Door de ogen van een Amsterdammer (“Through the eyes of an Amsterdamer”): Day 4

Martha and I hit up Two for Joy before heading to the Stedelijk Museum, dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design. Reopened in September 2012 following extensive renovations, the museum’s original red brick building (dating from 1895) was internally modernized, but also faced the addition of a futuristic-looking construction, which has been nicknamed “the bathtub” by locals. Much like Toronto’s ROM with its Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the “stararchitecture” of the Stedelijk has been met with much controversy. Regardless, the museum features key works in the careers of Marc Chagall, Wassily Kadinsky, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, and Jackson Pollock, as well as posters, ceramics, glass, furniture, and textiles from 1900 to the present.

Afterwards, we headed to Westerpark with a couple of picnic baskets in tow. Much like Vondelpark, Westerpark is a huge city park, but it serves a more local population. We people-watched and lazed about in the grass, before making a move to Martha’s parents’ place for dinner and drinks.

There, I met and chatted with Martha’s father Jan Joost, her mother Anetty, and her brother Tijs. Not only did I get to take in a spectacular view (and history lesson!), I got to experience and enjoy the company of a real Dutch family and a delicious dinner to boot.