Museum Nacht

November 5, 2011

Today was our last full day in Amsterdam. We did everything that we had planned on doing during the trip so we took it really easy. My foot has been killing me so walking less was definitely a good idea especially since we went to Museum Nacht later at night. We spent an hour or so just sitting by one of the canals and then another chunk of time sitting in Dam Square people watching. I’m just as content sitting somewhere or just walking aimlessly around a city as I am actually doing real things. We found a flea market and walked around that for a while. I’m pretty sure you could find anything at all you needed there. Wind breakers, washers, belts, bikes, cheese. It was all there. If I had more room in my suitcase I would have definitely bought something fun.

Museum Nacht was perfect. We hung out at a café a bit to waste time before it started. We ended up visiting the Rembrandt House, the Botanical Gardens, the Planetarium, and an old church. Museum Nacht (Museum Night) is a night that they do once a year where you can pay 20 euros and are able to go to 45 different museums around the city. It runs from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.  There were so many people but it honestly wasn’t as crowded as I had anticipated. The event was entirely sold out but since there were 45 museums you could visit it wasn’t unbearable. Every one of the museums had special events as well as food in honor of the event. The Rembrandt house was where Rembrandt lived during his time in Amsterdam. You were able to see his bedroom, his room where he kept all of the items that he collected, as well as several other personal rooms of his. There weren’t too many paintings but it was still really neat. They had a Rembrandt impersonator roaming around the house that would come up and talk to you or begin to talk to a painting on the wall. I just wish I knew Dutch so I could know what he was saying although I got the jest that he was a little crazy in the head. I think that the Botanical Gardens may have been my favorite place that night. You were able to walk through a bunch of different green houses and it was just so peaceful and nice. They also had a live band playing outside. Apparently there was a palm reader but unfortunately we didn’t see her otherwise I would have done it. Next, at the planetarium we waited in line outside for almost an hour. We got a beer once we were let in however. At the planetarium they had you sit in the room with the dome where they do the shows. It was kind of strange though because instead of a planet or star based show they had this guy who did animations that danced along to music on the ceiling. It was entertaining but at the same time kind of lame. I kind of loved it though. The church wasn’t as fun as the other museums but was still fun to walk around. We got there before any of the special events had started so it would have probably been more entertaining if we had of gone later.

Museum Nacht

Sign in the Rembrandt House

My friend Antonio met Haley and I at the bus station in Madrid before we left to say bye. He gave us both bracelets. His friend Nacho (the Madrid police officer) gave him a pendant from his police hat to give to Haley. Having a friend in the Madrid police force is a win. Antonio gave me a figure of one of the monuments in Madrid that I couldn't remember the name of for the life of me. He told me not to open it until I got back to Salamanca (which I didn't--- I opened it on the bus). It was "La Puerta de Alcala" and he wrote a nice little note on the bottom of it. Finally made Spanish friends, it's about time.

I would say fall break was a success.