As a hub for the rest of Europe, Amsterdam can connect you to most cities in under three hours. If you’re an art lover who wants to maximize your time while in Europe, Amsterdam is a convenient location from which to begin a journey through centuries of artistic expression.

1. Amsterdam: Start at the Rijksmuseum. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, this Dutch national museum is home to some of the most iconic images that represent the Netherlands. From intricate tulip paintings dating back 400 years to Dutch Master, Rembrandt’s Night Watch. The Rijksmuseum will fill you with enough excitement to pack an overnight bag and hop on a plane for your next destination: London.
2. London: Only a thirty minute flight from Amsterdam, London is home to a number of museums. Though, to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed with the options, choose one to visit and know you’ll have many years to see the rest. For this trip, spend some time at the Tate Modern. While it is the most visited modern art gallery in the world, you’ll have no trouble finding a quiet room to examine the brush strokes of Matisse and Rothko. The museum isn’t ordered chronologically; it is divided on various levels by style. Don’t miss Level 5, known as the States of Flux, this level houses Warhol, Picasso, Lichtenstein and more.
3. Paris: After a solid night’s sleep in London, find your way back to the airport and hop a plane for the City of Lights. Paris is less than an hour away by air and worth the trip. Spend your time while in the fuselage reading up on your next destination, the Louvre. With over 35,000 items filling over 652,000 square feet, you’ll need a game plan. What began as a 12th century fortress is now home to artistic treasures that show the evolution of art itself. With artifacts dating back over 7,000 years, you can wander through ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Smile back at the Mona Lisa and marvel at the sculptures of Michelangelo.
4. Back to Amsterdam: After settling into your hour-long flight back to Amsterdam, you can reminisce on your museum hopping adventure. Keep in mind that it’ll be impossible to see everything on your list. There will be cities you miss. There will be treasures not captured by your camera. Just know they’ll be awaiting your return. This is just one more reason to start planning your next European adventure. Who knows, perhaps the next vacation theme will be food?

Art lovers, do tell: what are you favorite museums in Europe?

Photo credits: I Amsterdam, ariaski; Tate Modern, ReservasdeCoches.com; Louvre, simo0082, Tate Modern, i_abel.

• Use a flexible tripod like GorillaPod to allow for self-portraits and great movement shots. The GorillaPod’s flexible arms can bend and shape to any position to make a solid tripod stand, or even grasp onto a railing or handle.

• It’s all about composure: Make even the most cliché shots interesting. Find a new angle to shoot the Eiffel Tower, take the photo at dawn or dusk or spice up the photo/color settings. Some photographers use the ‘Rule of Thirds’. Turn the grid view on, and you will be able to see the photo divided into nine equal sections, resembling a tic-tac-toe board. Align focal points on these lines and their intersections. Under the Rule of Thirds, the sky or foreground of the shot should either take up 1/3 or 2/3 of the photo, but not 50%.

• The art of the candid: Try not to stage candid shots! Photos that are prefaced with, “Pretend you’re finding shells on the beach!” or something similar usually do not look natural. Try to snap candid shots of interesting moments, specifically faces and expressions when they are happening organically.

• Don’t be afraid to get the angle: Get on the ground when needed to shoot from below your subject, or climb a tower and take a shot from above. These new, unexpected perspectives will make your photos exciting.

• Use the macro focus: Shooting objects up close using the macro setting with a slightly out of focus background creates interesting shots that allow you to focus in on the details.

• Play with color: Many digital cameras are equipped with a setting that allows you to select one color to appear with a black and white background. Play with these settings and shoot things that are vividly colored with a black and white background for interesting highlights.

• Capture the culture: The most fascinating travel photos often depict local people and culture. Try to capture moments that reflect the traditions and people of the places you visit.

• Edit your photos:  Choose several of the best photos from your travels and doctor them up. Don’t be afraid to boost the color, sharpen the lines, or increase the contrast. Edit the best photos that you are the most proud of and show only the best collection to relatives.

