Exploring the city

The introduction of new students of University Amsterdam has started this week. I think these boys are new ones, not originally from Amsterdam as they walk a little uneasy and wear a mix of formal (jackets) and informal (jeans). In a couple of weeks the jackets have gone I suppose.

No inspiration

I am a bit out of inspiration for photo's, we didn't have an "Irene" here but we are soaking for days now. Not so nice to go out and make pictures. So this is Almere on a rainy sunday.

And me below sea-level.



Big Duck

To have a bit colour in the rainy days here (see the sky)  a sculpture of american artist Richard Jackson called "Dick's Big Duck". He is a humorous artist as you look at the eyes of the duck. It is temporaly placed at the Museum square as part of the exhibition "ArtZuid".

Culture Market

The "Uit Market" which I mentioned yesterday was a very wet expierence. This is the Philharmonic Orchestre with a big choir performing. They were sitting dry, but we had umbrella up and down the whole afternoon.

This is "Charles Aznavour" (or his brother)

And this is his audience, I don't know why some people were wearing Harry Potter hats, it had to do something with publicity I think.

Museum Square

Today is at this square the big "Out Market", the start of the theater season of Amsterdam. The building in the background is the Museum for modern art the "Stedelijk Museum", which is in restoration and closed for ages now (grrr). But I am going off now to have some fun here with performances and bookmarkets.

Bus-station (Skywatch Friday)

The new bus station in Amsterdam near the Central Station, it is still in progress as many projects are here, museums, underground, bridges etc. This photo is made a few months ago and the situation has already changed, there is a roof now, but  I can show you the sky yet.
See for other photos of Skywatch Friday here

Flower

A sunny flower today because the sun shines after a few rainy days. This artwork is made by"Yayoi Kusama" an avant-garde sculptor and painter and is called "Flowers that bloom tomorrow". It is exposed at the "ArtZuid" exposition in Amsterdam which I have showed before.

 Yayoi Kusama is from Japan and famous for her polka dot art, in the sixties she painted them on the skin of naked people, but now she makes mostly museal art.

Passage

This is a passage for cyclists and pedestrians under a high school in Amsterdam, the "Amsterdam Lyceum". As a child I lived here nearby and passed many times. I never noticed the beauty of the bricks before, it is almost like a church.

This is the school and the passage

Funny Bikes

Also a way to attract customers in the shop. Watch the cleaning thing (stoffer en blik) in dutch, that my blog friend "CaT" mentioned in my picture of last Sunday. It is a new item apparently that everybody uses on the street.

Always smart to find your bike back with this colour.

Window shop

You can't pass this shop without seeing the window decoration.

Sunday Bridges

This brave girl was playing the violin on a very crowded bridge in Amsterdam.

See for other Sunday Bridges in the world here.

Self portrait (Weekend Reflections )

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A reflection of myself in the window of the Public Library in Almere with the Town Hall behind me.
See for other pictures of "Weekend Reflections" here

Fly away (Skywatch Friday)

Another picture from the car, see my post of wednesday. You can also have a look at the blog of CaT picture/day for another plane in the sky, we had the same idea. For other Skywatch Friday photo's have a look here

Decorated entrance

Some entrances of homes in Amsterdam are decorated with painted tiles.

I had posting problems all day long, something to do with Blogger who are fixing it. Could post this one at last by special link of them. Hope it will work.

Giant on the road

Driving on the highway along the airport Schiphol of Amsterdam I am always keen to spot an aeroplane just coming or leaving. There is a one place the plane crosses the highway,which is always impressive to see such a huge plane passing in front of you.  But you have to be very quick to make a photo because the road approaches a tunnel. I managed just in time to catch him, before we vanished in the tunnel. It is a bit blurry, but through the window and the speed you know....

Erwin Wurm

In the GEM in The Hague I saw a retrospective of one of the best known contemporary artists of our day Austian" Erwin Wurm (1954)". His work has evolved into a humorous universe in which he himself, his audience, articles of clothing, thoughts or actions can all become pieces of sculpture.

It was a very funny exhibition in which you could make an artpiece yourself by putting a chair on your head, or a broomstick between your legs. He even got model" Claudia Schiffer" so far to do so as you can see here and worked with the "Red Hot Chilli Peppers" for their clip.

Sunny Sunday

After days of awful weather sun at last. We drove to the Photo Museum in The Hague and watched a retrospective of the photographer "Emiel van Moerkerken" (1916-1995). I didn't know the man or his work, some old photo's of Amsterdam were pretty, but the manipulated ones I didn't like so much.

But the terrace was great and we had a drink and a nice Tapas, which we discovered lately and is so delicious, mmmm.

Sunday Bridges

A lovely small  bridge in a parc in Steenwijk. See for other beautiful Sunday Bridges here

Steenwijk (Weekend Reflections #99)

In the parc of the "Villa Rams Woerthe" in Steenwijk I saw this tree clearly reflected in the pond.

See for other pictures of reflections here

Skywatch Friday

Amsterdam, seen from the north side with the river IJ in front. Right is the Central Station, the towers are the Nicolas Church and left are new buildings, a Music Theatre, a hotel and appartment buildings. As you can see we have heavy rainy days here, where is summer?
See for other Skywatch pictures here.

City gardens

When you don't have a front garden you can create one. After their street had been renovated these inhabitants of Amsterdam have upgraded it with their own plants!

This initiative has been realized together with the city government. The rules are a.o. plants on special places  and the maintenance has to be done by the owners self.

It works very good and has given the neighbourhood an involvement and cohesian.

Turtle

This funny turtle is filled with sand to play with on the pavement before a house in Amsterdam.

Villa Rams Woerthe

Last sunday I visited this villa in Steenwijk for an exhibition I will tell you later about. It was situated in a beautiful parc with a tea summer-house and deers.

The villa is in use as town-hall and you can get married here in this romantic greenhouse.

With a look at the deers.

Tourist in own country

Some places are famous as a tourist hotspot. This pitoresque village "Giethoorn" is such one, situated. in the province of Overijssel. It is a sort of little "Venice of the North" with much water with everybody in little boats, called "punters" They used to have a big stick to get pushed forward (like in Venice), but now I saw they are all motorized with electric engines.We call them "whisper-boats", because they make no noice.

In the old part of the village is only one doorway a path for pedastrians and cyclists.

On both sides of the water are farmhouses.

Most farmhouses have a thatched roof.

This brave tourist was happy cycling on his hired bike over the small bridges.

Sometimes you have to look at your own country with the eyes of a tourist to see its beauty.

Weekend Reflections

Canal in Amsterdam South.

See for other participants Weekend Reflections here