Canals and Streets in the Dark- Amsterdam, Netherlands

Something really interesting happens in the evening in Amsterdam. The canals transform into living impressionist canvases. A gentle wind creates brush strokes on the water's surface and mirrors the way Van Gogh created movement with his strokes. It's more than coincidence that the Netherlands was his birthplace and the Van Gogh Museum is found in Amsterdam.

Like the water in its canals, Amsterdam is always moving day or night. The static tram tracks create lines that imply movement. They remind me of metal canals in the cobbled streets.

 

The Golden Hour - Brussels, Belgium

The view from the top of Kuntsbergplein/Jardin du Mont de Arts with the statue of Albert I and the spire of the City Hall in the distance.

Jardin du Mont de Arts with the MIM and Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg visible at the top of the stairs. There is a good concentration of museums and sights in this area. It's one of the best places to knock a lot of places to see off the checklist.

The Palace of Justice is getting a makeover!

Brits Oorlogsmonument, Monument Britannique or Anglo-Belgian Memorial commemorates the support of British POW's in WWI from Belgian citizens.

Poelaertplein/Place Poelaert or Poelart Square has the best views at sunset.

 

The Louvre Museum- Paris, France

People usually go to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and other art from the Masters. That's what we did the first time too. What happens when you luckily get in for free two hours before closing on a Saturday night? You go around and see whatever you can!

Michelangelo Pistoletto decorated the Louvre's pyramid for the first time in its history with a sign against capitalism. Ironically it looks like the All Seeing Eye on the almighty one dollar bill. He has hidden several pieces all over the museum and has a couple more obvious installations each carrying a message or metaphor.

The Louvre is huge and you could/should spend at least one whole day here if you want to see everything. We snapped photos of all the interesting stuff we missed our first visit. Unfortunately, I only recognize Venus de Milo from this interesting bunch of photos.

Feel free to chime in on the comments if you recognize anything else!

 

Blue Mosque- Istanbul, Turkey

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii; Tourist: Blue Mosque) is considered to be one of the last great classical mosques. It took seven years to build and was finished in 1619. It is built in the style of the Süleymaniye Mosque which was built a century earlier. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the few mosques with six minarets which are difficult to capture all together on the grounds of the mosque itself. I have a photo with five but it's full of trees. I've scoured Google Maps and I have a couple spots picked out to get them all on our next check-in to Istanbul!

It is called the Blue Mosque by tourists because of the blue tiles on the interior ceiling. I thought it would be more blue.

Like most mosques in Istanbul it is open to visitors outside of specific hours when it is in use.

 

Preview: Paris, France

We know another preview... 

They're so much fun to make though!  We'll have more in depth posts soon, pinky swear! 

 

Preview: Istanbul, Turkey

We were bedazzled by the rich history, architecture and culture in Istanbul.  Stay tuned for more!  

P.S. We pray that Istanbul and its people find a resolution to their current difficulties.