So take your digital camera, get out there and start shooting. You (and your relatives) will enjoy looking at these photos for years to come.

Photo Credits: Catedral de Santiago – Bilbao, pulguita; Macro Flor, anieto2k; Lion, nick@; African orphans making their own footballs, Linz_Ellinas,

But these detailed globes aren’t just for show. The Cool Globes exhibit is “public art with a purpose”. Each one paints a different picture and portrays a different message to its viewers. The Cool Globes Foundation aims to bring awareness to the issue of global warming and climate change. The exhibits founders hope that viewers walk away from the exhibit more aware about the cause, and with more hope that the serious problem of global warming can be solved. Each globe has a different theme focused on a particular aspect of the global warming issue. Themes range from efficient rooftops to recycling, public transportation and rain forests.

The city of Amsterdam is proud to be the almost four-month resting ground for the Cool Globes exhibit, and the mayor of the city, Eberhard van der Laan as well as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be unveiling the exhibit on opening day.

Photo Credits: Cool Globes Chicago Museum Campus, Cool Globes Chicago Sad Earth, Jon LeGear

A green spot in the heart of North Holland which every year is the host for a diverse dance festival in the open air. A musical celebration where once a year the national and international club- and DJ scene comes together. Both grounded and surrealistic, mainstream and alternative, but also a short festival vacation that feels like coming home.

Dance Valley is so much more than the sum of varying dance styles. It is a magical musical playground in an enchanting landscape, the combination of electronic music and provocative entertainment that will wash away your daily troubles and worries. A day of Dance Valley means twelve hours of enjoyment in an environment that is synonymous with freedom. The surrealistic Velsen Valley recreational area will stimulate all senses and let everyone do and be what they want.

Tokyo Koenji Awaodori Dance Festival – August 27-28th

This festival falls in line with two other major festivals in Tokyo: the Sumida River Fireworks Festival and the Asakusa Samba Carnival, all held throughout the summer in Tokyo. This year, 188 different dancing groups gather to perform a traditional Japanese style of dance called Awaodori. The dance is performed with performers assembled in straight lines as they move forward in synchronized movements. Exciting costumes are worn by all of the groups as they parade down the streets of Tokyo. The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010 and gathers large amounts of Japanese spectators each year.

Dance Valley, Amsterdam – August 6th, 2011

This festival brings in visitors from far and wide that all share one thing: an unconditional love of electronic music. For 15 years, Dance Valley has been the largest outdoor dance festival in the Netherlands. This year, over 100 famous artists, DJs, actors and dancers will gather to put on a show unlike any other. Set in the picturesque, rolling landscape of Velsen Valley, carefree visitors are enchanted by the music, dancing amidst a magical outdoor panorama. Dance Valley is one for the books.

Here’s a trailer for Dance Valley 2011:

White Bird Dance, Portland – Performances throughout 2011-2012

White Bird Dance, based out of Portland, OR, aims to gather a diverse range of dancing groups and styles from all over the globe to perform for eager local art patrons. Dance groups that have performed with White Bird come from as far as Australia, Israel and Sweden. The 2011-2012 calendar includes a wide range of genres including contemporary, jazz, hip hop, ballet and foreign styles. All performances with White Bird collectively highlight the beauty of the movement of the human body. After a performance, you are sure to be left moved and inspired.

Preview the 2011-2012 season for a taste of what White Bird brings to Portland:

Photo credit: Tokyo Koenji Awaodori Dance Festival, d. FUKA

This is part three of our Amsterdam itinerary series, with the first two sections concentrating on Amsterdam history and the outdoors. Here on Museum Day we’ve got a full schedule so it’s best to start early.

Where to stay

Even though Amsterdam’s city center is quite compact, the Museum Quarter is on the southern edge of it, so get an early start on museum day by staying at the Amsterdam Marriott. This large 4-star hotel has an excellent location just around the corner from Museum Square, and also very close to the Leidseplein entertainment district.

