Tulips from Amsterdam

    
Whenever I am in a new place I find myself taking mental snapshots of all the things that interest, excite, charm, surprise me. My eyes become a cine-camera...processing and panning...I often trip over! This recent trip to Amsterdam was as full of the wonderful and the new as I had hoped. I can't help looking for the pattern and rhythm of a place, for me Amsterdam was blue, Delft blue? Van Gogh blue?! I am sure that much of that was to do with the temperature, brrrrrr!

Let's deal with some of the cliches ~ yes there are bikes everywhere, it's very cool. At times it was as though we had been transported back to the early 20th Century. There is no limit to what one can load upon ones bicycle...a large painting wrapped in brown paper, a wedding dress, a dog/dogs and many, many children! Bakfiets are the order of the day, see them here. Most bikes we saw had a beer crate or apple crate attached, brilliant!

The canals are amazing, on and on they go, charming streets chocka-block with amazing buildings, tall and narrow and decorative, I just stared and stared...wide mouth frog style! On and on, like dominoes squeezed  side by side, each impossibly narrow and tilting, as though being held up by the proximity of its neighbours. And each with unique details.

 I was especially delighted to see that shops, bars, houses, flats appartments, cafes, everyone had flowers. Every window seemed staged by a Dutch Old Master...still life groups, it was wonderful.

Speaking of wonderful...that doesn't even come close to the Van Gogh exhibition, currently in the Hermitage. So beautifully staged, I am not ashamed to say that I was reduced to tears...twice. I have always wanted to see the almond blossom paintings and they did not disappoint. Not to be missed...

Another treat was lunch in the greenhouse at De Kas, another long held ambition, more about that another time...

Obviously there was retail therapy...here

 
and here...by the square where the Noodermarkt is held...De Weldaad

...and yes we tried the famous Apple Pie from Winkel

Oh and in the Nine Streets, loved the Nine Streets, brilliant clusters of canals intersected by little streets full of creativity and good food! I loved walking along these canals at dusk as the strings of lights began to reflect in the water...

...and finally...Yes! 

There were tulips from Amsterdam...brought home on the plane and lovingly put into pewter jugs here  

thank you Mr.Lane

 -x-