Yesterday was our first full day in the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It is absolutely incredible seeing so many people using bicycles as a main form of transportation opposed to the usual sight of cars and buses. The sidewalks are lined with endless amounts of parked bikes, both chained to fences and strewn randomly on the ground. It is important to make sure no one is coming through the bike lanes when you cross because they will not slow down for you! There are also a large number of houseboats that are located in the maze of canals that go through the city. Some of the most beautiful are the ones covered in potted leaves and flowers. The plants add nice colors to the edge of the water.

We visited the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. I could have spent an entire day looking through the Rijksmuseum due to the endless amounts of intricate art. In the time we were given I valued quantity over quality, so I looked at more pieces rather than looking in depth at only a few. One of my favorite paintings from that museum was “Carafe and Dish with Citrus Fruit” by Vincent Van Gogh. The simplicity of the painting is refreshing. It focuses on a simple moment by emphasizing the emotions through its use of color and composition. The brushstrokes of blue hues at the bottom of the painting pose are gorgeous and allow for visual variety compared to the rest of the painting.

A few of my other favorites are below: