Triangle. Amsterdam.

My final stop of staying in the Netherlands, the third point of the geography triangle, the jewel of lowlands is Amsterdam.

What do we know about Amsterdam? Red light district, smells weed everywhere and Heineken. But did you know that Amsterdam is built on over 11 million wooden poles, its canals stretch longer than Venice’s and the city has more bikes than people? 

Amsterdam’s canals are iconic, with picturesque bridges, houseboats, and historic buildings lining the water. Over 100 kilometers of waterways are crisscrossing the city. There are 165 canals and 1200 bridges!

Many streets in Amsterdam date back centuries, with narrow, winding paths and charming, old buildings. And of course, most streets are designed with bike lanes, allowing cyclists to glide through the city.

But all mentioned above is not important for me at the moment. Because I am rushing to the museum of Van Gogh, where I have ordered an excursion with a tour guide.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam houses the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s artworks. It features over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and hundreds of personal letters. 

The top masterpieces for me are The Potato Eaters (one of his earliest major works), Sunflowers, The Bedroom and Almond Blossom.

The tour guide was boring, and instead of declared 2 hours it was lasting only 45 minutes. Maybe next time I would take an audio-guide.

By the end of the excursion the hotel room is ready to check-in. At this time there is nothing special about my room, because I really wanted to have the one with the canal view, but it would be too much expensive for me.

I continue walking around the city centre and cannot stop admiring. Amsterdam’s architecture is full of unique and clever details. For example, many of the old canal houses lean slightly forward - not because they’re falling over, but to make it easier to pull goods up with a hook and pulley system. Many old houses have hooks at the top - these are still used today to move furniture through windows, since staircases inside are often too narrow. Another interesting fact is that many buildings are tall and narrow here because people in the past used to be taxed on how wide their homes were.

If one night in Rotterdam or the Hague can be enough, I would not say this about Amsterdam. So, I want to return to this city one more time and to spend at least 3 nights, but not during a weekend, because it would cost me a fortune.

Nevertheless, I am happy to finish my current trip and come back to Prague. By the way, the flight is very short - it is only 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the city is very accessible by train from the airport. Why did not I travel to the Netherlands before?

And just not to forget, here is the wish list for my next staying in Amsterdam:

• visit the Rijksmuseum;
• see the floating flower market;
• take a boat tour on the canals;
• try many variations of Dutch cheese from a market;
• relax in Vondelpark.

See you soon, Amsterdam!

Milano Weekend. Day2

Another day in Milan. I have decided to devote it to the art.

The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is a new place for me in Milan. It was founded in 1618, and nowadays it houses masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian and Botticelli.

The name "Ambrosiana" comes from Saint Ambrose (Sant’Ambrogio), the patron saint of Milan and one of the most important early Christian bishops.

In the same historic complex you can always find The Biblioteca Ambrosiana, one of Europe’s oldest public libraries.

Today it holds over 750000 books and more than 35000 manuscripts in various languages including Latin, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew. Among its treasures are Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, one of the most important collections of his drawings and writings, as well as rare illuminated manuscripts, letters from historical figures and curiosities such as Lucrezia Borgia’s hair and Napoleon’s gloves.

I have got some food for my brain and soul, but now it is time to give some food to my body. 

And of course gelato and espresso.

And to end the day just right, I had to treat myself to an Aperol Spritz.

I think, today I have done everything what you should do while staying in Milan. I wish, I would travel more often here.

Brussels, The Sights

The day with visiting the main sights in Brussels, which you cannot miss in any case.

First, The Atomium, a striking structure that was originally built for the 1958 Brussels World Expo. In fact, it is a representation of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. It consists of nine stainless steel spheres, connected by tubes, which together form a model of an atom. Nice one.

Second, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, with significant collection of Old Masters from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Peter Paul Rubens, Antoine Van Dyck, Jan Bruegel the Elder, Rogier van der Weyden, Jerome Bosch and Frans Hals.

Third, a quirky bar Goupil, located in the heart of the city. The vibrant atmosphere and eclectic decor. It is not just a place to grab a drink but also a space for socializing, whether you're looking to chat with friends or enjoy a casual night out.

It was the very eventful, diverse and interesting trip just during two days. To summarize, I would love to visit Brussels again and again. You definitely will not be bored here.