12th-13th March, Haarlem & Amsterdam

Transport

I had intended to go to the Netherlands for the major Bosch exhibition, but cleverly didn't think to book my gallery ticket in advance: by the time I got round to it, they had sold out for the dates I was there. I therefore decided to take the opportunity to pop over to Haarlem instead and check out the Frans Hal's museum, following the plan I made eight years ago when I was last in Amsterdam.

From Schipol, you can get a train to Amsterdam Sloterdijk, where you change for Haarlem. There are plenty of ticket machines taking card and cash (Maestro incurs no extra charge, but Visa and MasterCard means and extra €0.50). You also pay an extra €1 for the single use chip card, as they clearly want you to buy Amsterdam's equivalent to the Oystercard. With that single-use option, I paid €5.70 on my Visa for a single to Amsterdam Central, then a further €8.50 for a return to Haarlem from Amsterdam Sloterdijk.

I didn't see any trains for my destination, then noticed signs in Dutch with both 'Haarlem' and a picture of a bus. The rail replacement buses can be found by going out of the station, walk all the way past the end of the building, until you see some stairs on your left. Go down those and the buses are to the right. By train, it should be a 19 minute journey from Amsterdam Centraal to Haarlem. By bus from Amsterdam Sloterdijk, we reached Haarlem' main station in 21 minutes.

Frans Hals Museum

After mentally banging my head against the wall when I realised Bosch had sold out, Frans Hals was the first alternative that sprung to mind. I was worried it would be too small, leaving me to wallow in internal recriminations about wasting a plane ticket. The opening times (11:00-17:00) increased that worry.

However, after reading some glowing TripAdvisor reviews and confirming the gallery had some Judith Leyster, I made my decision. It was the right one. After a 30 minute walk, I got there just after they opened, leaving just as the doors were being closed. There is more than enough on display to keep your interest for the full 6 hours (they only open 12:00-17:00 on Sunday, so go earlier in the week).

The €12.50 price includes a good audio guide, which you can alternatively download as an app. It requires a connection, for which the museum has free WiFi: the question therefore comes down to your phone battery. As the audio guide is free, you might as well use that. Also, bring a €1 coin for the lockers: the mechanism returns it after unlocking.

Along with the usual audioguide process of keying in numbers for relevant paintings, you can also learn more about the history of the building (501 to about 516). Several of the rooms are covered, indicated by the number appearing on a door frame. The story of the museum's history intertwines with a number of the paintings, as there are several group portraits of hospital and orphanage regents. The building has connections to both.

When I was there, the museum was running an exhibition right up my street, all about focusing in on detail. The title - 'I Spy With My Little Eye' - made it sound like a dumbed down children's activity, but fortunately it was nothing of the sort, crammed with cerebral content. All around the gallery, there were snippets of text by a respected art critic (Wieteke van Zeil) highlighting unusual poses, paraphernalia, people and the like. That from a few sentences to a full page discussion.

The exhibition goes into particular depth on a work by Jan van Scorel, 'The Baptism of Christ', with multiple versions, short videos on the underdrawing, comparative works and an interview with the restorers describing what they uncovered. For example, several figures had been overpainted in the past, some of which could be retrieved, but others had to remain hidden. That same introductory piece quoted a statistic that art gallery visitors spend a mere 9 seconds on average looking at a painting. I'd be interested to know the source, as 9 seconds sounds quite low, but I guess it is an average.

There is an introductory video for Frans Hals too at the entrance, presented across an impressive 67 screens, but it's all in Dutch. He unsurprisingly takes a starring role in his eponymous museum, but he isn't the overwhelming presence you might expect. Hals is only in a handful of rooms, most importantly room 14. This is easily the most engaging display in the whole museum, featuring lots of huge group portraits of civic guards by Hals.

