5 August BOSTON >

6 August AMSTERDAM
Orientation, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Jordaan
    Met my friend Missy at the airport, took the train to Amsterdam, and dropped my stuff off in her friend's apartment (here's a map) -- one I sublet for all of August. Took a two hour nap while Missy did some errands -- housekeeping for her recent move from Amsterdam to den Haag. Woke up disoriented to Missy's buzzing the doorbell and went out into Amsterdam, Missy showing me around the neighborhood (De Pijp in Oud Zuid), and with agility, since this used to be her neighborhood, too. We went to the eetcafé and music venue de Ijsbreaker, mentioned here only because of the frequency of my visits there over the course of the month. From there, some more twists and turns through de Pijp and then more towards the city center to Leidseplein, a popular tourist cozy, where I rented a bike for a few days (www.macbike.nl) and Missy left for den Haag, Missy having also gotten only two hours of sleep the night before.
    First stop, per my usual first arriving upon arrival in a new city, was the main art museum, in this case the beautiful Rijksmuseum. Two and a half hours was sufficient to see all the rooms and take a chronological tour through Flemish and Dutch art, from medieval through seventeenth century, culminating with Rembrandt's Night Watch. Took a breather on the bench outside of the museum where an Italian couple gave the international sign for 'move over a little so we can sit here, too.' Said 'ciao' and biked into the Jordaan to the Anne Frank House. 
    A stately and beautiful area, the Jordaan, so I biked straight past the line to the Anne Frank House and explored the area. I ended up with a sandwich on the Tonensluis Bridge. Back to the Anne Frank House, appropriately, powerfully, and emotionally presented and curated. After a few moments of cogitation and sitting on Prinsengracht, some more biking around the city in and out of various stages of lost and found. Dinner at a Missy-recommended Indonesian restaurant in Leidseplein and a bike ride back to de Pijp finished off a fantastic first day.

 Houseboat on Prinsengracht, Jordaan, Amsterdam

 Canal Houses on Singelgracht by the Tonensluis Bridge, Jordaan, Amsterdam

 No Parking Sign, Jordaan, Amsterdam

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