Third Time is a Charm

We arrived back in Europe the week of May 9th for the last leg of our European adventure. I jokingly tell D that I studied abroad in College and he has done his study abroad through work. Anyway, we are excited that the weather is MUCH improved and so is the daylight. As would make sense, when we were here in the winter, it was dark and a bit dreary - the sun rose around 9:30am and set at 4-4:30pm. Now, the sun is rising before 5am and setting after 10pm. What a difference a few months will make!


So for our first weekend back, we decided to visit our friends up in Utrecht, The Netherlands, in what turned out to be one of their last weekends in Europe. We trained it up this time, which was so much more relaxing (and predictable) than driving. [Last time our Garmin failed to keep up with all the construction and extended our travel time substantially.] We got there in time to enjoy a lovely dinner party at Josh and Liz's and meet many of their friends. It was a fun group from all over - Americans, Canadians, Germans, Swiss and Dutch. It was a fun evening of stories and games and a great way to shake off the jet lag.


After a wonderfully relaxed morning, including a fantastic breakfast of crepes, we meandered our way into Amsterdam to check out the Rijksmuseum. It is, unfortunately, under renovation until sometime in 2010, but it has kept one wing open in order to keep available Dutch masterpieces for view. We came to see one of the most well known Dutch masters, Rembrandt (whose full name is Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn), and his most famous work commonly called The Night Watch.


The official name of the painting is The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch. It is renowned for three elements: its colossal size (11ft 10in x 14ft 4in), the effective use of light and shadow, and the perception of motion in what would have been, traditionally, a static military portrait. This painting was completed in 1642, at the peak of the Netherlands' golden age. It depicts the eponymous company moving out, led by Captain Frans Banning Cocq (dressed in black, with a red sash) and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch. With effective use of sunlight and shade, Rembrandt leads the eye to the three most important characters among the crowd, the two gentlemen in the center (from whom the painting gets its original title), and the small girl in the center left background. Behind them the company's colors are carried by the ensign, Jan Visscher Cornelissen. For much of its existence, the painting was coated with a dark varnish which gave the incorrect impression that it depicted a night scene, leading to the name by which it is now commonly known. It is a remarkable work of art and worth the effort to see.


This is just another favorite picture of mine. After walking around the Rijksmuseum, D and I were a bit tired and thirsty, so we stopped at this outdoor cafe for a drink (Heineken for D in honor of being in the city of its birth in 1873). I was just sitting there and was struck by the combination of color and contrast. There is the natural beauty of the sky and gnarled tree limbs right next to the modern shapes, clean lines and colors of the chairs and street lamps.


Again, we had a gorgeous weekend. Amsterdam is normally a very rainy, overcast place (and generally quite chilly) but we have had stunning weather which helps so much in just enjoying the look and feel of the city. We loved our walk through the canal intermingled streets.