A video posted by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Mar 12, 2016 at 8:22am PST

What caught my attention about these Hals masterpieces was the 'spark of life' present in the expressions and body language of his figures. That's a quality I've long found important in art, as well as poetry and indeed part of the reason I enjoy BJJ. I got very pretentious about it a few years ago, when a university friend who is part of the creative writing department asked me to teach a seminar combining martial arts and poetry.

In BJJ, resistance is an important part of what distinguishes it from many other martial arts, as well as what makes it fun. Without that key element of resistance, BJJ would lose much of its appeal: the challenge would be gone, the progression wouldn't exist and the techniques would ossify. Poetry needs it too, in order to make the words jump off the page and grab you (they need technical skill too, I should add: the lack of formal craft is what puts me off 99% of poetry, and my snobbery increased the longer I studied poetry at uni).

In art, that spark of life is in painters like Hals. Frank Frazetta is another good example. The faces of their subjects are alive, for want of a better word. It isn't that they're hyper-realistic, it's something in the expression, the angle of their arm, the twist of their mouth. There are lots of paintings where it doesn't look as if the person depicted has anything behind their eyes. I've never seen that happen in a Hals portrait.

Room 14 also has some civic guard portraits by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (at least, that's how it was written on the info boards, but the audioguide just used his forename once). Van Haarlem pops up quite often throughout the museum: my favourite was the satisfyingly ambiguous (if that isn't an oxymoron) 'Monk touching a nun'. It is the motivation behind that touch which results in the ambiguity. At first glance, it's another example of a pervy monk, fondling a nun in an example of the debauched church. However, when you look at their expressions, neither of them seem in the least interested in anything carnal. That's where a second interpretation comes in. According to --INSERT LEGEND--, a nun was accused of being pregnant. To test her guilt, a monk squeezed her breast to see if she lactated. Indeed she did, but miraculously it was wine rather than milk, proving her innocence. That means the wine next to the ecclesiastical pair has a double meaning too, either the proof of this interpretation, or merely the accoutrements of the disresolute couple getting their sin on.

Along with Cornelis, there are numerous other major Haarlem artists. Many of them I either hadn't heard of before, like Johannes Verspronck, or did know but only very little, like Maarten van Heemskeerck. There were also two I had certainly heard of before. The aforementioned Judith Leyster was a rare example of a successful pre-20th century female painter. The other is Pieter Saenredam, famous for his austere church interiors. The architectural precision excites the same part of my brain that takes so much pleasure in producing spreadsheets, so he feels like a very Protestant artist.

Rijksmuseum

My favourite art is Flemish and Dutch. That automatically puts the Rijksmuseum near the top of my 'best art galleries' list, as it has a great collection of both. You can get your €17.50 ticket online if you want to avoid the queues, though as I arrived just before opening at 9am (hours are 09:00-17:00 every day), they weren't long anyway. Be aware that the entrance is in the corridor where the bikes cycle through, where there are two revolving doors on the right.

The lockers here do not return coins, unlike the Frans Hals Museum, but they take a €0.50 coin, so aren't expensive. Keep hold of your tickets. Mine were checked twice, first in the entrance portico (it had a big banner with 'catwalk' on it, so I thought it was a separate exhibition at first), then again by the archway past the lockers, leading into the medieval section.

The audio guide is superb. To call it an audio guide is too limited, as it fully lives up to being sold as a multimedia guide. There are frequent and useful videos (showing underdrawings, zooming in on details, even demonstrating how the figures depicted in sculpture might move), along with detailed visual, audio and text directions for the numerous 90 and 45 minute tours you can select. There is also the usual type in a number and get more info option, which is split into up to three sections. First, a rundown of the painting/object, then a briefer examination of a detail, and finally a talk by an expert (at least most of the time, there was at least one example of a visitor's thoughts, but she had an interesting perspective to share on 'The Jewish Bride'). The guide comes as a free app for your phone (WiFi at the Rijksmuseum is fast and free), or you can pay €5 for a handset if you want to conserve battery.

