Savoring Amsterdam Tour: Brews & Bites

After finishing his studies in the History of Art and Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam in 2002, Sabry pursued a career in the antiquarian book trade, going on to run a fine art bookstore in Amsterdam, whilst also writing, lecturing and teaching about art. Later he dedicated more time to his work as a writer and art historian. Coming from a Jewish background, Sabry was also always interested in the Jewish history of Amsterdam and has thoroughly studied the life and work of Jewish artists living and working in the Netherlands in this century. He is currently writing a book about German Jewish emigree artists in Amsterdam in the interwar years. The work will come out in fall 2016, published by the renowned Jewish publishing house Querido. Sabry also has extensive guiding experience, specialising on the culture of the Low Countries. He expertise has a vast thematic scope that incorporates the art, architecture, literature and cuisine that helped shape the Netherlands as they are today.

Bas has worked in the hospitality industry in his hometown of Amsterdam for over 15 years in a variety of capacities. He feels that he has grown up in a global village - this liberal city which has a ridiculous rich history and has inspired millions all over the world. Amsterdam for Bas is not just beautiful canals, breathtaking architecture, red lights & coffeeshops. Amsterdam is a feeling, an attitude, a way of thinking. As a local and cultural expert, Bas knows his town very well and finds it always a true pleasure to show people what his Amsterdam is all about by trying to pass on some of that "local feeling" to those who dare to explore a little further. He looks forward to welcoming visitors to Amsterdam.

After a Bachelor in History and a Master in Museum Studies at the University of Amsterdam, Barend Blom worked in several museums both as a curator, guide and researcher. First at the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam. Being invited because of a thesis on memorials, but ending up researching Jewish food culture! A complete change of subject. But that ideally suits Barend’s many interests. In Museum het Schip he curated several exhibitions on the Amsterdam School, an architectural style unique to the Netherlands. At the Rijksmuseum he worked in the field on which he majored: the manifestation of colonial history in museums in the Netherlands. Here he researched the provenance history of holy heirlooms of the Javanese prince Diponegoro. At the museums he worked he encountered stories of works of art or historic objects that got lost over the years, his latest project is creating a podcast in which he traces down their histories, and with luck the objects themselves. He looks forward to sharing his love for ‘forgotten’ histories with context tours participants.