Our Final Day in Amsterdam

We didn't fly out until a little after seven o'clock in the evening, so we had plenty of time on the last day in Amsterdam.  First thing in the morning we had a small bagel breakfast and then had scheduled tickets at the Van Gogh Museum.  Apparently, this museum is another super popular place to be because the lines are always long and they limit the amount of people they allow in due to the small size of the museum.  It had three floors.  No pictures are allowed in the museum so they let you take this picture by a photo/poster.  It is kind of nice when there are no photos allowed because then you can just enjoy the exhibit without all the people taking incessant pictures in front of every single painting.  But on the other hand, it is nice to have a couple of pictures to remember you were there and your favorite parts.  It's a fine line, and few can tow it.

We spent a couple of hours in the museum.  The rooms were organized in order of time which gives a nice perspective of his developing style and skill.  It was also interesting to see how his mental health played into the paintings as well, both the content and the amount of paintings he was turning over during different times in his life.  Starry Night and The Church at Auvers was not there.  Sunflowers,  The Bedroom, The Potato Eaters, some self portraits, and a few other lesser known paintings along with his much lesser known paintings.  I enjoyed learning a little more about his family, particularly his brother, Theo, with whom he had a close relationship.  There were a few letters on display that he wrote to Theo and his friends.  I was able to listen to the English translation of these on a device attached to the wall.  

After that we had free time to shop, have lunch, and do crazy stuff before returning to our responsible lives.

Crepes for lunch!  They messed my order up and gave me a raisin and banana crepe instead of a raisin and bacon, but the bacon and cheese one, pictured here was delicious.

Here are a few photos that I accidentally left off my previous posts on the correct days.

You know, because I have a Sweet Bob at home.

Windy on the canals!  I was super glad I brought light sweaters because it was rainy some of the time and chilly most of the time.  Not too cold with a sweater on, but maybe a tad bit without one.

Brian picked me up from the airport late and the kids were all asleep when we got home.  Real life began first thing the next morning.