11 September 2015 - The Van Gogh Museum

We started with school first which was agonising as I glanced out of the window to see the sunny day outside and I was champing at the bit to get out and enjoy it!  Finally, Luke finished the prescribed work with the usual amount of c-o-a-x-i-n-g. Phew!  We were all eager to get on the bikes!

This is what Luke is collecting!

 First mission of the day (school) accomplished, the kids and I cycled to Plus again.  This time Luke came as he was particularly eager to get the Lego like pieces offered for every 15 Euro spent.  He had also decided to use his pocket money to buy a base board.  He was in luck as the kindly checkout man included a whole starter kit instead for the base plate price!  Luke even said :"Bedankt"!

After lunch, we left the big kids continuing with their school work and rode into Amsterdam to see the Van Gogh Museum.  We had heard about long queues and but we had to wait no more than ten minutes, so we had a lovely and not too crowded time looking at the works of and learning about the troubled mind of Vincent Willem Van Gogh.  

Bike park

"Iamsterdam" in Museumplein

 I learned quite a bit about Vincent, his family, his artist friends, his time as an art dealer, lay preacher and draughtsman and his particularly troubled days in the mental asylum.  For a man who was so dogged by mental illness, he had a particularly supportive brother, Theo, and very supportive friends who loved him and although he acknowledged them and how much he meant to them, their love wasn't enough to convince him life was worth living. He also had a deep faith in God, but still was plagued by anguished thoughts.  A very tragic character.

Love this packaged bike!!

Like the sound of these!

Van Gogh - Shearing sheep - inspired by Millet

 As I walked through the galleries I kept silently ooh-ing and aah-ing to myself as I recognised painting after painting.  There were many that were not familiar to me, too.   I particularly liked his early paintings, before he had been to art school and was developing his recognisable style, which were inspired by other masters such as Monet and Millet.  There was a few Monets and Millets in the exhibition, too.  My favourite Monet was of fields of tulips.  I hadn't realised that photos were not permitted and was happily snapping away before I was told otherwise.  Mind you, I had remarked to Karl that no one else was taking photos and he assured me that if photography was not permitted I would be told politely soon enough, which did happen!

Almond Blossom - painted when Van Gogh's nephew, also called Vincent Willem was born

"Roses"

Tulips and butterfly - never seen this one before!

Sunflowers

Luke's bit of fun art!

Postcards - I would like every one of them!!!

 The galleries are well organised and not too cluttered and easy to walk through.  Numbers are limited for admission so at the end of the viewing you feel as if you have seen everything you wanted to at leisure.

Millet inspired paintings

Looking up to the blue sky!

After we had finished we sat outside in the sun on Museumplein watching the world go by which included preparation for the Homeless World Cup over the next week.

Homeless World Cup

Soccer in front on the Rijksmuseum!

 The cycle home was superb along the Amstel passing the houseboats and other path users.  Luke, on the back of my bike, told me that he just loved everything about this place.  I could feel his heart was bursting with the loveliness of it all in the still late afternoon.  The river is SO pretty and reflective, the ripples made by boats and waterbirds cause a gentle lapping as we pass and I know exactly what he means!

No parking issues for this one!

This sedgeway has seats for 8 kids!  We have seen them on the streets!  Another amazing Dutch invention.