After gallivanting through Iberia and the Czech Republic, my brother and sister-in-law are back in Amsterdam town for a few more days before heading back to California. With no set plans today it was rather hard deciding where else to show them around but it dawned on me that Amsterdam’s lesser known sights may prove useful, and the thought of dropping by the Scheepvaart Museum on this gorgeous Spring day came to mind. The last time I recall being inside this jewel box of a building feels like a lifetime ago but memories of how pleasant it was are still fresh as yesterday – once we walked into the bright courtyard I was proven right yet again.

The one thing that stood out at this museum this time was an impressively minimalist display of the Dutch royal family’s canal barge, housed in its own enclosure at the back and right next to the unmissable life-size Dutch golden age merchant ship. The Koningssloep details were fit for any king.

After thoroughly admiring the Royal barge and a run through of the VOC merchant ship, there was just enough time to sit down and enjoy the perfect, sunny 14 degree weather we had today before moving on to our next destination. Monday mornings like this are hard to beat.