The Old South - Amsterdam

 

 

A visit to the Old South, the Museum area in Amsterdam, is always a must.

 

 



 

 

Over the years we have worked out various ways of getting to that area of the city - all very interesting, and involving lots of canal admiring

 

 

 

 

Cleaning out the canals is serious business and we are always amazed at the number of bicycles that get dredged up

 

 

 

A quick stop at Rembrandtplein square, to say hello to the Nightwatch (you can see more about this here ).

 

Some of these canal houses are so meticulously neat and pretty

 



 

 

looking closer

 



 

 

 

The second boat on the left is a house - still in the process of being completed






The American Hotel, an Art Deco landmark in Leidseplein






fountain at the front






beautifully preserved building

 

 

 

 

with a gorgeous tower.

 

 

 

Then a walk through some of Vondelpark






Amsterdam's biggest park





and one that is used extensively






be it on foot, bicycle, rollerblades, or just for lying around in the sunshine

The beautifully restored Rijksmuseum. We did not visit this time, but you can see highlights of our visit last year here ,  here , here , and here

 

We walked through the 'tunnel' of the Rijksmuseum and reached Museumplein

 



 

 

 

and noticed that the pond is dominated by a new 'sculpture'

 



 

 

 

 

I can think of no other city that could carry kitsch with such aplomb

The fountain outside the Van Gogh shop

and another new addition: Bunny Parade

 

 

 

Museumplein is vast with the Rijksmuseum at one end and the Concertgebouw (Concert Hall) at the other, with the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk (Museum of Modern Art) in between

 

 



 

Lots of new things here this time,

including these,

which Ken had just to try out.

the Concertgebouw in the distance

 

 

 



 

and we headed for the Stedelijk to see the Henri Matisse exhibition

 

 

After the exhibition we came to sit here, one of our favourite things to do - there is always so much going on here

which this time, included the Bunny Parade.