I checked out and went out for some slow walking around my neighborhood and also to get some breakfast. The breakfast at some busy cafe was ordinary, so I have nothing to say about it.
I have a ticket to the Rijksmuseum for the specific time. Surprisingly, it was a long queue of those with tickets as well. I do not know how it is possible, but the only explanation is that the museum is extremely popular.
The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ largest and most important museum, dedicated to Dutch art, history and culture. It is located in the Museum Square area of Amsterdam and is especially famous for its collection from the Dutch Golden Age (17th century), when the Netherlands became a major center of trade, science and artistic innovation.
The Rijksmuseum houses over 1 million objects, with about 8000 objects displayed at any one time.
There are some amazing portrait paintings here.
The museum also has one of the world’s finest collections of marine paintings, reflecting the Netherlands’ deep connection with the sea. Artists were capturing naval battles, merchant fleets, storms, coastal landscapes and everyday life on the water.
It also has an exceptional collection of ship models that tells the story of the Netherlands as a major maritime nation.
But the museum's centerpiece is undoubtedly enormous (the paintings size is about 363x437 cm) "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt. Unfortunately, it is currently under restoration.
Despite its nickname, the painting is not actually a night scene. The dark appearance came partly from the natural aging of the varnish and surface dirt over centuries. So, the original scene was a bright daytime moment with strong contrasts of light and shadow.
The official title is "The Company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch". The painting shows a group of Amsterdam citizen soldiers who were responsible for protecting their city.
And there are many more masterpieces which caught my attention.
I have had a good impression on the paintings' collection at Rijksmuseum. So, I would love to repeat this experience and probably not once, and probably with the professional guide, who is able to tell the context of the paintings, the idea which an author wanted to express to the audience. Still, I need to go to the train station, from where the train will deliver me to another city of another country.
Funny story happened with me with the train tickets. I have bought the ticket from Amsterdam to Brussels in advance. And I could not find the cheaper direct train than Eurostar, which is a high-speed train (journey would take 1 hour and 55 minutes) and cost me 139 euro (ok, it was with some business class and food included). The thing is that I was looking for trains from The Central Station only, but in Amsterdam there are also other stations. And suddenly, at night I came up with idea to check the different stations, and found cheaper price of 65 euro from Amsterdam Zuid with a regular Eurocity train, with pretty the same duration of 2 hours and 8 minutes (without food though). Luckily, my "business ticket" allowed to cancel and get the refund. Of course, I bought a new ticket. So, next time I should remember to check the departure from different train stations!
I am in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union. The hotel is located very close to the metro, so from the train station there was a fast commute.
My neighborhood looks modern, with skyscrapers around, but at the same time the old town is only one kilometer away.
The room is spacious, looks modern and clean.
The view from the window I expected better, but still, not bad. I always write in my requirements about the upper floor, but this one was not very high. Who knows, maybe I could ask again at the reception.
Of course, I do not stay at the room for a long time. I need to observe the surroundings and visit the old town.
The heart of the old town is the main square, called the Grand Place (in Dutch "Grote Markt"). Even the famous writer Victor Hugo called it one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.
The square began as a marketplace in the Middle Ages (around the 11-12th centuries), where merchants sold goods. So, the square was not designed as a grand architectural monument; it grew naturally as merchants built houses around the market. In 1695 the French troops bombarded Brussels, destroying much of the square. And it was rebuilt within a few years in the ornate Baroque style we see today.
Some square facts. Size: approximately 110 metres long, 68 metres wide. Area: about 7500 m2. The place is surrounded by 39 historic buildings. Many buildings are named after some symbols, for example: The Fox, The Swan, The Golden Tree, The Rose, The Wolf.
Traditional food at some traditional bistro, with traditional (but non-alcoholic) beer Delirium (that one, with pinky elephant).
At night the square looks just wow. The illuminated buildings are especially spectacular here.
Tomorrow I am staying in Brussels as well. I believe, I will find out what to do in this big city.
