Visiting the Rijksmuseum and evening Canal Cruise

My name is Sophie, and I’m writing today’s blog. Today we had a slow start, as we were awoken by heavy sheets of rain outside. Unfortunately, the rain hindered our plans to go to small markets in groups, but we were able to go to a large market as a group for forty five minutes at noon. There were various shops selling handmade items such as jewelry, clothing, glasses, as well as many stands selling different kinds of food, like produce and meals. Many people in our group enjoyed crepes from a stand at the market. At 1:45, our large group split in half to explore the Rijksmuseum. The museum had four levels, each showcasing various eras within Amsterdam’s history. On the first floor, we saw intricate models of ships, many treasures left behind after wrecks, different types of pottery and paintings, weapons, as well as historical clothing pieces.

The second floor showcased artwork by Van Gough, sculptures of clay and marble, and many other relics from between 1800 and 1900. On the third floor, there were beautiful pieces of furniture carved with patterns and decisions made of materials such as wood and marble. The third floor also had an expansive library with large walls and high ceilings completely filled with books.

Finally, the fourth floor displayed many items from the early 1900s, my favorite of which was a Javanese fighting plane, called a “bantam” or FK 23. From 5 to 8, the groups split up to wander Amsterdam and get dinner. Sonia, Geneva, Jahnvi, and I combined with another group to explore shops before splitting off to eat dinner. At 8:15, the group got back together to enjoy a night on the canal cruise where we learned about Amsterdam’s history.

I especially appreciated looking at the beautiful scenery and infrastructure of the city. An interesting thing that we learned on the cruise was about the history of houses in Amsterdam that are painted black. These houses were painted black to label that the residents were at some point infected with the black plague.

At the end of the night, we walked back to our hostel and enjoyed time in our communal spaces before heading to bed for the night. Overall, I enjoyed connecting with our group as we walked around exploring and learning about different places in Amsterdam. I also appreciated that we were able to develop our own interpretations of the art forms showcased within the museum. Signing off, Sophie.