A photo posted by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Mar 13, 2016 at 9:15pm PDT

The 1661 Rembrandt self portrait, with its virtuoso turban that achieves such perfection in the minimum of brush strokes, is still the picture I most associate with him. It was the cover of some old magazine my father had years ago, which served as my introduction to art when I was around 11 or 12. It was one of those where you had a big binder and got a new magazine in the series each week or month. Masters of Art, something like that.

I forget how brilliant Vermeer is sometimes: yesterday reminded me. It isn't just his unmatched handling of light, but also the powerful narrative ambiguity. The glances exchanged in 'The Love Letter' are as evocative as a Hals or Jan Steen, while at the same time subtle and understated. Speaking of Steen, I tend to think his 'The Merry Family' isn't as stiffly moralising as some critics insist. The expressions on their faces aren't those of leering caricatures IMO, but a genuinely happy group who enjoy each other's company. Multiple messages, which Steen does a lot.

Gerard ter Borch's 'Gallant Conversation' is less prominently displayed than the others but it is a must see. Even more than usual, you need to be in front of the actual painting. Ter Borch was renowned for his magnificent rendering of satin. Unlike most paintings, it still looks real even if you put your face right up close to the paint. That's what I call craft, something I don't see in most work past about 1950 (massive generalisation, but meh, I still haven't found a place in my heart for modern art ;D).

I was pleased to take another look at Avercamp, one of my favourite artists, with lots of extra information. In most (all?) of the rooms at the Rijksmuseum, there are large cardboard sheets stacked in racks. These have one or more of the paintings in that room printed on both sides, festooned with captions. For painters that love their intricate detail, like Avercamp, this is an excellent resource. I was especially pleased to see a short book on Avercamp in the excellent Rijksmuseum shop: I've been looking for something to read on him for a while.

A photo posted by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Mar 13, 2016 at 7:53am PDT

I then moved on past my comfort zone of 1450-1750. That period covers off the vast majority of what interests me about the Rijksmuseum, but as if to admonish me, right as I was quickly walking through the 19th century section, Goya popped up. He's one of the exceptions in my taste, as I love his work, despite his dates being 1746-1828. I also quite like the late 19th century, particularly the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood and the Symbolists. There's a representative of the latter group at the Rijksmuseum, Lawrence Alma-Tadema (or at least, he has been connected to that group).

On an entirely different topic, there was some fascinating stuff about Dutch colonial history (e.g., in Surinam), plus the Dutch trading post on an artificial island (originally occupied by the Portuguese, until they were turfed out for proselytising) in pre-1853 Japan, a unique position for non-Japanese at the time. If you've read 'Samurai William', or you're a fan of Samurai Champloo, you'll be familiar with Dejima. In the museum, it's transliterated as Deshima.

Finally, I wanted to share an awesome depiction of my favourite Hindu goddess, Durga, housed in the Rijksmuseum's Asian Pavilion. Her name translates as 'invincible', because she's the toughest fighter in the whole Hindu pantheon, as far as I'm aware. The rest of the deities couldn't handle the buffalo demon Mahishasura, so sent Durga to do the job. He was pretty tough himself - she had to slay him multiple times because he kept changing form -but he was no match for Durga. Apologies in advance to any Hindus if I've garbled that reading. ;)

A photo posted by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Mar 14, 2016 at 8:58am PDT

Before I left, there was a suitably small exhibition on Vermeer's famous 'Little Street' downstairs. Researchers have recently been able to pin down exactly which street he painted (it turns out it was right by a relative's house), so this room shows the painting alongside various maps and examples of similar painting (in Vermeer's case, the artist who comes closest to his work is probably Pieter de Hooch).

