The Bangel's had Manic Mondays, the TravelingFish has Mojito Mondays. Ahhhhh Miami! : )
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
World Trade Center progress (June 2011)
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| World Trade Center site reconstruction June 25, 2011 |
The 9/11 Memorial will be dedicated on September 11, 2011 the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in a ceremony for victims’ families. It will open to the public on September 12, 2011, and will welcome visitors who have reserved advance passes.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Two diaries, two lives and a fond farewell
Anne Frank's tiny room gives perspective to the isolation Anne and her family suffered through for two years. It is a place where hopes and dreams were recorded by the young, vibrant girl. She lived in a different era yet her desires are timeless. Any young person her age today would have similar hopes and dreams. When visiting the Anne Frank House, one climbs the steep stairs to gain access to the many levels. The highest level is where the back wall contains a hinged bookshelf which conceals a small doorway that leads to the rear annex where the Frank family lived in hiding. The annex is similar to guest quarters attached to the upper rear floors of the main house where Anne's father ran his pectin business.
The Anne Frank House was my favorite site in Amsterdam. Historical yes, but the connection you feel with the human condition is what makes it so personal and important. You can read her story, but to actually feel the space where she lived in hiding makes a visit requisite when in Amsterdam.
The self-taught artistic son of Holland finds posthumous success! And the place where his success remains on constant display is at the Van Gogh Museum. Like the Anne Frank House it contains a diary too; a diary of canvas masterpieces. We entered the museum at the ground floor which showcases the early works of Van Gogh. The museum is laid out in chronological order starting with artwork by the young Van Gogh working, literally, up to the last painting he made. One can actually experience the psychological deterioration of Van Gogh as canvas by canvas attests to the mental illness and dark psychosis he suffered from. Like Anne Frank, Van Gogh was trapped in a place he wanted to escape. The benefit to us is that, like Frank, Van Gogh's artistic output lives on for us to contemplate and enjoy.
Amsterdam folds one more page for the visitor and leaves me with an unforgettable glimpse into a tiny piece of European history. Thank you Anne; thank you Vincent. What a wonderful journey through a truly historic city relevantly positioned for the present and the future.
Thank you Amsterdam. I know I'll back.
TravelingFish
The Anne Frank House was my favorite site in Amsterdam. Historical yes, but the connection you feel with the human condition is what makes it so personal and important. You can read her story, but to actually feel the space where she lived in hiding makes a visit requisite when in Amsterdam.
The self-taught artistic son of Holland finds posthumous success! And the place where his success remains on constant display is at the Van Gogh Museum. Like the Anne Frank House it contains a diary too; a diary of canvas masterpieces. We entered the museum at the ground floor which showcases the early works of Van Gogh. The museum is laid out in chronological order starting with artwork by the young Van Gogh working, literally, up to the last painting he made. One can actually experience the psychological deterioration of Van Gogh as canvas by canvas attests to the mental illness and dark psychosis he suffered from. Like Anne Frank, Van Gogh was trapped in a place he wanted to escape. The benefit to us is that, like Frank, Van Gogh's artistic output lives on for us to contemplate and enjoy.Amsterdam folds one more page for the visitor and leaves me with an unforgettable glimpse into a tiny piece of European history. Thank you Anne; thank you Vincent. What a wonderful journey through a truly historic city relevantly positioned for the present and the future.
Thank you Amsterdam. I know I'll back.
TravelingFish
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Bikes, boats, and bridges
Our last two days in this great city revolved around bikes (dodging them as they sped by), boats (snapping pictures of them as they glided below us and boarding one for a canal level tour), and bridges (stopping on their bowed backs to pause and take in the sites).
The painter, printer, and high priced home buyer!
Our next stop was the Rembrandt House-- a beautiful home-now-museum. A climb up the antique stairway to all the levels reveals the living and working quarters of the brilliant artist. Rembrandt may have been a genius when it came to his art, but his financial skill left a lot to be desired. He defaulted on his bank payments and had to declare bankruptcy and return his home to his creditors. It is because of the detailed inventory of the home required by the bank that modern renovators were able to know exactly how Rembrandt had decorated and furnished his home, even down to the the precise location of the easel in his painting studio.
OK, it's 32 degrees out and why hadn't we thought of soup before? The opportunity presents itself as the best darn soup shop in Amsterdam is smack down the street from Rembrandt's House. A hot cup of Tuscan tomato basil warms the tummy and fuels us for our last day in Amsterdam.
The painter, printer, and high priced home buyer!
Our next stop was the Rembrandt House-- a beautiful home-now-museum. A climb up the antique stairway to all the levels reveals the living and working quarters of the brilliant artist. Rembrandt may have been a genius when it came to his art, but his financial skill left a lot to be desired. He defaulted on his bank payments and had to declare bankruptcy and return his home to his creditors. It is because of the detailed inventory of the home required by the bank that modern renovators were able to know exactly how Rembrandt had decorated and furnished his home, even down to the the precise location of the easel in his painting studio.
OK, it's 32 degrees out and why hadn't we thought of soup before? The opportunity presents itself as the best darn soup shop in Amsterdam is smack down the street from Rembrandt's House. A hot cup of Tuscan tomato basil warms the tummy and fuels us for our last day in Amsterdam.
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| Hate to leave this beautiful city of Amsterdam |
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