Exploring Rotterdam

My cousins live about 30 minutes from the city of Rotterdam.  Lynn and I both love art museums, so we were able to take a trip to Rotterdam to poke around.  The collection at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen was incredible-but the art around the city was a great modern addition to the museum!

outside the museum

quick PSA:  I don't have any pictures from inside the museum, because like many museums the Boijmans Van Beuningen requests that no pictures be taken inside the collection.  This is because modern cameras can damage and destroy the artifacts and paintings on display.  Also, pictures taken in museums can be a security risk. You can read more about the specifics here, and general museum etiquette here.
Ok, enough ranting.  I've worked in the museum industry for eight years, and it drives me nuts when I see people blatantly ignoring rules.

The museum had an amazing collection, spanning from renaissance art all the way to modern works.  My favorite sections were the Impressionists--which had works by some artists I already love (including Monet and Degas) and some I was unfamiliar with (like Alfred Sisley)--and the Surrealists.

La maison du pêcheur, Varengeville, 1882 by Claude Monet

Orchard in Spring, by Alfred Sisley

  I discovered I really enjoyed the sculptures by Salvador Dali-I hadn't known he worked in other mediums besides painting!
Here was one I really liked:

Lobster Telephone 1938, by Salvador Dali

There was also a lot to see outside the museum.  Walking to the central shopping area of Rotterdam there was a lot of great street art.  Here are some of my favorites:

on the side of a building.  it says "We're all freaks Be Superman!"

outside the Museum Boijmans

in an alley to a parking lot

There were also a few flower shops, with tulip bulbs even though it was winter!

 In the main shopping area there was a kiosk selling all different type of fries (or chips, as they're called here) with different sauces.  Lynn wanted to introduce me to "pindu sauce," which is a peanut sauce.  It was actually really yummy, and perfect for a cold day!

Ok, time to get back to healthy food.  Good thing art goes with everything!