Day 6: Men were off to the conference so it was yet another glorious morning of fast paced walking from site to site for me....the men like to stroll which is all well and good but not when I only have 3 hrs.....the Hermitage was first on the list. The Hermitage is in Russia however it houses so many paintings that all are never seen so it opened a satellite museum here in Amsterdam. The exhibit...Ruben. I am not quite sure how I got so lucky so to have seen so many works by this master, one of my most loved. Upon turning the corner from reception area to exhibit, and coming in contact with the first enormous masterpiece ( water god and earth god meeting...I know it's not the official name that is the subject matter) I wouldn't say I burst but was definitely surprised by the tears. Art rarely brings me to tears. I wish it would just make me wiggle like good food does but alas I cannot control all of myself. After the first outbreak there was only one other and it was quickly handled although from the first episode I had captured the attention of a particular museum guard. Gallery after gallery, 2 floors of splendor and time and breath both became superfluous. A quick pass through the botanical garden and I was off to see Van Gogh. My mind always turns to my lovely Lil when I see his works. Grandma Lil is such an admirer. And for the second time that day I was pleasantly snatched from reality into a realm of glorious creation where simple paint and canvas seemed to momentarily transform my very soul. Simple sketches, well known landscapes, new acquisitions, and a handful of Serraut, Monet, Manet, Gaughin, Lautrec, and others graced the museums pale yellow walls. Canvases I had never seen before, not even in books crowded every junction. One can only hope from now on that they become the backdrops to my daydreams. The sun had yet to show it's rays and upon leaving drops of rain fell sparatically. I hurried back to the EasyHotel with just enough time to retouch my tousled hair before the men were back. The 3 of us set out in pursuit of the flower market. With a slight detour to the notorious Albert Cyu..something street market and one stroop waffle later (thank you Gableicious), we were surrounded by tulips and gouda. Sadly tulip season is nearing it's end so certificates for transport are impossible to come by, yet another reason to return. With orange umbrellas overhead crossed canals to the Rijksmuseum. Sadly only 20% of the museum is visible to visitors due to a lengthy renovation. So we settled for the 2 small wings, delicately packed with amazement. 18h came quickly and the museum closed behind us. We made the soggy walk home but not before unleashing our inner carnivores on the second round this trip of doner kebabs. Man and J spruced then headed to a fancy dinner (doner was simply an appetizer) at the concert hall while I boarded an evening canal cruise. Tomorrow Man and I are off to Cologne.