Van Gogh on a Whim

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.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

My dream really came true when we arrived at the Keukenhof. It is only open two months out of the year and we timed it just right. I have dreamed about the tulips in Holland ever since I was a little girl. The air was sweet and the colors vibrant. Such sensory overload I could die- No, literally die, since I was spinning from a 12 hour flight and lack of sleep. The whole thing felt like a N2O trip, but brighter.

Amsterdam in a Day

On our way back from the US, I opted for an extra long layover in the Netherlands so I could see Amber. I have wanted to visit her ever since she moved there last year and I finally found an opportunity to do so. Even if she lived in the deserts of Mongolia I would make an effort to see her cause I love her that much, but it was extra delightful that she lived in such a beautiful place like Holland. The entire visit was like a soothing back rub after the exhausting process of house hunting.

Amber picked us up in the wee hours of the morning, not to mention she had to drive 45 minutes to the airport from her home. Oh, and did I mention that she also woke her sweet daughter Madelyn so Heavah could also have a friend??? Oh, and did I also mention that Amber is 7 month pregnant??? Oh, and I did I also mention that Amber has had a high risk pregnancy and has been ordered to not exert herself with too much walking or travel???? Yeah, that is how much my friend loves me. She's awesome. Everyone should have an Amber in their lives.

I only made a couple requests when I arrived there. I wanted to experience the following things that, to me, signify Holland:

1. The seedy part of Amsterdam with its legal drugs and prostitution. Come on, tell me you aren't interested? The trip would not be complete!

Amber brought me to the toned down area, kind of like the 'pink light district'. Luckily since we were there so early a lot of the fun was recovering from the night before. But I did get to see my red-lighted window, and a weed shop. I was completely satisfied. It was just enough intrigue.

2. Bicycles, bicycles, bicycles.

I couldn't wait to see how an entire city is built around the fact that the main mode of transportation is a small scrap of metal with two, wiry wheels. Most of the bikes were junk, but it was obviously the preferred option to get around the city. Junk or no junk, at least it got you there. Biking is obviously a serious sport in the Netherlands and you better watch out when one is coming through. As silly as it looks, I am sure the Dutch are laughing at all those gas guzzling SUV owners in the US when their greatest expense is to pump air in the tires or oil the chain.

3. Winding canal streets of a European country that I had not seen before.

Each European city has a different feel. I am partial to the ones that have waterways integrated throughout the center. That is why Venice, Lugano, and Budapest are some of my favorite European cities. Amsterdam did not disappoint in this arena. The charm of the narrow, tall homes and the idillic bridges and artistic subtleties around every corner made me love the city even more. Truly magical.

4. Stroopwafels and stuff.

Ever since Nepal, I have been working on the endless supply of stroopwafels that Amber brought us. Honestly, I can't get enough. For a girl who doesn't eat chocolate it is the perfect substitute. On top of that Heavah had pies, ham sandwiches and the World's Worst hot chocolate. She described it to Axel as, 'pure crushed up coca beans with no sweet taste at all'. She was right. Quite disappointing since this part of the world is known for its fabulous chocolate.

Gaging over the grossness of it all

5. Catching up.

All the other stuff was really great, but chatting with Amber was the best part. It was so good to see her again and it felt like we were apart for only a few days. She is fabulous. We've got another girlcation planned for May and it is going to be so amazing to all be reunited again. It is going to be amazing.

Even 7 months pregnant she is still a fashionista.

It was also so cute to see Madelyn and Heavah frolic around together. Madelyn was so sweet to Heavah and comforted Heavah because she was jet lagged and tired. Madelyn even helped me get a few smiles out of Heavah for some of the photos. Such cute girls!

Some honorable mentions are the following:

a. Public urinals.

b. Homomonument. Self explanatory. It is exactly what you think it is.

c. Anne Frank's House.

...and an entire post solely dedicated to the gorgeous spring flowers we got to see. Here's a preview of what is coming.....