September 26  Another visit to the V&A. We spent a good deal of time in the 11th to 14th century mediaeval galleries. Glorious stained glass windows, miniature alters for travel made of gold and gems, one carved inside a walnut shell, huge tapestries from Belgium, their colors still vibrant. We spoke with a woman from […]

September 25 All day on trains.  Almost missed our connection in Brussels to the Eurostar back to London. Had to make a long, fast dash to the car up front and hurt my leg/knee. While the channel train is a marvel of engineering, they didn’t make them very comfortable. No room to stretch an already […]

September 23     We took the city tram to the Portuguese Synagogue and Jewish Museum. In order to survive the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, many Sephardic Jews renounced Judaism and became Christians. Those who were discovered practicing Judaism secretly or refused to renounce were burned at the stake. Many survivors fled to Amsterdam, […]

September 21    Hermitage Museum Amsterdam, an extension of the Russian branch. The current exhibit focuses on the art of the Nabi group in Paris around 1900. Nabi is Hebrew for prophet. The group included Pierre Bonnard and Maurice Denis who were inspired by the color and effect of light in the work of Gaugin. […]

September 19   Stedelijk Museum. Wonderful! Began with rich, red-orange sunset over moored boats by Max Beckmann. Kandinsky’s large canvases of dancing designs and swaths of pure, bright colors invigorate. Mondrian’s brainteaser linear intersections and Max Pechstein’s figures in purple, green and fire red lightened my mood. Two large canvases by Chagall were a revelation […]

September 17 Eurostar Channel train to Brussels then connecting Thalys train to Amsterdam. Arrived at 4:00 p.m. to rain, dammit. Hotel Piet Hein where we stayed happily in 2009 has gone downhill a bit. No more are the days of breakfast included in the price. The walls are banged up, chipping paint and general state […]

September 15   The National Gallery reigns over Trafalgar Square with two massive, bronze lions and a giant blue rooster guarding the entry. A marathon concluded in Trafalgar Square today and to no one’s surprise, two Kenyan women came in first and second. I was sleep deprived and exhausted which made the visit a bit […]

September 14 Another day at the British Museum. We saw every manner of artifact from every century and culture. Viking hoards of gold, mummies, Assyrian wall friezes. After a while it’s a little overwhelming and needed a slow lunch in the restaurant. The Elgin marbles are so beautifully displayed in the bright, white galleries. On […]