are more bikes in this city than citizens and that the city has to remove several thousands of bikes from the canals (it also happens that some cars share this dire fate).
I absolutely loved the house boats. There are many in this city (if I had to make a guess, perhaps a thousand or so) and have become quite sought after as they are generally cheaper than apartments. But one really has to be cut out for this kind of living as the boats are fairly small with often only 1 or 2 rooms. On the second picture you can see, however, some bigger ones as well. It must be amazing to just be able to go by boat to work rather than by car...
And then the Rijksmuseum (Rijk stands for empire) which harbors many famous pieces by Van Gogh (although there is a special museum for his works), Vermeer and Rembrandt to name the perhaps most famous artists. It was the first time that I encountered works by them and I have to say that I was quite impressed! My favorite were the works by Vermeer. Being a 17th century painter he mastered the secret of light and shadow and it boggles the mind to thin that such work could be achieved 400 years ago. Just look at this detail and the masterful execution!
Rembrandt is of course just as famous and while he is also a master in shadow and light, he has his own style. In fact, if you look closely, the main difference is that Vermeer actually doesn't create absolute shadows (there is still light and color in them). Rembrandt on the other hand uses thick shadows which make his paintings full of contrast.
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