There was still time after the museum closed for a quick visit to something else. Typing 'museum' into my phone map revealed that Amsterdam had a Cheese Museum: I couldn't resist. It's basically a shop, but they have a little display downstairs (no cost). Best of all, loads of free cheese samples! Dutch cheese is a bit mild for my taste (my favourites tend to be British, especially stilton and extra mature cheddar), but they've got some interesting flavours at the AMC. I had hoped to pop down to a BJJ club in Amsterdam too, as I know there's a good Globetrotter-friendly school there, but wasn't able to make it this trip. Next time! :)

A photo posted by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Mar 13, 2016 at 11:36am PDT

On my way back to the airport, it's worth noting that you should be careful which train you catch to Schipol: some apparently need a special supplement. It says it clearly on the train as you enter, plus they also announce it onboard. I'm not sure exactly what this supplement entails, as nobody has ever checked my tickets on a Dutch train. Also, with the single use tickets, it doesn't particularly matter if you walk through a turnstile without touching in and out: they never seem to be locked. Nevertheless, to be safe, I'd avoid getting on trains that need a supplement, stick to the normal ones. They're quite frequent to Schipol anyway.

Maastricht & Aachen, 27th-29th November 2010

Having reconnected with my paternal heritage in Turkey last year, I did the same with my mother's side of the family over the weekend in Germany. As I had essentially one day, that wasn't too extensive, but I was still pleased to finally make it to Aachen (apparently I've been before, but was too young to remember). It has multiple connections for my family, as my mother was born and grew up there, met my father while he was studying at Aachen University, which in turn resulted in my sister being born in the city as well.

However, that wasn't the reason behind the trip. My mother's parents have been married for sixty years, so wanted to celebrate with a Diamond Anniversary in Maastricht: rather generously, they paid for all of us to fly over and stay at Hotel Klein Zwitserland. Judging by the rooms, I'm guessing it isn't cheap, but if you can afford it, I can unreservedly recommend the food, which was brilliant. Although the servings look small from the picture I've added on the left, there were plenty of courses, so we were all feeling stuffed by the end of the night. The views are also pretty spectacular, as long as you're on the right side of the hotel (otherwise you can just see a row of houses).

We were only in Maastricht for Saturday night and Sunday morning, spending the rest of the day at my aunt's house in Mönchengladbach: she drove us over to Aachen on the Monday. Christmas for me is never complete without Aachener Printen, a slightly chewy gingerbread biscuit they make here. If you're planning to pick some up yourself in Aachen, don't buy them in the centre of town. There's a Lambertz factory outlet on 9 Ritterstraße, where you can get a massive bag for €10.

First port of call was the pub/restaurant where my parents met thirty years ago, Die Goldener Schwan, which is in the main square: still looks much the same, according to my father. Aachen isn't especially big, so the three main sights are all within easy walking distance. Opposite that pub ('kneipe' in German, if you're looking for one when you're in the country) is the Rathaus. It dates back to the 14th century, but has been burned down several times and also took a pounding during World War II (there's a film running inside that shows the devastation), so the only original part left is the eastern tower.

Then again, that also means you can see a range of architectural styles inside, from the baroque rooms downstairs to the medieval hall upstairs. You also get a fabulous view of the cathedral from the second floor window. Though there isn't a huge amount to see, the Rathaus is pretty cheap to enter at €2.50 (or €2.00 if you're a student: they don't seem too picky about ID, as my NUS card didn't even get a cursory glance).

The Cathedral ('Dom' in German) was where we headed next, and is by far the highlight of Aachen. It is also free, which makes a refreshing change from exorbitant English counterparts like St Paul's and Westminster. The oldest and most attractive section of Aachen's cathedral dates from the year 800, and if you've been to Istanbul, you'll recognise the Byzantine influence. The mosaics are all beautifully intact, though that's because (if I'm remembering my Kenneth Clark correctly) they are 19th century reconstructions rather than the originals. If you do happen to go to both cities, then I'd strongly recommend you check out the Church of SS Sergius and Bacchus in Istanbul for comparison.

Unfortunately we couldn't go and see the famous throne, where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned from 936-1531. To see it properly, you have to go on one of the regular tours, but they weren't running that day because they were tuning the organ (which made for some decidedly strange ambient music). Then again, the actual throne isn't that exciting to look at, so without the historical significance, it wouldn't attract much attention.

