Another little piece of my beloved city: Amsterdam Maritime Museum. For the Dutch: Scheepvaartmuseum (don’t even try to pronounce it when you are not Dutch). My husband Ron was kind enough to take photos again of my new outfit, my variation on a jumpsuit. Very comfortable, like PJ’s. Because it is not one piece but a top and trousers, it is easier to make it suit my bodyshape. Top and trousers are the same pattern, only contrast. In this post you will first see “outfit”, further down “ship” and “museum”.
Of course I was wearing flat shoes when we arrived… Walking on a ship with stiletto heels is such a crime to the boat. Only, we were taking photos outside of the Maritime Museum and only went in for a cup of coffee. They have a great restaurant. The upside of their wooden tables have marquetry (inlay) in the shape of ropes and their cakes are really good. Their apple pie was worth committing a sin. What do I mean by that? Well… I am trying to remain the same weight, in order to fit alllll those clothes in my wardrobe. Which means: hardly any cakes, no alcohol (that is easy for me), in short: watch what you eat. Or did you think a reasonably slim figure at my age just came naturally? Haha…, no way José. OK, back to the subject.
These outings with Ron are a real pleasure for me. For him? Hmmmm… it is not his hobby, he just likes doing me a favour. Not very likely he is going to take all my pictures from now on. Perhaps if I am really, really nice to him? He doesn’t want to see his picture on my blog either (shy, I guess). After some objections I did get permission to publish this picture:
Below: Ron contemplating on how he is going to photograph me. See his serious face? His mind is working. And no, he is not wearing his T-shirt inside out. It is meant to be worn this way (fashion eh?).
Below: we started underneath a bridge near the Maritime Museum. Each time Ron stood 2 inches from the canal, it made me feel sick to my stomach. If he were to thoughtlessly step back…..
Below: some more pictures of the outfit from different angles.
Below: look… nice red door as background. (Ron found this spot.) Ann of Blue Hue Wonderland used to make terrific photos with industrial backgrounds like this. Such a shame she stopped blogging.
Below: gosh my hairdresser is good!!!
Below: details…… Yes those shoes look very much like my silver slingbacks, but these are more grey and have a lower heel. Less spectacular, much easier to walk on. (I ruined them during this shoot by stripping the heels. Rats… my cobbler will fix that though. He is European champion shoe making.)
Below: my trusted yellow Coach bag.
Below: let’s move on to the National Maritime Museum.
Below: behind the museum is the replica of the Dutch East Indiaman, the Amsterdam, docked alongside the quay. The museum’s biggest attraction, literally and figuratively.
Below: see the little windows at the back? I think that is where the captain had his quarters. This is how it looks from the inside
Below: this is the view looking out. 
Below: part of the captains quarters.
Below: the captains table, safely secured to the floor by a rope. See the opening at the left? That led to the toilet, the WC 
Below: we have different standards for toilets these days. In those days on the ship you just lifted the lid… Well… the captain. No idea what the sailors did… 
Below: the ship is huge as you can see by comparison to me. See how the top piece of my blouse is the same contrast pattern of the trousers? 
Below: some “artistic” photos on the ship 
Below: inside, behind the captains quarters, was the dining area for officers (I imagine). We took a picture of three happy tourists, sitting down “for diner”. (Everything was glued to the table, no nicking cutlery.)
Below: Ron created a “Rembrandt”. Unfortunately not a flattering photo of me. 
Below: the front of the ship. There is probably a better term for that…
Below: the bridge of the ship. It was too dark to photograph inside, but I can tell you, people were a lot shorter in those days. It was like an English cottage:…”mind your head”.
Below (and above): the back of the museum, where the ship is docked.
Below: the musuem used to be an arsenal, built in 1656 (they built it in 9 months… and made a point of mentioning this in the right stone). As a storehouse for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. 
Below: in the museum you can find all sorts of maritime stories and examples. There was also an exhibition called The Dark Chapter. About the Dutch who were so keen to ship people from Africa as slaves. A very dark and shameful fact in our history.
Below: I did not stop to listen to all the history stories in the museum itself. They have done their utmost to use modern media in exhibiting our maritime history. 
The next two weeks I will be on holiday. Trying to post but not knowing whether time will allow me. Visiting Barcelona for three days with my best friend Lia.
