Reminiscing in Amsterdam

Originally Posted 14th November 2019

I last visited Amsterdam on a couple of occasions in the early 1960's. But that was on a Triumph Tigress Scooter over 55 years ago. The Rijksmuseum hasn't changed a lot since those days and the new Stedelijk Museum is well worth a visit to those interested in modern art. However, the major difference is in the number of people who thronged what I remember as empty streets. With cyclists everywhere, I needed eyes in the back of my head to stay safe. More than once I inconvenienced locals by unintentionally straying into cycle lanes. The fact that cyclist's didn't wear helmets surprised me enough to check the fatality rate. It appears the lives of some 85 cyclists could be saved each year in the Netherlands if helmets were worn.

With so much to see and so little time for the seeing, I tramped the streets for hours to take in the atmosphere and memorize canal vista's and building details. Far quicker to memorize and use the phone camera as a prompt, rather than take out the old sketch pad in the rain and try to sketch on the hoof!.

With still-clear memories and the help of Google Street and Images, I am now back at base and all set to paint!