It is known as the throne of Charlemagne (Karl der Große in German), who is the most notable figure associated with the city. He made Aachen the capital of his empire, and given his status as not only the first Holy Roman Emperor but the legendary progenitor of the French kings, he makes for a useful tourist attraction. There are therefore references to him dotted all over the place, including statues, the annual Karlspreis (various exhibits in the Rathaus on that) and the local Karl's Apotheke (a pharmacy on the main square, which has a plaque outside proudly stating its heritage dates back to 1615).

He also dominates the third major sight in Aachen, the Cathedral Treasury ('Domschatzkammer'). This is round the corner from the main cathedral, and costs €4.00 to enter. For an extra Euro, you can pick up a handy little fifty page booklet talking about the contents of the treasury, although it isn't in any kind of order. Unsurprisingly, most of the items on display are religious, with a large number of reliquaries.

If you're a fellow fan of art, then you'll enjoy the Passion Altar, painted in the early 16th century. The name of the artist isn't known, so as a result of this work, he is referred to as the 'Master of the Aachen Altarpiece'. That title is a little misleading, as it was actually intended for a Carmelite church in Cologne (Köln), but was later moved to Aachen. There is also a Roman style sarcophagus, decorated with a representation of the abduction of Proserpine/Persephone: this held Charlemagne's bones, until he was canonised. That meant they could then chop up what was left of him to put in the aforementioned reliquaries.

We flew into Weeze (presumably because there was a cheap deal through Ryanair), but as we could get a lift from relatives, I'm not sure how easy it is to get from there to Aachen via public transport. Driving takes about an hour and a half. Maastricht Aachen Airport is another option, or you can hop on a train from Köln.

Amsterdam, 12th-16th December 2008

My friend and I plumped for Easyjet again, flying out from Bristol to Amsterdam on Friday 12th December. I had hoped to be able to time the trip to coincide with one some people from RGA are planning, but unfortunately the timings didn't work out. I doubt I would have gone had I known I was going to get made redundant, as financial worries aren't generally helped by expensive holidays abroad (particularly with the shockingly weak pound against the Euro), but we'd booked this about a month in advance.

All things considered, I'm glad we did: I felt much better after some time away. Amsterdam is an easy city to get around, as it is relatively small, everybody speaks English, and public transport is straightforward. From Schiphol Airport, we got a single to Centraal Station, which was about €7.60 for the both of us. The ticket machine is automated: you select your journey, class (2nd, unless you have money to throw around), full fare, number of tickets and method of payment. Click on the cost before you put your card in, and then you'll need to insert and remove your card prior to entering your PIN.

It takes about 15-20 minutes to get into Amsterdam, and from there we could probably have walked to our hotel, but took the no.17 tram to Westermarkt instead. We stayed at the Hotel Clemens, at 39 Raadhuisstraat: four nights in a double twin set us back €240, with a €10 deposit for the key. Note that you have to pay in advance in cash, so if you want to stay there too, be sure to have that with you on arrival.

The trams are relatively cheap and efficient, but its perfectly feasible to walk everywhere. Do watch out for the bikes though, which appear to follow no rules, careering down the pavement, the road, through red lights and into those unfortunate tourists who don't take care to look. Also be aware that if you're staying in a typical Amsterdam house, like the one that contains the Hotel Clemens, the steps are going to be very steep and quite high: Clemens has seventy over three flights.

On the following morning, our first destination was the Rijksmuseum, which I was really looking forward to. I've always liked Dutch art from around 1500-1700, as being a Protestant country, the subject wasn't an endless stream of 'Madonna With This or That', 'Saint Etc of Somewhere' or various biblical stories. Instead, vibrant peasant scenes and portraits of the bourgeoisie vie with landscapes and still life in a far more satisfying variety, all beautifully painted in the Dutch style. The period known as the Golden Age (1584-1702) was especially rich, and even though most of the Rijksmuseum is currently closed for renovation, the Masterpieces exhibition features numerous examples from that high point in Dutch history.

