We started the day by going to the Rijksmuseum, the Diamond Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, which were all located in same general district and within easy walking distance of each other.
The Rijksmuseum contains many of the paintings by the Dutch old masters. Marg loved the Rembrandts. She loved the life like quality of the of portraits and the amazing attention to details and the depth of colour. Some of them were so life like that you would swear that you were viewing them in real life. My favorite was Jan Steen because his pictures seemed to portrait a story instead of the individuals.
After going across the street to the Diamond museum, we then went to the Van Gogh museum. Neither of us were as impressed with these paintings as we were by the masters. I guess we're not great fans of modern art. The style of course is unique and the use of colour is memorable, but it is just not our thing. While there Marg made a new best friend. She meet a gentleman from Leamington England, which is where her material grandparents originated.
The personal history of both Rembrandt and Van Gogh is sad. Rembrandt died a pauper and was buried in an unmarked grave and Van Gogh shot himself at age 37, due to depression over an illness. Now their paintings are worth millions of dollars and they never got to experience the admiration that was their due.
We then went the Heineken factory, but they wanted $24 a person to take the tour. We decide it would be more entertaining to use the money for drinks and lunch at a pub across the street. Marg, Joan and Rocky had a huge hamburger and I made Liam proud by having a healthy "Brie and pear" sandwich.
Tonight after enjoying a wonderful steak dinner at Toro Dorado, we went for a stroll through the "Red Light District". You certainly get an eyeful what with the prostitutes in their lingerie waving to you from their front windows and the live sex shows all long the canal. The street was jam packed with tourists such as ourselves. It was funny to see the young boys trying to get enough courage to solicit one of the prostitutes. We walked by one door where a young boy had just come out of, just in time to hear his friend say "that was quick"
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