Amsterdam - City of Lights

Someone (Dutch government, Amsterdam government, arts community, business community) organized and implemented the Amsterdam Light Festival, which runs for a little over a month in December and January. My friend Dan and I walked along the Amstel into the city center a little after 6:00pm on Sunday, and half of the route happened to be along the "Boulevard of Light," which includes free standing, illuminated artwork and beams of light projected onto existing structures, like bridges and buildings.

One example - a blue...something outside of a generously lit Amstel Hotel.

Naturally, it had been dark for almost two hours by the time we passed the photo above, but it was still quite early in the evening. The small streets lining the river were crowded with pedestrians, many of whom were Dutch rather than tourists, whom you'd typically see in these locations. Older couples took pictures, and families with children played in some of the interactive pieces.

The raindrops decreased the sharpness of the photographs. But, in person, they danced lightly in front of the light beams.

And, below are two mundane pictures of the area that one could see nightly.