The 2003 EuroTour "On The Road" Journal

From Van Gogh to Edam

Thursday, May 29 - This morning we visited the Van Gogh Museum. It was the second time for both JJ and me, but always with new exhibits to enjoy. In addition to the works of Van Gogh, we saw collections of Gauguin, Monet, Pissaro, and Rembrandt, to name a few. They were all friends and colleagues, who copied each other's techniques and they developed their own.

To see the Van Gough paintings in the museum is the experience theirs texture which can never be done in print. We stopped in a local market for fresh bread, fruit, and cold cuts, and had a picnic lunch in the park as we enjoyed a favorite pastime of people watching.

The day was so magnificent we took the car out of the garage and headed northeast for a short drive to the Ijsselmeer shore visiting the charming Dutch villages of Volendam, Edam, and Marken. The day was a religious holiday, Ascension Thursday, and while most of the shops were closed, we walked through the villages, and bought some of the famous Edam cheese and wine. A popular spot for tour buses, the villagers in these towns still dress in native dress wearing white caps with wings. There is a clog factory as well as several cheese "outlets", but it was the buildings, cobblestone streets, and ocean front drive along the dike that was the most fun.