A day at the Teylers Museum (Haarlem)

 As you do on the second day of Christmas, we headed to Haarlem to visit a museum. And boy were we in for a surprise. We went to the Teylers Museum (Spaarne 16, Haarlem) to see an exposition on Rafaël, the florentine master from the Renaissance. What we did not know was that the Teylers museum, which happens to be the first and oldest public museum of the Netherlands is so much more than an art gallery. It turns out that his founder, Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, a silk merchant, financier and philantropist from the Enlightment period, believed that knowledge enriches humanity and so he set up a foundation and museum to stimulate the sciences and the arts.

This is the skull of a Phorusrhacos, ancient, giant, terror birds from the Patagonia,.

There is a little bit of everything and a little bit for everyone: from natural history, to geology, to physics, to ancient medical instruments, microscopes, telescopes to art. And not just any art. There are Rembrandt's, Michelangelo's, Rafaël's and representatives from the classic Dutch artists (Nederlandse Romantiek, Haagse School). I am so, so happy we decided to go, but you know I do have a soft spot for Science museums.

 The oval room reminded me of the library at the Beast's castle (except it wasn't filled with books)

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