Amsterdam street art/graffiti!

Amazing! 

We explored the NDSM area of Amsterdam, in and outside the old abandoned shipyards. We didn't go inside the Street Art museum! However it looked interesting!

There was also a nice restaurant there......

Visiting Delft and The Hague

 Having seen quite a lot of Amsterdam in prior visits I decided it would be great to check out cities not already visited! Trains are frequent and easy to take.

First Delft....... this was a word , delph/delf ,  I grew up with in Ireland, used daily for earthenware and crockery.....

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Intrigued by the door we discovered that it is the oldest stone built house in Delft and has been occupied since 1645!!

Round the corner from it was a windmill...... functioning??

and then on to our first church.......the Oude Kerk

with its amazing organ.....

This is where Vermeer is buried.....

He had a lot of company..........

Then on to the other old church..... called the Nieuwe Kerk .....it was a little younger but not much!

with its equally imposing organ.......

It holds the burial vaults of the Dutch Royal family..... William of Orange was buried there, great -grandfather of the British William of Orange

Going around the streets was interesting!

Parking for your bike ...out of the rain presumably.....

...and being able to step directly into your boat on the canal......

Then on to The Hague.....

The Mauritshuis museum where the Girl with the Pearl Earring normally resides... but was on vacation in Japan when we were there!  Now back apparently!

The Dutch Parliament complex.... apparently the oldest parliament building in the world still in use.^[1][2]

..and then it was time to retreat indoors to avoid the very heavy rain!

So we went to the Escher museum in the Het Palace....

I was quite fascinated by the amazing chandeliers.......created by Hans van Bentem

Exploring outside the city centre of Warsaw.....

 I decided to check out Lazienki Palace, the Royal Baths......about 30 minutes from the hotel, walking!

On my return walk I noticed an abandoned unrestored home.......which looks as though it had been beautiful before the war......

I decided I needed to check out some museums.....

The Zacheta for contemporary art.....

..and the Museum of Modern Art.......

with its superb view of the Soviet built Palace of Culture and Science.........

I tried to visit the Chopin museum which was supposed to have concerts each day...temporarily closed!!

A weekend in Warsaw.....

 I was supposed to go to Warsaw last year but got stuck an extra 3 days in Greenland because of weather  and so missed my flight there. So I had to make up for that this year! No problem getting there this year but I did take an early morning flight!

 

I had chosen the Indigo IHG hotel because of its location and it didn't disappoint!

It was close to the Nowy Swiat (New World) street which was on the Royal Route with the other end at the Old Town.

As I had arrived early I had time to walk this route which is about 1.5 kms .......

Past the Bristol hotel ..... which didn't get destroyed in the war....

Even past the Presidential Palace........

Finally arriving at the Old Town, Stare Miasto....

St. John's Cathedral.....

with an amazing door..........

I finally arrived at the Old Town Market Square.......to U Fukiera, my lunch destination!

Great location on the square......

...and good food!

There were many very beautiful homes around the square....

Then watched a little dancing en route back to hotel!