June 21, 2016

Saturday we moved over to Jim and Nanny’s apartment to look after Frau Donitz (their cat) while they were on a short vacation in Germany.  It is not even a 5 minute walk from our place. 

Sunday we went grocery shopping with Nanny’s cart so we could buy more than Belgian waffles and cookies.  In the afternoon I went out for a walk and took a few photos.  On previous visits I would do this almost every day taking photos of anything that caught my eye.  Sunday it was a couple of cats and a plaque on a building.  I did go through Dam Square and there were the usual “Buskers” attracting crowds.  I didn’t take their photos because if I did, I’d feel obligated to give them some money.  Because that is why they are there.  The most interesting one, to me anyway, was the young lady in a thong who has her partner painting her body.  There were quite a few fellas getting their picture taken with her.  There was also a Scottish bagpiper in full uniform.  On a previous trip I took Sue’s photo with “Bagpiper Steve,” but this was a different guy.  He was actually at a food cart eating a hot dog.  

Monday it rained most of the day so we did even less than usual, which is not much.  Mid-morning we heard sirens (?) or horns so we looked out the front window.  We saw a couple of police officers on a patrol boat parked at the corner a couple of buildings down from Jim’s where the Groenburgwal canal runs into the Amstel River.  But they were just eating their sandwiches, but we could see a couple of tour boats stationery in the river.  So I went out to see what was going on.  Well the river was full of tour boats.  The boat operators were protesting that the city is once again going to redistribute licenses for boats between 14 and 20 meters long.  Which based on the number of boats in the river is quite a few.  Apparently the city thinks the 14 meter boats are better.  The longer boats were built to the older maximum length of 20 meters.  I probably wouldn’t be too happy either if I had a 20 meter boat.  My observation is that there are more boats than needed now.  It seems like most of the canal tour boats are seldom full, but again it isn’t my ox that is being gored.  

Tuesday the 21^st we went back to the Hermitage to see the new exhibition about Catherine the Great.  The Amsterdam Hermitage is a branch of the Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg.  It is the largest satellite of the St. Petersburg Hermitage.  The St. Petersburg Museum actually has six paintings on the 1001 list.  But based on the years of Catherine’s reign, 1762 to 1796, I didn’t have much hope that any of the six paintings would be on display, five of the six on the 1001 list were painted after her reign.  And they weren’t.  It was still a very interesting exhibit.  I may have to read about Catherine when we get home.  

Tomorrow we are going visit the Six Collection which is a private museum in Amsterdam.  It doesn’t have a painting on our list, but it does have the portrait of Jan Six by Rembrandt painted in 1654, and that is enough.  The museum is in a private home about a 10 minute walk from our apartment, and it is still owned by the Six family.  You have to request a visit.  Once again you lucked out because the museum doesn’t allow photos.  Footie is just about to start so I’ll let you know how our visit goes tomorrow.

 

Amsterdam June 21 2016