Greetje
PS Linking up with the gathering of oh so many other bloggers at Visible Monday, hosted by Patti.
from U.S. ( near San Diego, CA )
L u v your blog, your fashion, description of your & friend’s holiday ….
N O W, where did you purchase ( 2 piece ? ) jumpsuit ?
Greetje, Loving these contrasting checks, with the sunny yellow to add some contrast !
I also love the fluid feel of the fabrics, such a nice surprise with an almost industrial pattern. Ron outdid himself, I would be very nice to him, he is taking some gorgeous and artistic shots that speak well of both of you !
I love see the photos of the ship, especially the insides shots.
Great outfit. Great photo shoot, very well done!!
XX, Elle
http://mydailycostume.com
I am so glad you like everything. It was a lot of fun creating it. And yes, I will be ever so nice to him. So far he does it to please me and is still not very interested. Too bad.
My reaction on seeing your outfit Greetje (I said this out loud to my husband): Oh my god Greetje looks AMAZING!!!!!!!! Need I say more than that…?
Catherine x
Coming from you, that is quite a compliment. Thank you very much. Hope you liked the story too.
Darling Greetje! Barcelona! Hope you and your bestie are having a wonderful time. Don’t know how you can go there and not drink wine, though.
You look lovely in your suit! I’m having a hard time wearing soft, flowing print pants. They just look elderly on me. Probably the tops I wear with them. But I like the idea of matching seprates for a jumpsuit look! Wonderful on your fabulous figure. You got it right, and the yellow and silver is perfect.
Thank you again for a tour of someplace I’ll never get to see in real life. I read every one, top to bottom and often share them with Dan … you already know he’s a fan!
At this very moment I am in Barcelona. Gosh, how my feet hurt from walking. We “did” a Gaudi house (Batlo). This man was a genius.
As for the wine… I just don’t like wine, but instead had a perfect piña colada. Just one as we had not eaten yet.
Hoping to deliver many more “reports” on Amsterdam. If only for you.
I am a huge Gaudi fan since forever! Casa Battlo is spectacular. Such an interesting story too. Did you know that the roof is the back of the dragon with Joris’ sword in it? At least this is said about it. If you look at the roof, it’s easy to see it that way. Also the house initially had a very ordinary facade, over which later this skeletal facade was placed.
I did the tour through Casa Battló 5 years ago and we did it again this week. The man is a genius. Beautiful but also great construction innovator.
As I said on FaceBook, a very nice and contemporary look that suits you perfectly! Entertaining blogpost with great pictures, by your own Royal Photographer;-).
“Entertaining” is the nicest word in your comment. I strive for “entertaining”. But I am glad you like the outfit too. See you soon.
This look is definitely a winner Greet…..an almost monochromatic look with touches of a fun color!
Rebecca
http://www.redtagchiclosangeles.com
And it is so comfortable… I think I will take it with me on my trip to Barcelona tomorrow.
Love this!!!
Thanks Jeannee. You can find more Amsterdam “reports” when you click on the Amsterdam-tab at the top (navigation).
Oh have fun on vacation! Spain is always lovely. It has been a while since I was in Barcelona. I’m sure you will have a blast.
Love the faux jumpsuit. So much more practical. And of course I adore that bag.
Didn’t Ann make us all want to try harder? : ) She is missed.
I will get back to you in a couple of weeks then upon your return to let you know about the trip in Sept.
Have fun!
bisous
Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne and I will await your mail.
Great field trip you just took us on, I absolutely love spending time in any and most museums so I thoroughly enjoyed your photos. Ron is doing a fantastic job of capturing just the right moments as your photographer (love his serious and thoughtful pose you captured).
You new outfit is splendid, I much prefer a matching top and bottom rather than a jumpsuit myself, so this is right up my alley. Great color, the black and white as well as the pattern. I do love how you added the little pop of yellow with your belt and coach bag. What does it look like without a belt (just wondering)? And, yes, your hair looks fabulous. Thanks again for the fun field trip.
I can wear it (in my opinion) without the belt, top tucked in at the front and the back just hanging loose. But Ron doesm’t like that style.
If I have a chance, I will let him take a picture of that variaation and mail it to you.
This morning he “guided” me in styling a new pair of blue and white striped 3/4 trousers. And I must say, he is better at styling than I am.
You and your photographer did a great job, Greetje! Love those slouchy pants with a pop of yellow. Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday!
