Day 9: Tue 2 Oct - Amsterdam

As Jane was involved in meetings all day, Sylvain, Greg and I did some more sightseeing – free stuff today! Our first stop was to the Amsterdam Central Public Library (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam) which was just a five-minute walk from Central Station.  Whilst we weren’t there to neither read nor research, we did observe a rather spectacular view of Amsterdam from the observation deck. From there we made our way over to NEMO - the New Metropolis Science and Technology. We wanted to get to the top deck and thought we could from the outside, but alas, all the gates were closed. Instead, we walked around it. A magnificent structure, the building is in the shape of a ship’s bow and reminds me of the Titanic from the movie. Its panelled façade is made of copper and has corroded to resemble the green shade of the water surrounding the building. It was then back to Central Station, well the harbour-side of the station, to catch a ferry across to the North Shore where we walked around the Eye Film Institute/Museum. A funny looking building when you are up next to it, but quite catching from afar. The worms were biting so it was back to Central Station and then to the nearest KFC for lunch. 

After lunch it was more sightseeing. We also need a few groceries and found an underground supermarket at Museumplein (Museum Square). This is a large public space, like a council park, adjacent to the Rijksmuseum, which was undergoing renovations/restorations. The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The museum is located at Museum Square, close to the Van Gogh Museum. After a while, I left the boys, and took my blistered feet back to the hotel.

Dinner was had at an Argentinian Steakhouse with a large contingent of MEPS members including Regis, Bill, Peter, Sadie (new, from Canada), Sherwin (also new, a student from Canada), Jane, Sylvain, me and Greg.  A good night was had by all – two steaks and a bottle of wine for €50!  Bargain.

NEMO

A cute little car

Eye Film Institute Museum

Amsterdam

Museum Square and Rijksmuseum

Van Gogh Museum


More canal scenery






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