Share Our World: First Impressions of Amsterdam

My first impression on the first day I was in Amsterdam... lovely and charming.

Lovely

very pleasant or enjoyable; delightful

Charming

delight greatly

When I first heard that HiveFest was going to be in Amsterdam I wasn't very excited. It had never been a city that I had particularly wanted to visit. I had been saving up for years and really wanted to go to HiveFest in person so I made plans to go. I am so glad I did.

The architecture, the water ways, the history and the art... were all lovely and charming. Even walking in the rain to dinner was lovely.

Let me tell you I did a lot of walking on my first day in this beautiful city. My Google fit tracked 29,133 steps or 12.3 miles (19.79 km).

The architecture

The architecture was so diverse in style and age. It is always a treat from me to travel to a country with such a long history and building that show that history.

The water ways

I had heard Amsterdam called the Venice of the north. It was so fun to see all the canals and IJ and Amstel rivers.

The history

I live in Arizona and it became a state in 1912. I come from a country that is relatively new and a state that is even newer. I love seeing beautiful historic buildings.

I took the train from the airport to Amsterdam Central. What a gorgeous gothic and renaissance revival building completed in 1889.


Rembrandt House Museum, 1600s		Basilica of St. Nicholas, 1887

The Van Gogh Museum was built the same year I was born!

The Art

As a person that enjoys art Amsterdam is an amazing city. The first day I went to three museums. The Rembrandt House Museum, the Van Gogh Museum and The Rijksmuseum to see Barbara Hepworth in the gardens.

The Rembrandt House Museum
What a wonderful museum that is a combination of historical home and art museum. I enjoyed it very much and there was a special exhibit of etchings and lithographs that was a treat!

Van Gogh Museum
What a great collection of Van Gogh's art that tells his history on the different levels of the museum. The texture of the paint is one of my favorite things about Van Gogh.

Barbara Hepworth at the Rijksmusuem
In August I posted Art Talk: Barbara Hepworth and was so excited to see her sculptures when I went to Amsterdam. I went on the first day! Here is a quick look at the Rijksmuseum gardens and some of Hepworth's sculptures.