Day 12: Fri 5 Oct - Amsterdam

Greg’s birthday and I only got to spend a little bit of time with him. 

We were up early to make it to the breakfast session where Eiko was presenting with one other person. Both were excellent presentations, and the breakfast hit the spot as well. After an interview with Sherwin Fernandes (a Canadian Forces student) on my experiences with emergency pharmacy, Jane and I wandered around the Showcase and managed to find a few pens and paper pads (isn’t that what these events are all about anyway?!). After having been around the stands twice we decided to find a table to sit down and do some work – well check emails and discuss the course of events for the next couple of days. Jane then went to a BPP meeting so I went back to the hotel to see if I could find my husband.

Had to change clothes again to attend the FIP Welcome Reception which was held at the National Maritime Museum.  We all met at the RAI and then walked a short distance to the canal boats which took us across the water to the Museum.  It was a lovely venue for the event, however, it was too big and service was not the best.

The National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam is housed in a former naval storehouse which was constructed in 1656. The museum moved to this building in 1973.  The museum is dedicated to maritime history and contains many artifacts associated with shipping and sailing. The collection contains, among other things, paintings, scale models, weapons and world maps. The building’s inner courtyard has been covered by a glass roof with hundreds of tiny LED lights placed between shields of glass give an impression of the starry sky.

The replica of the three-masted “Amsterdam”, a large vessel of the Dutch East India Company, which in its maiden journey to Batavia sank in a storm in the English Channel in winter of 1749, stands high above the waters of Ij Bay, directly at the museum quay. The wreck of the ship had been discovered off the English coast in 1969, and the museum replica was been completed in 1990. Visiting the ship, you may see how small and primitive spaces were to house 350 people during the ship’s journey, with more comfortable but equally minute quarters for the ship’s captain and officers. 

National Maritime Museum

VOC Ship Amsterdam replica

Edible Garden - snacks at the Welcome Reception

Dome covering the courtyard




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