The Museum of the Tropics is located on the Eastern side of Amsterdam, just past the Zoo. It is an anthropological museum which was established in 1864 as the “Colonial Museum”, but in 1949 became a part of the Tropical Institute in Amsterdam.
De Oude Kerk
Himself got a day off work. Deciding to make the most of it, we planned on heading to a local medieval castle! Of course when the day dawn cold and wet (first day of summer, and Solstice don’cha’know) we decided that we’d get terrible photos and I couldn’t do that to all of you lovely readers. So plans changed and we ended up at the Oude Kerk and the World Press Photo Exhibition therein.
I’m not sure why is didn’t occur to me that the “World Press Photos” would be taken from “World Press”, and therefore mostly about War and Sports. But it didn’t, and they were. So as often as I was impressed with the technical aspects of the photos, and how much story they told, they were quite confronting and not often heart-warming stories.
Good thing for me I had other things to absorb myself into! Would you like to know more?
Amsterdam Museum, Freezing Canals, National Radio, Australia Day
It has been a huge week out here on the canals Ladies and Gentlemen! A HUGE week!
We managed to have the plumber here a total of four times before the sink in the kitchen was finally draining, we’ve been to see a legal aid about a previous landlord, there’s been knit nights, language lessons, and homework! None of which got photographed!
What I did take photos of was Amsterdams Historic Museum when I went.
It was a wonderful glimpse into the history of a great city, and all it has contributed to the global village.
Of course, dead things in jars never go astray either.
As promised, they have stopped water traffic on the Herrengracht in order to facilitate it icing over. We may yet get to skate on a canal!
Though, to be fair, you can already skate on the pond in VondelPark! I love the swirls that have been captured in the ice flow!
I was invited to go and see AWOLNATION performing a live gig at the National Radio Station. Which was an awesome experience!
We all sat around in a studio that was set up like a bar, had a few beers, and watched the show being recorded to playback on Saturday. Good band too! I need to look up more of their work.
The canals around home have been taking on their own stark beauty. I could sit and watch the ice flowing for hours if I were sufficiently rugged up!
Australia day dawned overcast and grey. There was snow at one point, topping up the fall we’d had a week earlier, and we’d been invited to a BBQ. There were snags, there was cricket on the TV,
and our gracious hosts just got engaged!
There was much to celebrate.
For those of you in Australia, I hope you’re staying out of the heat, away from the fires, and if you’re in Queensland, on high ground and out of the flood waters. Stay safe!
We’ve got a warm week ahead of us with rain and highs of 8C. Perfect conditions to create us some black ice! I think I’ll buy cleats for my shoes …
The Hermitage
The chill in the air doesn’t stop the real tourists from making it out to see the sights! Oh no! We have done it! We have been to see the Hermitage Amsterdam. As opposed to the Hermitage St Petersburg, which we would have to travel to Russia for. And will, mind you, just not this time!
I have been wanting to go here for a while, and with the Museum Cards we bought back in July, not only were we able to skip the queues of people, but we also got in free!
There are two main exhibitions on at the moment. The Impressionists, and the Van Gogh Museum is in residence owing to the refurbishment of its usual gallery down near the Rijksmuseum.
Unfortunately you find out pretty quickly (when you get told off, or you hear someone else being told off) that you’re not permitted to take photos in the Hermitage. I don’t really understand this rule, but I’m also no in a position to question it, so there you go. They do let you buy postcards of some of the works though.
It was such a moving experience for me, to be standing in a room full of Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, Degas, and Rodin! All of the pieces were so influential in my childhood, and internally I thanked my wonderful mother for giving me such an appreciation for art and history. I wished she had been there next to me to share it with.
The Van Gogh section had a LOT more people in it, and it suddenly occurred to me that there are usually queues down the street out the front of its regular museum. So I just was grateful I could get close enough to see anything. I have always loved some of Vincent’s pieces, but until I walked through, I’d really had no idea how prolific he was, nor how many styles he worked in and mastered after just deciding to become an artist!
I shall be going back to visit the Hermitage again soon, before the Impressionist exhibition moves on.
Stanley Kubrick
Last Thursday night we took our first ferry across the IJ (pronounced – eye) to the Eye for the Stanley Kubrick exhibition which is being advertised all over town. (I think Alex looks really good as the side of a building!)
The Exhibition is full of props, behind the scenes photos, and personal correspondence of Stanley’s. Being a long time fan of his work, it was remarkably interesting to have a further dimension to some of my favourite films.
Each film had its own space set out with pertinent clips being shown and memorabilia surrounding the walls. Here’s some of the things we saw.
Hate mail from church organisations for Lolita.
The model of the War Room from Dr Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Some of the furniture from A Clockwork Orange. You can see the clip in the back ground here.
The typewriter and axes from The Shining. I also got pictures of the model of the maze. It was such a highlight given how often we watch this movie.
You can see the twins and the maze in the reflection on this case.
Ape costumes and the helmet from 2001: Space Odyssey. Hal, the ship, and the baby were all around this movie too, but in the darkness were difficult to get photos of.
Full Metal Jacket had some amazing propaganda posters.
They also had the helmet from the movie poster, along with the gun. They had the gun prayer posted next to it on a plaque. “This is my gun. There are many that look like it, but this one is mine. My gun is my best friend. It is my life. I must manage it like I manage my life.”
Finally there was the last movie Stanley made. Eyes Wide Shut.
He had finished working on it, but it was released after his death.
He was a genius in his field. There was so much passion, emotion, and power in all his movies. It was a wonderful exhibition, and we’re hoping to go again before it moves on.
ghoti industries 