Mme Tussaud, Body Worlds and Fabrique du Lumière

After our long visit to Nemo, we ran through the storm Ciara to Madame Tussaud where I had booked evening tickets.  Just when the boys to decided to try to fly in the wind, a big windgust gave them a sudden unexpected push in the back and we quickly caught hands together and walked closely to one another and the buildings to our destination.

Inside Madama Tussaud, we enjoyed the little celebrity drink in which we arrived with even some royals present.  While the boys enjoyed the music stars and some celebrity youtubers where me and some boomers walked by "who's that"?   A bit more unexpected was to meet my former employer in the bar with a cool beer.  After our extensive visit in the Rijksmuseum, the boys were also excited to pose with Rembrandt himself.  

All in all quite fun, but in my opinion half of the stars were catered to local Dutch visitors where it is my assumption that more international tourists visit Madame Tussaud? Anyway, despite extensive picture taking we were out and back in the miserable weather after 45' minutes. 

On Friday we started the day with a boat trip on the Amsterdam canals now the storm had calmed down and the boat service had started again.  We were glad we were inside as it started pouring cats and dogs during our tour.   When we had to get out, we barely made it to the other side of the road and just jumped in quickly in the Body Worlds Museum where we had to dry up again. 

Kabouter had pointed out Body World's the evening before but I wasn't too sure if it was worthwile. Hmm anything on the Rokin in Amsterdam seems like a huge to be avoided tourist trap to me.  But since we couldn't run another 50 meters in this downpour, we jumped in and I was simply relieved we had not jumped into the Sex Muxeum a few meters further.

In the end Body Worlds was a pleasant surprise.  In the high narrow building each floor was dedicated to a body function in close up: skeleton, muscles, digestions, respiratory functions, blood vessels, reproduction... Each time with the display of real treated bodies showing our anatomy. Quite educational and nice and accessible/ intriguing for the children. 

In the afternoon Jan could join us again and we headed to the Fabrique Du Lumière in the Westerpark. Two of my Dutch colleagues had recommended this and had made me curious. 

In the old gas factory buildings, the all round digital projection of art or science creates a special immersive experience.   In the mornings it was about Dali, but in the afternoon the theme running was Space.  We walked into the building, where we saw people sitting or laying on the floor, just watching the projections all around them.   We quickly sat down too not certain if I'd get dizzy when walking around but also afraid to block the view of the others.  

We saw satellite images, close-ups of planets, solar explosions, the space race, ... It was intriguing and beautiful and made me hunger for science.  Once we got the hang of the projections and realized they were all projected everywhere in the building in a continuous loop, we also walked around to feel the experience at other spots where the old building structures created extra dimensions and impressions. In some corners there were also mirror rooms. 
It was truly a unique experience.