First stop: Van Gogh Museum

Aside from the Anne Frank House, the longest queues in Amsterdam can always be found in front of the fabulous Van Gogh Museum, which is why it’s ideal to get here a bit before the 10am opening time. Coming in the afternoon also means dealing with large crowds once inside, so start the day here so you can more fully appreciate the works within.

This museum has hundreds of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including one of the three ‘Sunflowers‘ paintings he’s known best for. There are also paintings by some of his late 19th Century contemporaries, which helps contrast his own works with others from the era. It’s actually not a huge place since its focus is somewhat narrow, so in 60 to 90 minutes you can see the best of it and be on your way.

Next stop: Rijksmuseum – The Masterpieces

Just across the grass field from the Van Gogh you’ll reach Amsterdam’s national and largest museum, which has been more modest in scope since a huge renovation project began in 2003 and won’t be complete until 2013. Currently, the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum instead features its “Masterpieces” collection in one of its completed wings, and fortunately it’s still well worth a visit.

The building has housed this museum since 1885, and is modeled like a palace, making the architecture itself as much of the attraction as the valuable artwork inside. Inside you’ll find several hundred of the collection’s finest and most famous pieces, most notably Rembrandt’s ‘Nightwatch,’ which is the best known of all the huge paintings by the Dutch Masters. When the full museum reopens in 2013 this could be an all-day stop, but with the Masterpieces you can fully appreciate it in about 90 minutes or less.

Lunch stop: Leidseplein restaurant district

After a five-minute stroll from the Rijksmuseum you’ll come to the wonderful Leidseplein (Leidse Square), which is lined with cafes and bars, and the small pedestrian streets branching away from it are literally lined with more than 100 small restaurants. Either for lunch or for dinner, this neighborhood is like the world’s best international food court, except instead of plastic tables each restaurant is self-contained, with both indoor and outdoor seating.

You can choose from Argentine steaks, Tibetan, Greek, Italian, Indonesian, French, Ethiopian, and dozens more possibilities, and most of these places are quite reasonably priced as well as being comfortable.

Next stop: Hermitage Amsterdam

After lunch you can use your iAmsterdam Card to jump on one of the frequent trams that connects Leidseplein with Waterlooplein, which is where you’ll find the Hermitage Amsterdam. As you may know, the world famous Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia has such an enormous collection of masterpieces that it only displays a small portion at any given time, so in the last few years they’ve opened this new outlet to show off highlights of what isn’t presently at the main museum.

Housed in a historic 17th Century building since 2009, this is Amsterdam’s newest world-class collection of art, and also one of the largest. There are two permanent collections plus a host of temporary exhibits, featuring more than just classical Russian art. True lovers of this period could stay for half a day or more, but you can see a lot in just an hour or two.

Next stop: De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)

While Amsterdam’s slightly-older “Old Church” in the Red Light District remains a big draw for its religious history, the “New Church” actually dates back to 1408 and is used for special exhibits instead. Facing Dam Square, which is a 10-minute walk or a shorter tram ride from the Hermitage, this is an ideal place to end the sightseeing day. The building itself is historic and far larger than the Old Church, so it’s worth a look on its own, but even better the space always contains a special exhibit of some kind, often something relating to the city’s history or a contemporary issue.

End of the day: Shopping and dinner

Around the corner from the New Church you are at one end of pedestrian-only Kalverstraat, which features about a full kilometer of the city’s finest shopping. You’ll find all the trendy international stores here, alongside many one-off local shops featuring the latest Dutch fashions and design items.

In the center of this shopping district you’ll pass through a lovely small square called Spui, which is lined with restaurants and cafes, including several traditional Dutch places where locals dominate the crowd.

Photos courtesy of Tom Townsend; Leipseplein, JDinBawlmer