AMSTERDAM - Night falls early on Holland - at 4:15 p.m. yesterday Amsterdam was pitch black - but instead of letting the early evening get them down, the Dutch actually embrace the darkness with some amazing light shows like “Illuminade.”
I joined the free Illuminade walking tour last night - it passes right in front of my hotel, the incredible Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam - and it took me on a magical walk along the canals, most of which are illuminated in decorative lights, and past 16th and 17th century homes and bridges that are decked out in brilliant light for the annual event.
The walking route takes you past 20 light artworks through the culturally rich neighbourhoods of Weesper and Plantage. The outdoor exhibition showcases artworks that have been created specifically for Amsterdam Light Festival by an army of international talent.
It was a great end to an artistic day for me, which started with visits to the Rijks Museum, where I stood and gawked for an hour at Rembrandt’s Night Watch, before heading over to my favourite art museum in the world, the Van Gogh, where the works of Vincent van Gogh still excite me, no matter how many times I’ve seen them - this was my sixth visit. Judging by the long lineup of young people outside the Van Gogh Museum, it appears the troubled genius’s great works - defined by his deep strokes - continue to excite an entirely new generation of art lovers.
My day ended with at a quaint Indonesian restaurant called Sampurna, located in Amsterdam’s Flower Market, which remains open because of the lovely spring-like weather the city is experiencing.
For more on the Illuminade walking tour, go to https://www.amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/illuminade/
Sampurna is located at  Singel 498.
For information on Amsterdam, go to http://www.iamsterdam.com