The FAST Museum Tour

We got up a little late hoping to get out and actually see inside some buildings in Amsterdam. Well it wasn't long before Jen needed food and a foot rest but we did make it to the Rijksmuseum and the Expressionist show at the Van Gogh Museum.

It seems that travelling in Europe in January and February has seen construction at every major museum and cathedral offering stunted if any exhibits at all.

The main entrance at the Rijksmuseum was closed and barricaded with fencing, scaffolds, and cranes. It is an amazing building, to see it open would be amazing. We entered in the back to a limited viewing of historical paintings and artifacts. I got to see some amazing Dutch Master paintings firsthand including a large array of Rembrandt drawings & paintings and VanEyck paintings. It was inspiring to think that centuries ago, during times without running water and electricity, that life seemed so beautiful and simple. But to know Europe in winter is to realize that it would certainly hqve been anything but simple when you could not get warmth or find food or shelter, and have to buy/trade for supplies daily.

The grounds behind the Rijksmuseum are amazing. A huge field lined with saplings and the enormous 2 building VanGogh museum prominently in the middle. Jen hit the wall and went for a foot rest and warm up... I went in for a 30 minute tour of 50 years of expressionist POW. Again, inspiring, to say the least. Waiting for a call from Sophia, oh her way to meet us and spend some more time on the train with Tigo. By this time, Tigo was starting to show signs of his cold getting worse and I believe was moving to a stronger course of antibiotics and Jen and I avoinding direct contact or at least washing our hands often to keep from getting sick.

Sophia met us by the old Mint or Muntplein, which Jen and I struggled to find on our tram map. She met us with hot turkish food in hand and we headed bqck to the apartment for some spicy treats.