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Van Gogh

Friday night and nothing planned for Saturday. What about Van Gogh? OK and I get online and bring up their website. Buy tickets online and have them sent to your smart phone – sounds good. Sure enough when we find the entrance there is a line for the ticket office and it sure was nice to go down the fast lane directly into the museum.

Yes, it's the van Gogh museum.
Yes, it’s the van Gogh museum.

Bought the multimedia tour as well and had a crash course in his life & works as we wandered the 4 chronology floors. After two hours we found the coffee shop and sampled more Dutch pastries & coffee.

No photo's inside so here is one of coffee & croissants in the coffee shop afterwards.
No photo’s inside so here is one of coffee & croissants in the coffee shop afterwards.

Behind both the Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh there is Museumplein and today there was a cultural event called Uit Market. Plenty of booths promoting all types of groups as well as stages with loud performers.

In the adjacent Museumplein they were having a festivle of sorts with local performers on the stage in the background.
In the adjacent Museumplein they were having a festival of sorts with local performers on the stage in the background.

Wandered the streets & canals, plenty of place to grab a beer but tough finding a nice seat with a view.

Exactly what it looks like.
Exactly what it looks like.

Saw this houseboat with a little nest for the local ducks that swim the canals, our neighboring boat has one and the ducks constantly circle for food.

Houseboat with a little gangplank & nest for the ducks.
Houseboat with a little gangplank & nest for the ducks.

I really like Amsterdam. Maybe it’s because English is widely spoken, or that I can use my knowledge of Afrikaans to decipher the Dutch language, or that it is really cosmopolitan seems even more so than Los Angeles.

We loved sitting on our boat and watching the parade watercraft go by. Weekdays it is mostly the tourist boats but at the weekends the locals come out to play. All types, girls celebrating showers or just girls cruise. Boys boats and even paddle boats hugging the sides.

Could spend a couple of weeks here, eating, drinking, people watching, …. Only problem there are no Santa Monica mountains to ride up to burn off all the excess.