[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-amsterdam-sketches-and-photos":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"I had a great time pottering around Amsterdam for three days with \u003Ca href=\"http://marymcintyre.wordpress.com\">my sister\u003C/a> and Stuart. My sister and I did a lot of general goofing around and we did a lot of walking in the freezing cold. Here's a photo she took of me in a coffee shop. (\u003Ci>No, not \u003Cb>that\u003C/b> kind of coffee shop.\u003C/i>)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_4-2824ca74aa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe stayed in a hotel that had once been a rather grand theatre, so we were expecting a great lobby, but even more pleased to find we had an amazing view from our top floor room. Here's a picture I drew, looking out through the window in the slanted ceiling.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch1-0401d0817c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd a rough panorama photo collage of the view (which doesn't include the ringing church bells):\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_1-c7c352d87f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI made some pen sketches of a few of the paintings we saw in museums. Here's one from the Rijksmuseum. I rather like how it came out.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch5-7acc1aa6d7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Lots more drawings and photos under the cut!-->\\r\nAnd a few from the Van Gogh Museum:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch2-64df501d58.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch3-c5e4909b2f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe guards at both museums were rather distractingly interested in what I was drawing. I think they were very bored. In the Van Gogh Museum, I thought one guard was telling me off for about two minutes and going to chuck me out, until I realised he was just being overly friendly. (...\u003Ci>You are a weirdo, sir. Is this Dutch humour?\u003C/i>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch11-ae639fdcb4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWhen we weren't almost getting run over by them, we love-love-loved all the bicycles everywhere. I bought one of the really big bells to put on my bike back in London.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_5-dfdd2a4925.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe Dutch know how to haul things around on their bikes, I don't know why Londoners don't have more of this sort of gear. I suppose the cycling's a bit gentler in Amsterdam.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_9-b11777fa3c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_8-98b4bee9a4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_6-3e22a94ca4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe took the train, a much more civilised way of travelling than airports with their endless security queues and having to get to the faraway airport super early. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_13-615f02e705.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a picture I drew on the train of my sister reading \u003Ci>Vainglory\u003C/i> by Geraldine McCaughrean. As always, a picture I draw of a family member doesn't look anything like, but oh well, too bad.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch6-2cad8468e7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd a cool station clock: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_15-036c53dade.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAs always, it was fun spotting bits of English slightly out of context.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_10-b6b755c4eb.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_3-42dcf55a48.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe headed over to the Rembrandt House Museum, but only Stuart ended up going in because my sister and I got completely distracted by a nearby flea market. I drew this when we met him in the reception area, clutching three vintage dresses and a coat in our arms.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_sketch4-70d605e97d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was slightly tempted by this book at the flea market but took a photo instead:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_14-71ee4c18d8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAll the swans gathered in one canal at night, the huge numbers of them looked strange in the lights.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_7-92710b18e2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA rather lovely tree and wood nymph at the park:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_11-9b4b1175e0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_12-8e7c9d457e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI've just taken my sister to Gatwick and she's heading off to Seattle. So it's back to work... and a big, fat, pressing deadline! If I pop up on this blog in the next week or so, forgive me if I say bizarre things and sound totally over-caffeinated. (No singing, though, I promise.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/amsterdam_2-ee3c7ce0ba.jpg\">","2011-03-08T12:10:00.000Z","amsterdam-sketches-and-photos",[],"amsterdam sketches and photos",1776628719848]