Destination: Amsterdam
Shattered after my previous days adventures, I snoozed my alarm and slept much longer than I had intended. When I finally emerged from the TentBox, I was sad to realise that Kidde and Ulrich had left for home. I had really hoped to exchange details before they left so I was kind of annoyed at myself for sleeping in. I needed to get a wiggle on, as I had a few things I really wanted to see during todays trip into the city.
Stop 1: Amsterdam
As with the previous day, I decided to get the bus from outside the campsite to Schipol and then the train into Amsterdam. I met a lovely Italian family at the bus stop and we chatted for a while about my previous years Italian adventures. They originated from Florence, which had been one of my favourite places, and I was happy I could help them get into the city.
I met Em and Ferris at the station and we checked their bags at the luggage lockers at the front of the station, as they were heading home that day. It was really straightforward and a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to be lugging bags around. We had decided to see a bit of culture before they headed off, so we made for the Metro. Getting off at Vijzelgracht, we grabbed some delicious food at Bagelboy, then headed over the road.
I had really wanted to go to the Van Gogh museum but I’d sadly not been able to get tickets. If you want to visit around Easter, you’ll need to book several months in advance. But I was really happy that we were going to be able to visit the imposing Rijksmuseum. This museum hosts some incredible collections, including pieces from many of the Dutch Masters as well as some notable Van Goghs.
Rijksmuseum
There was a short wait to get into the museum as it was so busy but the queues were very well managed and we were soon inside. We made our way to pick up a free map from the infomation desk, and then to pick up our interactive guides. I would most definitely 100% recommend getting one of these. Although they do take a while to figure out, you’d miss so much without them as the museum is huge. Additionally, they feature a great ‘highlights’ tour which helps you locate the key pieces if you don’t have much time to explore.
It was incredible to see so many paintings by artists like Vermeer and Van Gogh alongside those by the Dutch Master Rembrandt. I was also particularly struck by the ‘Portrait of an African Man‘ (Jan Mostaert c1530) which is thought to be the earliest painting of a dark skinned nobleman.
The museum hosts a huge amount of artwork, not just paintings. I was also very taken by the Asian Pavilion. This hosts a collection of eastern art, including the japanse sculpture of Budda Amida Nyorai, which really draws you in. And right behind this serene deity the fierce and protective Temple Guards, which stand around 2.5m tall.
Centrepiece of this collection is a bronze of Shiva Nataraja, which is delightful, and whose playfulness definitely brings a smile.
As we left the museum, I was delighted to see the bronze replica of The Laocoon Group. This is a very well known ancient sculpture, and I had seen the original in the Vatican museum when I visited Rome the year before.
VondelPark
Before heading back to pick up the luggage, we decided to go for a stroll around the Vondelpark. It was a shame the weather had taken a bit of a turn as the past few days had been so lovely. But we still enjoyed our stroll around the gardens, and sat at a bench for a while just listening to the sounds of the city.
As we headed back out of the park we passed the statue of the writer Joost van den Vondel after whom the park had been named. He didn’t seem to be having such a great time of it, but it made us giggle anyway.
It wasn’t long before I had to say cheerio to Emily and Ferris, and left them at the station to get their train to Schipol and flight home. They’d left me with a little ‘treasure hunt’ challenge. This was great fun, as it had me wandering round parts of the city I’d not yet seen, and took up the rest of my afternoon. Once I had completed that, I headed for the closest pub to quickly use the loo.
There are quite a lot of Irish bars in Amsterdam, and I thought this one looked particularly welcoming. I was absolutely right! It was quite a while before I left O’Reilly’s having bumped into a lovely group of people from Birmingham. To be honest I could have stayed all night, but I thought I’d best get back to the campsite while I still knew how!
On my way back to the station I had one last look at Dam Square and then it was back on the train to Schipol.
Overnight: Amsterdam Bos
As luck would have it, I arrived at Schipol just in time to get the last bus back to the campsite, otherwise it’d have to have been a taxi. Nevertheless, if you do happen to find yourself in that situation there are loads of taxis at the airport so you’d not be stranded.
By the time the bus got to Amsterdamse Het Bos, wet weather was really beginning to set in. After hastily putting pegging my rain covers out, I snuggled into my lovely warm TentBox and fell asleep to the gentle pit pattering of raindrops on the covers.
I’d really enjoyed my time in Amsterdam, especially catching up with Emily and Ferris and seeing a side to the city I’d not otherwise have seen. But this was only day 5 and there were still so many awesome adventures to come!!!