The dominant artists Rembrandt and Vermeer are well represented, joined by other major painters like Franz Hals (who has his own museum in nearby Haarlem) and one of my personal favourites, Hendrik Avercamp and his characteristic winter scenes. Despite the much reduced number of paintings on display, you'll still pay €10 to get in, with a further €4 for an audio guide. I always go for the audio guide, as I find it adds greatly to the experience: you choose from either the basic tour, or the more detailed option by Jeroen Krabbé, which is what I picked (possibly shorter, as it has around 25 entries compared to the other option's 50. However, those 25 were fairly long). There was no student discount, which appears to be a general theme in Amsterdam.

It isn't just paintings. There is a room devoted to Delftware, with not just plates, but even violins and birdcages made out of earthenware. Another features magnificent creations in silver, much by the same family, the Van Vianens. Then there are unusual displays like two incredibly posh dollhouses, intended for an aristocratic lady to show off her wealth, as opposed to children's toys.

Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch' is the gallery centrepiece, taking up an entire wall. It has been physically attacked twice, with a knife and then acid, but survived both attempts to deprive the world of great art. The group portrait of a militia company (which by that time was basically a club for the rich rather than an actual military force) makes for an interesting comparison with similar group paintings, which can be seen for free in the Schuttersgalerij on 92 Kalverstraat, near the equally costless Begijnhof (off Spuistraat). I'd recommend you check them out, seeing as they won't impinge on your wallet, but remember to keep your camera under wraps in the Begijnhof. It was disheartening to see so many tourists ignoring the signs and flashing away, in what should have been one of the most peaceful parts of Amsterdam.

As we were rather conscious of cash, cheap food was a definite priority. We tucked into some €3.50 toasties in an Irish Pub, but were stunned to discover that you have to pay for the toilets. Like the lack of student discount, this also appears to be a common trend in Amsterdam: shops charge for the loo, and even McDonalds expected €0.40 for the privilege of relieving yourself.

Supermarket food, as it had been in Hong Kong four years earlier, was the solution. At AH To Go (several branches, such as on 89-90 Damrak) has baguettes and slices of gouda cheese, which comes to around €3.30 and will do you four smallish meals. Of course, that means you'll need a fridge in your room, which thankfully the Hotel Clemens provided.

For the prudish among you, be aware that the infamous Red Light District is centrally located, so the quickest routes to various places pass straight through it. It also has enclaves at several other points in the city, meaning that you might suddenly find yourself walking past a scantily clad woman winking at you from behind her window when you least expect it.

The main seediness is concentrated on two canals, Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal, rife with sex shops, vibrators and pornographic cinema, while red lit windows feature the aforementioned prostitutes. The area tends to be bustling, particularly at weekends: the poor women not only have to stand there in bra and pants, but they also have to put up with being leered at by grotesque bands of marauding stag parties.

There are also lots of 'coffee shops' which are rather more interested in smoking pot than indulging in caffeine, though in Amsterdam, that's perfectly legal. Keep in mind that it isn't necessarily legal outside of those coffee shops, but you'll most likely become used to the waft of cannabis, an ever-present aroma around the city. They aren't supposed to directly advertise, but we walked past one place, Baba, proudly stating in the window that it will serve you a spliff for €3.50. Normally you're supposed to ask for a menu at the counter, according to our Rough Guide to Amsterdam.

Near the Red Light District is a quite large Chinese quarter, where you have lots of options for affordable Chinese cuisine. We dined at one place which was offering a selection of staple dishes (e.g., sweet and sour chicken with rice) plus a fruit juice for €6.95. That's a good, filling meal at a low price, so well worth checking out if you're on a tight budget.

