Day 35 - Avoiding the Red Light District

Breakfast:Pear + Apple = Paple. I did not care for it. I ate yogurt instead.

The destination this morning was Amsterdam Centraal. We had to walk for forever to get to the museum because we had to walk around the center of the city to avoid the Red Light District. Silly. Finally we got to the Hermitage Museum. She could not lecture today so instead she gave us an extremely stressful assignment. We had to pick six artists and analyze one of their pieces in thorough detail and how it relates to modernism. Might not sound that bad, but trust me, it was. We were all freaking out. But after two and a half hours, I finally finished! I don't feel too bad about it either. I discussed Matisse's Harmony in Red (Fauvism), Picasso's Seated Woman (Cubism), Kandinsky's Composition VI (Expressionism), Valtat's Violet Cliffs (Forerunner to Fauvism), Rouault's Girls (Influencer of German Expressionism) and Ozenfaant's Still Life Crockery (Purism). Whew. It was intense. I wish I could have taken a picture of it all, but of course, I could not.

Outside the museum.

After the museum, Claire, Tabitha, Elisabeth, and I made our way to the zoo for Tabitha. We followed the map very closely and finally made it there. Unfortunately it was too expensive for us and we couldn't leave Tabitha alone in Amsterdam! But we did eat lunch in front of the zoo and watched the camels and a weird bull-looking animal.

Then we tried to find the Dutch Resistance Museum, but we couldn't find it. But we did find the Jewish Museum instead so we went in there. It was cool. I learned some interesting things about circumcision, marriage, and other traditions.

Odd child.

Then we headed back to the Dam while skirting the Redlight District, bien sur!

We met early at Dam Square so we went into different stores to look around. It was fun. Then we went back to Dam Square to meet up with the group. Once we were all there, we went to dinner at a pancake place.

I had vegetable soup, yum, then had a pancake (which was basically a crepe) with ice cream and strawberry syrup. It was so delicious. After eating, we chatted it up with phd students who were in the Conference that some people went to today. It was pretty interesting.

Then we went back to the hotel and watched Bride Wars on the Film channel. Success!