Amsterdam – Rembrandt, Butterflies, and Some Fall Color

So, day 3, my final full day in Amsterdam. I hadn’t planned anything ahead of time, leaving myself a full day to explore.  I visited Vondelpark, Rijksmuseum, Foam, Hortus Botanicus, Rembrandt’s House, the cat houseboat sanctuary, and then wandered around to take it all in. Early tomorrow morning, I board a train to Paris.

Vondelpark

I started my day with a leisurely, early morning stroll to Vondelpark. It was another beautiful day; a perfect day for the park.  The sky was blue, the moon was hanging out longer than expected, and the atmosphere was relaxed and fun. I wish that I could’ve spent some extra time in the park, but I had so many places I wanted to visit.

  

Rijksmuseum

Rijksmuseum next. I was obsessed with seeing that library, and it didn’t disappoint. The galleries were beautiful and serene with their dark gray walls.  The Rembrandt paintings were so much more beautiful (and large) than I expected. To be fair, they even inspired a side trip later in the day.

   

Fallishness

While meandering down canal streets, I found some beautiful Fall(ish) colors.

Foam

And then, Foam. Considering that I’ve always loved photography, it was ironically my first visit to a photography only museum. It was in a beautiful, older building and was filled with beautiful works by Masahisa Fukase. Afterwards, I stopped in their cafe for some coffee and apple cake.

  

Hortus Botanicus

Everyone laughed at me when I told them that one of my top things to do was Hortus Botanicus. I love gardens and plants, and Hortus Botanicus was beyond beautiful. I totally could have brought lunch and a book and hung out there all afternoon.

   

One of my favorite parts was the greenhouse filled with fluttery butterflies that kept landing on me. Beautiful little show-offs.

    

Rembrandt House

So, after seeing the Rembrandt paintings at Rijksmuseum, I ended up close to Rembrandt’s house and had free access with my I Amsterdam card. Rembrandt had some pretty bitchin’ digs… the studio space of dreams.

  

Walking Amsterdam

The rest of the afternoon, I wandered around the city, trying to take it all in. I looked through a little market, sprinted through the red light district, ate more apple cake, glanced in a few coffee shops, visited the cat houseboat, and stocked up my licorice piles. It was quite a whirlwind three days.