Weesp and Amsterdam

Tonight we'll spend our fifth night at this charming little marina with showers as good as home, a beautiful garden all along the wharf and free water. Alas no washing machines. We came to this town because we heard it was lovely, very, and the train station is a five minute walk to a 15 minute ride to Central Station in Amsterdam. The Marina is private, but they will take a boat if they have the space while a member is out cruising. Rob just happened to notice it on the chart. We are tucked away behind a green hill (a former bunker from the war) that is covered in green grass and wild flowers On the other side is a quiet back road, popular with people out doing "recreational" things.

We've gone into Amsterdam several times now to play the tourist. We have done three art museums on three different days and added other walks to the days. First we went to the Van Gough Museum, which didn't make the impact that it did 30 years ago, and after the wonderful show they had at LACMA with all these and more. The next day we went to the Rijksmuseum. When Napoleon and his army invaded, he put his brother here to be their King. He took over the Town Hall as his Castle. We couldn't see it as it's covered from head to toe for restoration. It was he who founded the museum which to our disappointment is also behind canvas for total restoration until 2012. They have about 3% of the total collection available for viewing. Only the best of the best of the Dutch Golden Age! Exceptional Delftware (about 30 pieces), to blow your sox off miniature houses and the icons of Dutch art (I took that from the guide). Instead of walking through rooms of work that all blurs together after a while, we feel so fortunate that an expert chose what we got to see, close up and to savor. We saw four Vermeers and 10 wonderful Rembrandt, including "The Night Watch". The next day was the Amsterdam branch of the Hermitage. They had a small, but impressive show called, "Matisse to Malevich, pioneers of modern art". 80 great pieces each with very good details on the work, the artist and where they fit into the new movement.

Each evening we return to our little boat and a glass of wine on the back deck. We watch the water birds and the many people who use this back road to enjoy an outing. There is an Equine Center near so we see many riders who remind us of Tess and her Pony Club days with the velvet helmet, high boots and straight backs. Between 6-8PM we see groups of young people on bikes in uniforms having come from soccer or field hockey at the sports park. Rarely is their not someone passing on a bike alone, families or couples, joggers and roller skaters. Tonight took the cake though. From town came a group of 30 people wearing yellow, pink or orange swim caps and full wet suits. Once past they slipped into the water at the end of the marina, right past our boat and swam back to where ever they came from.

We are running out of clean clothes. Our arms almost fell off as we carried groceries ten minutes back from the store. Things are not always easy or comfortable, but we enjoy not knowing what tomorrow will bring. We'll have one last trip into the city before we set off again down the quiet waters. On our next leg we will pass through the most expensive real estate and beautiful area called the Vecht.