the stories that I'm telling.

Tag: museums

  • Day 3 in Amsterdam – The Canal House Museum

    Day 3 in Amsterdam – The Canal House Museum

    After visiting the Amsterdam Museum, we headed to the Canal House Museum, known as the “Museum of the Canals” or “Het Grachtenhuis“. The museum is located in an old house along an older portion of canals and it was delightful. While visiting Amsterdam we visited many museums, and we found nearly all of them to be incredibly well-curated.

    The Canal House Museum was one of our favourites. They made particularly good use of audio visual effects to tell the story of Amsterdam’s architecture as it relates to the canals and the houses built alongside them.

    Here’s bit of information from Wikipedia about the Amsterdam Canals:

    Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than one hundred kilometers of grachten (canals), about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals (Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht), dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Much of the Amsterdam canal system is the successful outcome of city planning. In the early part of the 17th century, with immigration rising, a comprehensive plan was put together, calling for four main, concentric half-circles of canals with their ends resting on the IJ Bay. Known as the “grachtengordel”,[5] three of the canals are mostly for residential development (Herengracht or ‘’Patricians’ Canal’’; Keizersgracht or ‘’Emperor’s Canal’’; and Prinsengracht or ‘’Prince’s Canal’’), and a fourth, outer canal, the Singelgracht, for purposes of defense and water management. The plan also envisaged interconnecting canals along radii.

    As you can tell, the Canal House Museum is the perfect follow up to the Amsterdam Museum. To get a sense of how the museum looks, check out this video:

     

     

    Th Canal House Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in urban planning or anthropology, or even just those of you who love quality museums. Check it out if you can! See below for a few photos from our visit.

     

     

  • Adventures in DC – Day 2!

    Adventures in DC – Day 2!

    Our second full day of adventures in DC was slightly more subdued, only because our feet were truly beginning to hurt.

    After breakfast in the hotel, we headed out to the Smithsonian again. The Smithsonian is free to enter, and is one of the best things to do in DC. Here’s some quick facts on the Smithsonian and how it came to be, courtesy of Wikipedia:

     The Smithsonian Institution (/smɪθˈsoʊniən/ smith-soe-nee-ən), established in 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States.[1]

    British scientist James Smithson (d. 1829) left most of his wealth to his nephew Henry James Hungerford. When Hungerford died childless in 1835,[8] the estate passed “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men”, in accordance with Smithson’s will.[9]

    Though the Smithsonian’s first Secretary, Joseph Henry, wanted the Institution to be a center for scientific research,[15] it also became the depository for various Washington and U.S. government collections.[16] The United States Exploring Expedition by the U.S. Navy circumnavigated the globe between 1838 and 1842.[17] The voyage amassed thousands of animal specimens, an herbarium of 50,000 plant specimens, and diverse shells and minerals, tropical birds, jars of seawater, and ethnographic artifacts from the South Pacific Ocean.[17] These specimens and artifacts became part of the Smithsonian collections, as did those collected by several military and civilian surveys of the American West, including the Mexican Boundary Survey and Pacific Railroad Surveys, which assembled many Native American artifacts and natural history specimens.[18]

    The Smithsonian Institution Building (also known as “The Castle”) was completed in 1855 to house an art gallery, a library, a chemical laboratory, lecture halls, museum galleries, and offices.[4] During this time the Smithsonian was a learning institution concerned mainly with enhancing science and less interested in being a museum. Under the second secretary, Spencer Fullerton Baird, the Smithsonian turned into a full-fledged museum, mostly through the acquisition of 60 boxcars worth of displays from the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The income from the exhibition of these artifacts allowed for the construction of the National Museum, which is now known as the Arts and Industries Building. This structure was opened in 1881 to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of the growing collections.[5]

    The Institution grew slowly until 1964 when Sidney Dillon Ripley became secretary. Ripley managed to expand the institution by eight museums and upped admission from 10.8 million to 30 million people a year.[6] This period included the greatest and most rapid growth for the Smithsonian, and it continued until Ripley’s resignation in 1984.[6] Since the completion of the Arts and Industries Building, the Smithsonian has expanded to twenty separate museums with roughly 137 million objects in their collections, including works of art, natural specimens, and cultural artifacts.[1] The Smithsonian museums are visited by over 25 million people every year.[1]

    When the Detroit philanthropist Charles Lang Freer donated his private collection to the Smithsonian and funds to build the museum to hold it (which was named the Freer Gallery), it was among the Smithsonian’s first major donations from a private individual.[22] The gallery opened in 1923.[23]

    So, that was a lot of info, but it was also relevant, because we started out our day by visiting the Smithsonian Castle. It was the original Smithsonian building, and today it serves as a visitor information centre, as well as a museum about the history of the Smithsonian. It’s a beautiful old building, and completely different from architecture of the surrounding buildings. It’s very old timey Britain-esque in a way that most buildings in that part of DC are not.

