Leaving America was a slight disaster. For days, people kept asking us, 'When are you leaving?' With 100% confidence, I said, 'The 4th'. Family members questioned me, 'Are you sure?' And I would reply with conviction, 'of course'. It wasn't until the morning of the 4th when we looked at our itinerary that we noticed the flight we were booked left on the 3rd. SUCH a rookie mistake for someone like me. Imagine my shame.
Yes, sit and imagine. The sheer humiliation. The complete disbelief that I was indeed COMPLETELY WRONG.
Then, for a moment think of the deep horror I felt when after a number of phone calls we were told there was no way they were going to book us on another flight. Instead, we had to pay the money and buy completely brand new tickets.
Care to know how much it would cost to bring your family of 6 to Doha for a spontaneous visit?
$12, 000. one way.
Axel was ready to pull out the card, but I could NOT stomach the thought. It was my fault and I had to own it. The humble pie I ate was 3 months expired, moldy, and had bugs crawling on it. I couldn't eat all of it. I had to do something.
9 phone calls
5 times hung up on
8 hours later
Shezzam! Booked tickets back to Doha free. of. charge. And who says that there are no longer miracles?
The special treat out of all of it was that we came home with a layover in Amsterdam with just the right amount of time to visit the Van Gogh museum. I have been meaning to surprise Axel with tickets to the Netherlands for the soul purpose of going to this museum. After several hours of flying we hopped off the plane and took a taxi straight to the mecca.
The kids were fried and found a bed anywhere they could. The stinky, dirty, concrete blocks worked just fine. At least they were 3 feet off the ground. The homeless can't be choosy.
Axel beamed from ear to ear the entire time. It was his Disneyland. For example, this creepy, dark, slightly gnarly painting (shown above) was one of Axel's favorites because it is of the Potato Eaters. Van Gogh claimed this painting as his turning point for when he really came into his own. I don't quite see it, but there was a mini party going on in my heart for my hubby.
Because we were there so early, it felt like we were the only people in the entire museum. Only 30 minutes after we arrived, it started to fill up and you couldn't get nearly as close to the paintings as you wanted. Another plus for arriving early is that I got a ton of decent illegal photos. I must take photos in a No Photo zone. Even if I don't want to, I must. 
Here is a recreation of the same room that Van Gogh painted in Arles. Sarita also painted a copy of this painting and it was so cute when the kids said, 'Hey! Sarita painted this room. How did they know?'
It is speculated that the painting to the right is Van Gogh's last painting. It has a very dark essence for some reason. The crows were unlike Van Gogh and the overall emotion from the painting is somewhat unlike his many other paintings. 
The Almond Blossoms almost took my breath away when I saw it. After looking at Axel's copy next to my bed month after month it was incredible to see the real thing. It was different than I had expected. The colors were more muted and his brush strokes were smoother. I sat in front of it in awe. It was especially fun to see Axel, a great lover of all of Van Gogh's paintings, and see him well up with emotion with specific paintings that he had studied and stared at for hours. When we saw Van Gogh's Hay Stacks at Museo d'Orsay in Paris Axel had tears in his eyes. I wrestled with kids in the corner for several minutes while he shared a moment, silently, reading the lines, colors and brush strokes. There was no question, it was a spiritual moment for him that I am sure he will share at another time.
I really love all of Van Gogh's work during his Japanese phase. It showed he was intrigued by other cultural works and had affinity for the east. In true Van Gogh style, the colors are vibrant and bold, but his Japanese characters just plain sucked. 
Axel will have loads more to say about the Van Gogh museum so I won't elaborate. When Axel is ready to share his latest creations, I will have him express his true feelings about visiting there and the Museo d'Orsay. Prepare yourself for some passionate words. The guy has been forever changed. 
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