Hello (again) from Amsterdam. Here’s our post from last week, re-sent with the photographs inserted as part of the text (using the blog format instead of the email format):
We’ve been here in Amsterdam for a while, and I don’t think you’ll be surprised to know that we’re loving it.
And the title is a little off-base, as this digital postcard is not from Madrid. My and Andrew’s time was too constricted, even after our dear friend Sandra Kitt arrived to spend time with me while Andrew was busy with the Library Associates (or 22 of them) from The University of Club of New York.
For me (and Sandi for our final week in Madrid), we had three highlights:
Of course there were all the art works. I can’t begin to describe all that we experienced, both when I was helping Andrew with his “site inspection” visits during the first week or my time with Sandi, but it was all pretty overwhelming.
And Madrid must truly be one of the great “art centers” of the world. Every time I am there, I’m overwhelmed by what’s available to see. Here is a wonderful example, one of my favorites from the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, the Jan van Eyck Annunciation Diptych from about 1433 (even when looking at it hanging on the wall it’s hard to believe it is not three-dimensional).
Also in Madrid, I loved the quadriga on the roof of a near-by building, and can’t resist a photo of Andrew and me from the restaurant on the roof of the Four Seasons, our hotel (which we liked very much).
The hotel is located in Madrid’s beautiful central city, in a neighborhood called “Canalejas.” The entire neighborhood has been lovingly restored, and many of the buildings (often originally banks or other financial institutions, since Madrid was the focus for the country’s financial services in the 19th century) are spectacular. And the symbols of strength chosen by the many architects re-building this part of the city included fantastical sculptures on top.
This dramatic quadriga (two in fact) depicting absolute strength in its many parts was something to look at. And this sort of statuary (originally bronze, but painted black in the Civil War to reduce visibility of the building at night) is found throughout the central city.
And of everything we did and saw in the Spain part of this trip, the best was a day-long return visit to Toledo (here is Sandi’s panoramic photo).
I had visited Toledo several times, but I didn’t remember it being so splendid before. I couldn’t get over what we found this time: a perfectly gorgeous day weather-wise, one of the best and most well-informed guide/drivers I’ve ever experienced, and well—simply—the God-given beauty of the place.
And the cathedral (which seems to out-Baroque Baroque as far as I can tell) is celebrating its 8th centennial these days. It’s no wonder El Greco wanted to paint everything he laid his eyes on! But not the Baroque stuff, as far as I know.
We’ll be here in Amsterdam for another week or so, before we meet up with our friends from Melbourne to begin our Viking Cruise.
I’ll hope to send a “digital postcard” from Amsterdam before too long. Or while we’re on the cruise.
All the best,
Guy (and Andrew)