{"id":6069,"date":"2017-02-24T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2017-02-24T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6069"},"modified":"2017-03-28T21:21:07","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T01:21:07","slug":"lights-abound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6069","title":{"rendered":"Light It Up!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Each year, around Christmastime, Amsterdam offers up beautiful lighted artwork throughout the city…<\/p>\n

If you haven’t been to the Amsterdam Light Festival, mark your calendars for next year!<\/p>\n

Having heard about and seen some of these lighted art installations\u00a0near Central Station, I decided that I wanted to see what this festival was all about.\u00a0 Discovering that we would be there for its final night, we decided to purchase tickets for one of the\u00a0boat tours which cruise along one of the routes.<\/p>\n

Two routes are offered each year…this year’s routes, Watercolors, the boat route\u00a0and Illuminade, the walking route.\u00a0 The artwork presented along these two routes during the two month time span is selected from groundbreaking submissions by light artists from 93 countries and displayed throughout the city’s canals and the city’s Plantage neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6295\"Since we had been out walking most of the day, we decided that it would be nice\u00a0to relax on\u00a0one of the boat tours.\u00a0 Booking a five o’clock departure, we had hoped to be completed in order to have an early dinner.\u00a0 Starting out near the front of Central Station, we cruised along the front of the station and out into the IJ before circling back to our starting point.\u00a0 Finally, we headed into the canals and admired the beautiful pieces along the way.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6293\"<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6294\"\"th834UG0S2\"\"amsterdam-light-festival-rhizome-house\"<\/p>\n

\"maxresdefault\"<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6300\"\"IMG_6301\"<\/p>\n

\"thG7H8STAJ\"<\/p>\n

Though we thoroughly enjoyed the tour, there are some things I would like to point out.<\/p>\n

Doing a bit more research after my tour, I discovered that there are some companies that offer boats with open top.\u00a0 Although it may be a bit too cold for some, they do offer blankets and warm drinks.\u00a0 Our boat was packed to capacity and sometimes hard to get a\u00a0photograph through the boat windows.\u00a0 We were, however,\u00a0allowed to go out to the back of the boat and take photos in the open air.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6292\"<\/p>\n

Next year, I do think that I would book a different boat company, but also take advantage of the Illuminade route.\u00a0 Being able to take your time and enjoy each piece, up close, is surely worth the price of achy feet!<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Amsterdam Light Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n