Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is known for its beautiful architecture and charming canals. While it is not the seat of government- this distinction belongs to The Hague– it is the most populous city in the Netherlands and is steeped in rich history and culture.

Van Gogh Museum

*Please note, this section of the article touches on the topics of mental health and suicide.

We headed back up to the city on Monday, as we had timed entry tickets for the Van Gogh museum. Sami had an interest in checking out the museum, thanks to an episode of the BBC hit “Dr. Who” in which Amy Pond and the Doctor go back in time and meet Vincent Van Gogh in France. That bit of nerddom, at least in part, inspired the visit.

To get to Amsterdam, we took the Intercity train from Den Haag to Amsterdam, stopping at Amsterdam Centraal, the busy train station and railway hub. The station building itself is a Rijksmonument, a national heritage monument, similar to America’s National Historic Register of Places. According to the Dutch monument register, the central station was designated a landmark in 1974. The building was designed by architech P.J.H. Cuypers, who also designed the Rijksmuseum, in 1881. The style is a neo-Gothic-Renaissance design, which made use of many decorative sculptures. It is a lovely building, and inside, not very hard to navigate. After arriving in Amsterdam, we were able to quickly walk over to catch a tram to Museumplein. From there it was a short walk to the Van Gogh Museum.

The Van Gogh Museum is a national museum dedicated to the works of famed Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Though his career spanned only a decade, Van Gogh was a prolific artist, bringing to life over 900 paintings as well as various sketches and drawings. He was a master of the post-impressionist styles, utilizing bold brushstrokes and bright colors in many of his works.

The museum building itself was rather interesting, especially in contrast to the Gothic-Renaissance styled Rijksmuseum across the square. The Van Gogh Museum is a more modern structure, having been commissioned by the Dutch government in 1963 designed by Gerrit Reitveld. The original building was completed a decade later. The exhibition wing designed by Kisho Kurokawa was added in 1999. The steel and glass structure is modern, geometric- and if not for the curved atrium- it would almost remind me of brutalist architecture. The use of much glass allows for natural light to filter through the building. While this made getting good photos of the art a bit more difficult because of glare, I rather liked this. There’s nothing quite like natural light.

We got into the queue around our appointed entry time. While the line looked like it would take long, our tickets were checked quickly. After storing our larger items in the free lockers, we were off to explore the museum.

The museum is well-organized, and features works not just by Van Gogh, but also impressionist artists who had inspired his early art, as well as his contemporaries and those who would later find inspiration in his many works. Each gallery takes us to different eras of the artist’s life, from the beginnings of his career in the Netherlands to Paris, Arles, Saint-Rémy, and finally Auvers-sur-Oise.

We observed first the gallery showcasing Van Gogh’s many self-portraits. While we poked fun at our modern day ‘selfie culture,’ according to the museum website, the reality is that Van Gogh did not paint numerous selfies because he was vain or loved to look at himself. Rather, he used himself to practice drawing people. In his self-portraits, he carries a look of concentration or perhaps deep thought or depression. I think the only one where he looks relaxed is in the portrait of himself with a straw hat and pipe. I guess one can only look too serious when with those accoutrements.

Van Gogh also drew much inspiration from nature. This is evident in many of his works, especially those in the later years of his life. It is said that he found comfort in nature, and he captured the details of natural scenes with light and color. Below are a few of my personal favorites.

I could wax poetic about Vincent Van Gogh and his works. His art is interesting and lovely, even to a philistine like myself. But it would do him a disservice to ignore his mental health struggles, which is also a part of his legacy. He struggled with his mental health through most of his adult life. This did not keep him from becoming an amazing artist, nor was it the only part of his existence. His letters showed his awareness of his struggles as well as his love for his brother. He died as a result of suicide in 1890, at the young age of 37.

It can be easy to paint mental health as a one-dimensional issue. This is not the case. Many of us struggle with stress, emotional well-being, trauma, and the hardships of life and relationships, especially post-Covid. But we are not just our trauma. We also have our own creative gifts and energies, with the capacity to see love and beauty in the world around us. Vincent Van Gogh was an artistic genius. He had a deep love for his brother, Theo, and Theo’s wife Johanna. The painting above, Almond Blossom, was painted in honor of the birth of their son, Vincent Willem, named after his uncle. He wrote to his brother, “the last canvas of the branches in blossom, you’ll see that it was perhaps the most patiently worked, best thing I had done, painted with calm and a greater sureness of touch.” The delicate blooms embody the themes of hope and new life- a perfect gift to celebrate a beloved newborn nephew. After Vincent’s death, Theo’s own health deteriorated, and within six months, Johanna was left a young widow. It was through her tireless efforts that Vincent Van Gogh’s works were preserved and promoted, and posthumously, he became the famed artist we now laud.

After contemplating the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh, we spent a few euro on souvenirs from the museum gift shop. The girls each bought a new crochet Miffy doll by Just Dutch. According to the Just Dutch website, the toys are handmade by ‘workers with disabilities and profits help to support a community of disadvantaged women maintain a stable income.’ We also purchased matching Miffy keychains wearing designs inspired by Van Gogh’s art. With our gifts and Miffy’s in hand, we headed to our next adventure.