    The Freer Gallery was under renovation while we were there, but we were able to visit the underground portion of the attached Sackler Gallery, which contained an incredible exhibition on artisans in Afghanistan. Through an organization called Turquoise Mountain, the work of these artisans was highlighted as part of a project to rebuild the Murad Khani district of Old Kabul.

    I’m pretty sure that we could have seen more art, but I was conscious of time, knowing that we wanted to still explore the entire National Gallery of Art.

    Of course, before going to the National Gallery, we made a quick stop for a guided tour of the National Museum of American History. This is where you’ll see things like the famous movie props, the dresses of first ladies, and the first star spangled banner. It’s a lot to take in, so we enjoyed an abridged tour provided by one of the museum’s guides. Next, we had lunch in the sculpture garden beside the National Gallery of Art. For the next leg of our journey, sustenance was required. (A note on lunch: I’d read online that the best place to eat was the cafeteria at the National Museum of the American Indian. This is definitely true. Lunch there was far better than the lunch beside the sculpture garden, though the latter had a better ambiance).

    And next up was the National Gallery of Art.

    Having been through the lower level, we were faced only with tackling the extensive collection of the main floor. I’ve been to a lot of art galleries, and I love art galleries, and so I was beyond thrilled to explore this collection. It’s possibly one of the most concentrated collections of iconic artwork that you could see. It took effort, and our feet were killing us, but we were able to see the entire collection in a matter of hours.

    And oh, what a collection. We saw art by Da Vinci, Titian, Vermeer, Fragonard, Rembrandt, Turner, Constable, Manet, Cezanne, van Gogh, Monet, and Matisse. And not the secondary stuff and early career sketches, but the actual career-defining great works. If you’re looking to see a collection that will take you through the evolution of western art over the past 200 years, this is the museum for you. But seriously, wear comfy shoes.

    As we walked out of the Gallery, we saw the East Building. I knew that it was some kind of modern art building, but it far surpassed my expectations. The East Building is less of a traditional gallery, and more of an actual work of art itself. From what we could tell, the building is an open, modern space, which provides event and exhibition spaces for the gallery. Within this open events-oriented space, you’ll find a variety of modern sculptures and installations. We took very few pictures because it was impossible to capture the feeling of lightness and calm that came over us in the space. If you’re in DC, drop in for a visit. It’s unbeatable.

    After a day of museums, we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We then cabbed across town to the historic neighbourhood of Georgetown, en route to Filomena Ristorante. When travelling, I try to aim for choices more unique or creative than simply ‘italian food’, but Wikitravel promised this would be well worth the visit, so I added it to our list. Besides, sometimes carb-heavy comfort food is just what you need while on vacation.

    I cannot stress enough how much we enjoyed our dinner here. It’s a supposed favourite of the Clintons, so I figured it would be good, and I was so pleased by just how good it was. It’s a basement restaurant, and when you walk down the stairs, on your right hand side (at street level) you can see a kitchen full of women making pasta from scratch. The atmosphere and service were excellent, as were the food and the wine. My dad’s comment was that he’d go back to DC specifically to eat there. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it certainly was worth returning to if the occasion arises.

    After dinner & dessert (and coffee… and sambuca…) we walked along the waterfront, and then cabbed to the Lincoln Memorial. We walked all along the Vietnam Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, over to the WWII Memorial.

    From there my parents cabbed home, while Kevin and I opted to walk. DC is a gorgeous city, and it was great to see the same sights again under a different light (though we did all notice some burnt out lights along the Mall and on the Lincoln Memorial). My feet were killing me (have I mentioned that yet?!), but we got up early to drive back to Canada, so I had plenty of time to recover.

