We visited the Benaki Museum in Athens. The museum is housed in the former mansion of the Benakis family, who donated their vast collections of Greek art — along with the house — in 1931.
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Zocherpark
While in Utrecht we walked along a substantial section of Zocherpark, a lush and scenic green space located on the footprint of the now-demolished city walls that used to encircle the city center.
Read the full post »Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh Museum
We made time for the two biggest museums in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. Both are incredibly popular but contain famous artworks that make the crowds worth braving.
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Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675) has become one of the most well-loved painters of the Dutch Golden Age despite working in obscurity during his own lifetime. Vermeer spent his entire life in Delft, living and working in his studio where he produced a relatively small number of now-famous paintings including Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Milkmaid.
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We spent a day in the town of Delft, located just under an hour from Amsterdam by train. With a population around 100,000 it was the smallest town we visited in the Netherlands. Delft is popular with tourists for its picturesque canals, towering old churches, and landmarks related to painter Johannes Vermeer.
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We visited the former home and studio of the painter Rembrandt, located in the Nieuwmarkt district of Amsterdam. Rembrandt lived and worked in the home between 1639 and 1658. The house remains intact and has been refurnished with period furniture using a detailed inventory from the time.
Read the full post »Arrival in Amsterdam
We’ve arrived in Amsterdam, where we’ll be staying for about a week as we explore the city and some surrounding towns.
Our hotel is in the Amsterdam Zuid (South) area, a little ways out of the city core, and it feels much more sane than the overcrowded areas near Dam Square. The immediate surroundings are a mix of upscale residential and modern office parks.
Read the full post »Layover in Madrid
At the tail end of our trip to Valencia and Malta we enjoyed a brief layover in Madrid. Although we were tired from our flight and sad to be on our way home, we took full advantage of our two days to see some great art and get a small taste of the huge city.
Read the full post »Casa Rocca Piccola
We toured Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16th century palazzo in Valletta that has been inhabited by a Maltese noble family for generations. We had a guided tour of the palazzo, including the WWII bomb shelters beneath, and were personally thanked on the way out by the current owner, the 9th Marquis de Piro.
Read the full post »St. John’s Co-Cathedral
We didn’t visit many churches on this trip — Europe is stuffed with them, and no matter how impressive they are, they tend to blur together after a while. But we did visit St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, partially lured by the famous Caravaggio painting hanging in its oratory.
Read the full post »Valletta Apartment
When researching places to stay in Malta we came across Valletta Vintage. The renovated apartments they rent are beautifully styled and unique, but usually quite expensive. But in the off season — including January — the prices are more reasonable, in line with a slightly-above-average Airbnb. So we went ahead and booked their “Retro Pad” apartment.
Read the full post »Jardines del Real & Museu de Belles Arts
On our last Sunday in Valencia we took the subway to the neighbourhood of Benimaclet, then walked down through the Jardines del Real to the Museu de Belles Arts (Museum of Fine Arts).
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