Amsterdam's Van Gogh

Our last day in Amsterdam was spent walking and tramming all day. We were getting pretty good at jumping on and off and even had people asking me where certain things were, as if! So wonderful getting around large cities so easily. We spent the morning in the outdoor markets with a few stops for coffee or tea and a little snack. I believe this building was a hotel and I'm sure once the green awnings were open, it was absolutely breathtaking. The Dutch keep their windows very clean, I noticed! And a little more architecture to wet your appetite. Sigh. This little guy was guarding the railing one of the many bridges over a canal.
We finally made our way to the museums. We didn't stop to see any of the Rembrandts, boooo, but of course made it to see the Van Gogh's. Next time, Rembrandt is at the top of our list. We just didn't have enough time to get it all in, unfortunately. But, you can see his mug all over town. I loved the etchy sketch one of the wirey hair! My Hair! I was surprised to see the Van Gogh museum building to be so modern. Right before getting to the museum sat this unbelievable house. Yep, I'll take it, please. Just move right in, leave everything! This is the back. The front was even more beautiful!

Once inside, I snapped this pic before going back to make sure I was indeed allowed to take pictures. I wasn't. Ooops. I'm not even sure if this is a Van Gogh. There were several other artists entwined with Van Gogh's in the museum. You could definitely see the stages that Van Gogh went through. Wow. I never knew he was quite so dark in the beginning and I never knew he had a Japanese period. Hmmm. Awwww, the things we learn. The museum held some of his most famous work; being his self portraits and my favorite, the Sunflowers. To sit in a room with that piece is remarkable. But, I was taken by many more of his pieces. The art he produced while he was in the asylum is astonishing. You can almost feel his anguish in his strokes. Van Gogh's last paintings of trees are just beautiful. These were some of my new favs. Just mesmerising.

I so enjoyed seeing his work again; especially in Amsterdam.

Note: These last pics are taken from the Museum's website not by me sneaking in some shots!