On the 14th December, the main event for us was the Heineken Experience. I very much enjoyed the sherry bodegas in Jerez earlier this year, which offered lots of drinks along with an informative tour of the sherry-making process. The Heineken brewery (purely a tourist destination now, as production has moved to a new location) isn't quite so generous, offering two small drinks along your journey, but the facility in general is impressive. Historical displays, explanations of the brewing process, a virtual reality ride, advert archives and a plethora of interactive videos (email yourself singing 'Tulips From Amsterdam' in Dutch, or more randomly still, as James Bond) are all included in the hefty €15 entrance fee. I think you can get it slightly cheaper from tour outlets, but all in all I'd say its worth it: Heineken has put a lot of effort into their display, which is more than enough entertainment to fill a morning or afternoon.

At the second and last bar, one of the staff recommended we check out the city library for excellent views of the city. Proved to be great advice: not only is the view as good as he said, but the library's top floor has a reasonably priced and extensively stocked self-service restaurant, La Place. Lots of funky looking fruit smoothies, ice cream and desserts, along with pizza and the like for the main meal. It is on the docks, up near Centraal Station, past the Sea Palace restaurant (an oriental pagoda floating in the harbour).

The 15th December was reserved for our canal tour, though that only took an hour and €7. They go every 30 minutes, and you can buy your ticket in the Lindburgh shop (which also incorporates a cheese gift shop, for some reason). More exciting, from my perspective, was a chance for further artiness on our final day, at the Van Gogh Museum. This is absolutely stuffed with the great man's work, as much of his output was owned by his art dealer brother, Theo Van Gogh. Poor Theo passed away a few months after his sibling, but his son, Vincent Willem Van Gogh, set up this gallery about forty years ago.

The first floor is entirely devoted to Van Gogh, moving through his comparatively brief career in extensive detail. The gallery is wonderfully spacious, which is just as well. To appreciate Van Gogh, you really need to step back from the paintings: what can look sloppy and primitive up close merges into a far more appealing whole when you look again from a distance. I found that my favourites were the early work, from around 1885, such as the creatively titled 'Head Of A Woman With Her Hair Loose', produced when Van Gogh was in Antwerp.

As is often the case with galleries, some of the most famous paintings were on loan to other institutions around the world, but there was still more than enough here to keep me happy. It is more expensive than the Rijksmuseum at €12.50, but I was pleased to discover that many of the pictures which were absent from the Rijksmuseum appeared in the exhibition space. Away from the main gallery in the Van Gogh museum, there was a display called '125 Favourites', which among other works featured Vermeer's 'Love Letter', several pieces by Rembrandt and from further afield, Goya. A beautiful Van Vianen silverware jug is also included: if you're doing the Rijksmuseum audio tour and can't find some of the mentioned exhibits, they may well be in this temporary exhibition at the nearby Van Gogh museum.

Both museums have a cloakroom (no extra cost, fortunately), but the Rijksmuseum currently doesn't have a café. The Van Gogh museum does, so if you happen to be checking out the art with somebody less keen, there is somewhere for them to sit. The Van Gogh also features a study area, as well as two more floors worth of art. There was another Rijksmuseum exhibit on the second, with work from India, then in the permanent collection a floor up, Van Gogh's contemporaries like Gaugin and Toulouse-Lautrec held court.

Finally, I'd like to recommend a bar, called De Kleine Karseboom, on 51 Nieuwendijk. Cocktails are €4, with a glass of Heineken at €2.50 (though that is less than half a pint, so unless you have plenty of cash, you won't be drinking English measures). Lovely décor complemented by glorious soulful classics, topped off by friendly service from the staff. The atmosphere was probably helped by the fact we went in on a Monday, so it wasn't too busy. Either way, if you're looking to relax without chemical assistance, this is a good choice.

I'm keen to revisit the city in a few years, though this time I think I'd want to go earlier in the year. That way, we could go see the Keukenhof Gardens in bloom, and also range around Amsterdam rather than restrict ourselves to the capital itself. I'm particularly keen to head over to Haarlem and check out the Franz Hals Museum, and visiting the Rijksmuseum in its full renovated glory should be cool too. However, all travel plans are on hold for me at the moment, until I've got a new job and sorted out my finances, which hopefully shouldn't take long.