Always fun to be amongst other bloggers. Thanks for the compliments.
What a great outfit, it floats around your body. Is it silk because it look so smooth. Like you say as comfortable as pj’s. Again great photoshoot, I still think there must be something more you can do with your photostories. Perhaps another one from Barcelona. You know by now that your journeys are a fatasy holliday for me. Have fun in Barcelona.
The material is viscose and it is wonderful to wash. Just bang it in the washing machine and hang it up. I will iron it, but it is not really necessary. (Just hope, it has not shrunk haha.)
This is one of your best outfit, Greetje! ( Better said one of my favourite! ) I love the fabric pattern and the contrast between the top and the botton piece… your shoes are very similar to the silver ones that you were wearing in a recent post…I like them both!
Your yellow bag is wonderful!
Interesting view of the Maritime Museum…you are a lucky person to live next to such a fantastic city!
Yes Amsterdam holds many treasures. But I am sure, if you start roaming around Torino with a camera, you will find lots of good spots too.
what a beautiful color combination! I really like these photos dear and you are so pretty!!!
MYEMPTYBAG
Ah, you are back from holiday! Glad you like it.
I am on holiday now. LOL
Super post, was fun seeing what you got up to on your sightseeing! Great take on a jumpsuit also, that’s a brilliant idea to have matching separates instead. x
Now the challenge for you is to find such pieces… I just stumbled upon them.
These are outfit photos are great – Ron did a great job! I love seeing all these pictures of different places of Amsterdam, it makes me want to visit there again soon.
I really like this outfit on you, it suits you so well and adding the yellow is just perfect. Enjoy your time in Barcelona!
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Thanks Alice. Perhaps I should offer my services to the Tourist Board of Amsterdam haha. Fat chance… I am sure there are thousands of pictures and promotions.
Greetje – The pictures of the ship made me a little seasick, but your outfit is very chic. I love the yellow touches.
The ship does not move at all Jeanne. No need to feel seasick. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Much appreciated.
This is a great outfit and really good pictures! Love the yellow accent with the black and white. Ron did a fine job capturing your spirit. The close up at the table is gorgeous and your hair looks great!
blue hue wonderland
I am thrilled with your comment as you were our inspiration for this post. Did you see me mentioning you several times? Glad you are still visiting.
The front part of a ship is called the bow. The back is the stern. Your photos are beautiful. I love days exploring my home land. It’s so much fun. I love how your Coach matches the color in the ship. I LOVE yellow. It’s always so cheerful! Great post.
Thanks Glenda. I love making such posts. I feel like a reporter then.
Lovely photos again and a great story about het scheepvaartsmuseum. I have been there of course and you really do it justice. Your outfit is fabulous. As you say it has a bit of the feeling of a jumpsuit but this is just so much more practical. I can see you wearing both separate pieces with other clothes as well. Have a great trip to Barcelona. You will love it (even though queues for touristy attractions (espeically sagrada familia) can be very long. But there is so much to discover in that city. Beautiful inner city. The architecture of Gaudi is brilliant too.
I have been to Barcelona with Ron before and seen a lot. The Sacrada Familia will have to do without me this time. Nearly fell dead there.
How did you do that then?!
We went up the Sacrada by elevator but had to go down by stairs. On the right side of the stairs is no bannister, but there low, round stones. The stairs turn like a spiral and if you look down, you see that it looks like a snail-shell. Very pretty, but I tripped and fell down the stairs (head first like I always do when I fall down stairs….). And my head and body was pointing towards the hole in the middle of the snail-shell (very deep). Fortunately the man walking in front of me, heard me, quickly turned round and caught me. Me and stairs…. a very bad combination. I have had several of these experiences. It is a wonder I am still alive.
And I thought that I was clumpsy! Hahaha….
Greetje, I feel as though I’ve just had a little holiday myself! Your photos are lovely, and I enjoyed the tour of the ship. We call the front of the ship the bow.
Your outfit photos are fantastic. Kudos to Ron! Very well done, and I can see you’ve been inspired by Ann!
I love your version of a jumpsuit! This look suits you beautifully. You look chic! The pops of yellow are fabulous! Altogether, a very flattering outfit!
All that flattery… you make me blush. (Black & White and any other bright colour, is soooo easy to do.)
I will never be as good as Ann, but my husband and I did get inspired by her, indeed.
It was a fun day today.