    All in all, we had an amazing trip to DC, and the drive itself was excellent. I know for sure that Kevin and I will be back again soon, as there’s much more to see.

    Photos are below, and are once again in reverse order:

    This incredible statue was in the modern building.
    this second building is the modern art section of the National Gallery. It’s an incredible space and a must-see item!
    art selfie!
    this museum has the most incredible collection. so much super famous and beautiful art!
    being serious with Rembrandt
    entrance to the Museuem of Natural History. #toobusy #toomanykids @nothanks
    A Tiffany bicycle!
    this statue of George Washington was controversial after it was made, as it was deemed to be unseemly to present the President in this manner.
    obligatory band photo
  • Roman Ruins in Canterbury

    Roman Ruins in Canterbury

    Did you know that the romans used to have a giant empire? And did you know that it included a sizeable chunk of the present-day UK? Here’s a map:

    roman_emp

    The earliest history of Canterbury actually goes back even further than the Romans, but they seem to have left the largest footprint. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:

    The Canterbury area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Lower Paleolithic axes, and Neolithic and Bronze Age pots have been found in the area. Canterbury was first recorded as the main settlement of the Celtic tribe of the Cantiaci, which inhabited most of modern day Kent. In the 1st century AD, the Romans captured the settlement and named it Durovernum Cantiacorum. The Romans rebuilt the city, with new streets in a grid pattern, a theatre, a temple, a forum, and public baths. In the late 3rd century, to defend against attack from barbarians, the Romans built an earth bank around the city and a wall with seven gates, which enclosed an area of 130 acres (53 ha).

    Despite being counted as one of the 28 cities of Sub-Roman Britain, it seems that after the Romans left Britain in 410 Durovernum Cantiacorum was abandoned except by a few farmers and gradually decayed.[12] Over the next 100 years, an Anglo-Saxon community formed within the city walls, as Jutish refugees arrived, possibly intermarrying with the locals.[13] In 597, Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine to convert its King Æthelberht to Christianity. After the conversion, Canterbury, being a Roman town, was chosen by Augustine as the centre for his episcopal see in Kent, and an abbey and cathedral were built. Augustine thus became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.[14] The town’s new importance led to its revival, and trades developed in pottery, textiles, and leather. By 630, gold coins were being struck at the Canterbury mint. In 672, the Synod of Hertford gave the see of Canterbury authority over the entire English Church.

    In 842 and 851, Canterbury suffered great loss of life during Danish raids. In 978, Archbishop Dunstan refounded the abbey built by Augustine, and named it St Augustine’s Abbey. A second wave of Danish attacks began in 991, and in 1011 the cathedral was burnt and Archbishop Alphege was killed in 1012. Remembering the destruction caused by the Danes, the inhabitants of Canterbury did not resist William the Conqueror’s invasion in 1066.

    So, things and buildings in Britain are super old. However, once in awhile, modern people try to do some remodeling of one of these 500+ year old buildings. When they do, they have to dig. And sometimes they find the remnants of buildings and places that were built by Romans, 800+ years ago. So, ya, that’s pretty wild.

    And so, because it’s usually better to remember history than just build parkings lots and condos over top of it (I’m looking at you, Toronto), there are a couple of places in Canterbury where you can see the discovered ruins of Roman civilization. In one case, there’s an entire museum about Roman history in Canterbury. In another location, a section of ruins is preserved in a glassed-in room in the basement of a bookstore.

    Nana Ev and I went to see both!

    The bookstore was cool in a this-is-neat-to-see kind of way, but the museum found and preserved a fairly significant portion of a Roman bath, including a long hallway and the pipes that heated the baths, various floors, and walls.

    There’s not much to be said, so I’ll get out of your way and you can look at the pictures. The museum also showcased a ton of artifacts, including jewellery, glass jugs, and bowls. Enjoy!

     

     

    tiles from a roman settlement
    a glass bottle from Roman times
    Roman jewellery
    Roman ruins in the Waterstone’s bookstore
    Roman ruins in the Waterstone’s bookstore
    Roman ruins in the Waterstone’s bookstore
    Roman ruins in the Waterstone’s bookstore
    Roman ruins in the Waterstone’s bookstore
    a map of the Roman settlement at Canterbury
    Beneath the baths, this is where the water was warmed
    This is a Roman hallway – the floor is warped from the ground shifting over hundreds of years