Shopping in Amsterdam

Our actual next adventure was coffee. We stopped in one of Amsterdam’s many coffee shops for an afternoon pick-me-up. While waiting for our cappuccinos and chai lattes, I picked up a pack of Uno cards. From there, we proceeded to annoy Jacob and possibly traumatize Mees with an hour-long game of Uno involving much plotting, many skips, and a few draw sixteens. After much laughter, more eye rolls, and some core memories, there was finally a winner (me!), and we were able to carry onto our next stop: Beadazzled.

The girls found Beadazzled after it went viral on TikTok. The bright storefront is literally a bead and charm shop. Customers are not able to make their creations in store, but they can purchase the tools to create their jewelry at home. This was no problem for the girls/ Mees’ parents had the necessary tools to put their charm necklaces together.

While the boys went next door to Ladybird Fried Chicken for sodas and beer, the girls took their time selecting their charms for their charm necklaces. They narrowed in on a theme: Cowboy Las Vegas. Sami selected pink charms in the shapes of dice, cowboy boots, playing cards, a Southwestern chili pepper, and a random seashell. While the store was rather pricey, as the cost of the charms quickly added up, they had fun planning their creations.

We also visited O My Bag, a sustainable handbag company, whose flagship store is in Amsterdam. Emily had purchased a couple O My Bags; this time, I was planning on buying a new work bag to celebrate my birthday and graduation. After much deliberation, I ended up purchasing the Georgia style in apple vegan leather.

Amsterdam’s Canals

While this was not an activity per se, we were able to walk over some Amsterdam’s many canals. According to the internet, Amsterdam has more canals than Venice and more bridges than Paris. There are 165 canals in Amsterdam, with the first canals built in the 17th century for the purpose of water management. The canals are an icon of the city, and still play a role in transportation and recreation. The canal district was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010. They are also just really scenic.

While we enjoyed a full day of food, shopping, art and culture, there was a lot that we missed. Sami was disappointed that we did not get to go into the Anne Frank House, and we were not able to get tickets to the Rijksmuseum on this trip. There is so much to see and explore in this vibrant, modern, and historic city.

Some things to consider:

The Van Gogh Museum is one of the most popular museums in the Netherlands. Tickets are available online for timed entry. There were no tickets available for same day entry on the day of our visit, so visitors without tickets were sent away. Summer is a busy time, and we bought our tickets about six weeks in advance.

Emily, Sami, Mees, and I qualified for student discounts, as we are students at various levels. Though we bought our tickets online, we still had to show our student IDs when we checked in. Jacob unfortunately had misplaced his student ID, so we paid the full adult price. Of course, he found his ID on our return home. Go figure.

Just Dutch, the makers of the Miffy toys, is available in art museums in the U.S. It is also sold via Nordstrom, however, at time of writing, the toys are currently sold out.

Beadazzled was having some issues with their payment system on the day of our visit. Their credit card system did not accept either my American credit or debit cards. Fortunately, Mees was able to use his Dutch bank card to pay for the girls’ purchases, and I reimbursed him for Sami’s necklace. I would recommend checking with the vendor beforehand.

We did not have an issue with dynamic conversion at most of the shops and restaurants we visited. The only option when we checked out was typically euro. If you happen to find a place that offers the option of your currency or the local currency, be sure to choose the local currency. This saves whatever the markup is on the conversion.

I loved our time in Amsterdam. The city is truly lovely, and there is so much more to see and do. I hope to return in the near future to explore more. There are so many adventures to be shared in this part of North Holland. Proost!

Bonus: Taylor Swift Eras Tour

After landing at Schiphol, our first trek to Amsterdam was for the Taylor Swift Eras concert at Johann Cruijff Arena on July 5. The concert was awesome, and the venue was abuzz with the energy of 55000 fans, singing to songs from each of her Eras, from Fearless up through her latest release, The Tortured Poets Department.

Like many, we dressed up in themed outfits based on her music. We had decided the year prior that we would go as “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Emily inspired the theme when she announced that she’d dress up as the key lime dog. I would be the pool with champagne in a champagne-colored dress and a pool floatie for the photos. Sami was the American dynasty itself with an American flag sweater and complete with a pink felt cowboy hat from the Dutch party shop, SoLow- something we saw many concert-goers accessorized with.

This was a wonderful experience with my daughters. Paramore opened, and while we missed seeing the opener as we were purchasing merch, I could hear the familiar songs of my generation. After the countdown to Eras, Taylor Swift appeared on stage and started with “Cruel Summer” from the album Lover. From there, the night passed quickly. We sang and danced along to our favorites- highlights being “August” from the Folklore album, tunes from Red and Reputation, and so much more. For me, screaming along to “Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” was surprisingly cathartic. It was a fun time, and I am thankful to have been able to share this adventure with Emily and Sami.

For short clips from the show, and more photos, check out Instagram and TikTok. Links are at the top of the page.

References:
“The Building.” Van Gogh Museum, http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/about/organisation/the-building. Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.

Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/1349/. Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.

*The Van Gogh Museum addresses the subject of suicide and mental health, and offers the suicide helpline for the Netherlands. In the United States, you can text 988. If you are struggling with your mental health or emotional wellness, please reach out to your clergy, counselor, or even a trusted friend. Honest talk over coffee can be a huge help when with the right person. There are also many resources available in the Los Angeles Area.