Rijksmuseum and Walking (so much walking!)

One week done! All of us can’t quite believe that we are already a third of the way through this experience, and I believe it will only speed by faster from here. The students kicked off their second Monday in Amsterdam by commuting to class without the help of the Program Leaders. Going in groups, they either walked or took the number 14 tram to the University. Everyone nailed it! We are all starting to feel more at home in our little corner of east Amsterdam, noticing familiar streets and navigating with ease. 

But let’s rewind, it was a jam packed week. 

Thursday July 7th

After a long day of walking the previous day, we all needed a bit of a break. The students had class in the morning with their instructor Katie before dining as usual in the University cafeteria. Students receive a voucher for 10 euros and have options like falafel wraps, sandwiches, burgers or the popular rice bowls. Once we were fueled, it was off to the Rijksmuseum! Led by our incredible local guide Jan, we meandered through the beautiful gardens smelling flowers and admiring sculptures. The museum chronicles the rich history of the Netherlands through art, with paintings from Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh lining the walls. The gift shop provided some fun souvenir shopping for everyone, with Gabriel taking home an incredible umbrella and Juniper finding a postcard adorned with her doppleganger. Once we returned to the hostel for the evening, we spent some time as a group reflecting on both our experience and the art itself. We spoke about who we saw in those paintings, and who we did NOT see. The Dutch were an active part in the transatlantic slave trade, and Jan reminded us that the beautiful architecture we see all around Amsterdam was built predominantly by slaves. However that history is barely reflected in the paintings of the Rijksmuseum. 

Friday July 8th 

We began Friday with another walking tour of the city led by Katie. We walked through the Jewish Quarter, Chinatown and the Red Light District before returning for lunch. Up next was our second Dutch lesson. Everyone wrote 50 words introducing themselves completely in Dutch, we’re practically locals at this point! We returned to the hostel for some much needed downtime before dinner (our group averaged 13,000 steps everyday this week). We dined out at an Indian restaurant and enjoyed mango lassis and the evening golden hour.