Visiting The Netherlands

Fifty-one years ago, my friend Cecelia and I traveled around Europe for more than three months collecting long-lasting memories from our assorted adventures.  One of those enduring memories was of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands.  What I remembered over all those years was stumbling on paintings by the Dutch grand masters—Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and others.  I did not remember the gorgeous building which houses the museum nor the historical story told in its many gallery rooms.  

The museum was largely remodeled a few years ago, according to our boutique hotel host.  In these times of Covid, advance ticket purchases were required, and luckily were available.  (We were not so lucky with purchasing tickets to either the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House—both of which were sold out for the weekend we were in town.)  Proof of vaccination is required to enter any museum, restaurant, or store in Amsterdam and masks are supposed to be worn—a requirement many ignored once inside. 

Two paintings that caught my eye this time were "Woman Baking Pancakes" by Adriaan de Lelie and "Children of the Sea" by Jozef Israels.  I also loved the beautiful Delph pottery room. 

 

Those who have visited Amsterdam will recall the series of canals that keeps the water off of the land in this below-sea-level country and the enormous popularity of the bicycle as a means of transportation.  Woe to the pedestrian who does not adhere to the bike versus pedestrian lanes along the roads.  Bicycles have the right of way, and they whiz by constantly and often at great speed.

 

We boarded our Viking River ship in Amsterdam.  Because we had planned this cruise for 2020 and received a nice future cruise credit package when it was cancelled, we are traveling in style, staying in one of the ship's two explorer suites with all sorts of benefits like free laundry service and free daily refills on our mini-bar.  

Our first port of call was the small village of Kindersdijk where we learned about the role of windmills in keeping the water at bay in this low-lying country.  This set of windmills was built in the 1700s to pull water from the swamps into storage ponds and then move it into canals and out to sea.  I didn’t understand the mechanics of it; Scott did and asked lots of questions.  

I enjoyed the functional beauty of the structures and the visit to the inside of one of the windmills to see how the miller and his family live.  It is a museum now, but the other windmills are inhabited by millers who agree to maintain and operate the windmill in exchange for free housing.  This photo shows the girls' box bed with a family photo of the miller and his wife with their twelve children who once lived here above it.