Tag Archives: Rembrandt

Bob Dylan places/songs: Amsterdam – Slow Train

amsterdam

All that foreign oil controlling American soil
Look around you, it’s just bound to make you embarrassed
Sheiks walkin’ around like kings
Wearing fancy jewels and nose rings
Deciding America’s future from Amsterdam and to Paris
And there’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend
~Slow Train (from: Slow Train Coming, 1979)

Slow Train:

amsterdam map

From Wikipedia:

Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/;  is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. Its principal language is Dutch. The city’s status as the capital of the nation is governed by the constitution. Amsterdam has a population of 820,256 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,289,762. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.

Amsterdam’s name is derived from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: ‘Grachtengordel’), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.

amsterdam2

As Netherlands’ commercial capital and one of the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) study group. The city is also cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world’s top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2010, Amsterdam was ranked 13th globally on quality of living by Mercer, and previously ranked 3rd in innovation by 2thinknow in the Innovation Cities Index 2009.

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city center. Amsterdam’s main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam,Anne Frank House, Amsterdam Museum, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 3.66 million international visitors annually.

One of the worlds greatest pieces of art is located in Amsterdam:
The Night Watch (Rembrandt, 1642):
the night watch

Continue reading Bob Dylan places/songs: Amsterdam – Slow Train

How I visited New York City – part 1

New York City – Jan 2012

This is a glimpse into how I always plan & execute my visits to important cities/sites where great art resides.
Great art to me is many things.. but primarily music, paintings, sculpture & architecture.

My  goal is always to maximize experience and having a great time. I do plan very rigidly.. and am truly convinced that spontaneity is ok… as long as it is well planned.

So.. on my planning lists are: Museums, Concerts, “Music related sites”, churches, buildings, … and secondary: hotels, restaurants, bars/pubs..

This article will hopefully contain some tips for travellers visiting NYC

Hard edges:

  • Destination: NYC
  • Time: arrive late Thursday – 19 of January, leave Sunday from Hotel around 1530
  • Hotel: = just had to be – Washington Square Hotel
  • Main focus (decided early on): Bob Dylan’s Greenwich Village, The MET, MoMA, and as much  live music as possible….
  • Social circumstances: four pals as travelling companions, not interested in art.. but did at least (under some mild pressure) join me for the concerts 🙂
  • Movie everbody has to see (again) before visiting NYC: Woody Allen’s – Manhattan

This is how it went..
(everything here was planned upon arrival, except the bonus of some “Sunday Jazz” at our Hotel)

Thursday:
~2300 – @Washington Square Hotel in Greenwich Village
~2400 – at Café Wha? for live music and drinks
House band was OK, played Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire, Stones – Miss You, some U2, A-Ha, Pearl Jam’s Better Man.. +
~0100 – @Bed

Continue reading How I visited New York City – part 1