Category: UniWorld

Tuesday nights ‘reveal’ had Rik dressed up as Johannes Vermeer and Barbara dressed up as the subject of The Girl with the Pearl Earring, one of Vermeer’s most famous painting. So, that meant we were on our way to The Hague and a visit to the Mauritshuis Museum.

As were leaving the port, we pasted by the Noah’s Ark – see the giraffe on the right side…not sure where it was found, but it seems to be fairly intact.

During the morning sailing, Rik did a presentation on the history of the Netherlands and the various components that make up the country.   After lunch, we boarded the coach for a trip into town with a brief stop to sample a local treat – some ‘pancakes’ at Restaurant Oma Toos.  These light fluffy pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar were very tasty and a nice treat.

Before going to the museum, there was a short walking tour highlighting some of the area around the museum including a stop at the Peace Palace. One of the most photographed buildings in The Hague and the icon when it comes to peace and justice is the Peace Palace.  The donation from Andrew Carnegie from the US resulted in the founding of the Carnegie Foundation in 1`903 and the creation of the Peace Palace.

There was also some interesting street art installations.

The art museum in The Hague houses the Royal Cabinet of Paintings which consists of over 800 objects – mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings.  These include works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Jan Steen and others.  Originally the 17^th century building was the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau.  It is now the property of the government and is listed in the top 100 Dutch heritage sites.

Johannes Vermeer, lived from the early 1630’s until his death in 1675.  He created paintings that are among the most beloved and revered images in the history of art.  Although only about 36 of his paintings survive, these rare works are among the greatest treasures in the world’s museums.  Vermeer began his career in the early 1650’s by painting large-scale biblical and mythological scenes, but most of his later paintings – the ones for which he is most famous – depict scenes of daily life in interior settings. These works are remarkable for their purity of light and form, qualities that convey a serene, timeless sense of dignity. Vermeer also painted cityscapes and allegorical scenes.

Clearly the hightlight of the museum, at least for our group, was The Girl with a Pearl Earring.  It is an oil painting on canvas which was completed around 1665. It depicts an imaginary young woman in exotic dress and a very large pearl earring.  

The painting represents a young woman in a dark shallow space, an intimate setting that draws the viewer’s attention exclusively on her. She wears a blue and gold turban, the titular pearl earring, and a gold jacket with a visible white collar beneath. Unlike many of Vermeer’s subjects, she is not concentrating on a daily chore and unaware of her viewer. Instead, caught in a fleeting moment, she turns her head over her shoulder, meeting the viewer’s gaze with her eyes wide and lips parted as if about to speak. Her enigmatic expression coupled with the mystery of her identity has led some to compare her to the equivocal subject in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa  (c. 1503–19). Unlike the Mona Lisa, however, Girl with a Pearl Earring is not a portrait but a tronie, a Dutch term for a character or type of person. 

There are a number of very interesting works in the museum including several by Rembrandt including The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp in 1632, an interesting painting of two African men from 1661 and a self-portrait completed the same year he died in 1669.

After our visit to the museum, we went back to the boat and relaxed for the evening. 

Monday evening, after the ride back, from visiting the Coster Diamonds and Cobra Art we settled in for the evening on the Ship.  Before leaving Amsterdam however, we had a leaving celebration with a group of musicians playing on the dock – a drums and bugle group playing some wonderful calypso music.  Barbara and Rik dressed for the occasion and the whole group of us went to the sun deck to appreciate the music and entertainment.  Our ship sailed and off we went for our next port of call. 

 After the departing entertainment, we went back to the lounge for the reveal for the next day – a visit to Vlieland.  This would mean sailing all night, arriving early the next morning.  We woke up in the the port of Harlingen for our day’s adventure.  Looking out the window, I noticed a ‘whale’ across the harbor. 

As part of an international art project in 2018, fountains were placed in the eleven cities (or villages) each designed by a different artist from eleven different countries. The whale in Harlingen is one of the 11. It is located between the pier and the quay by the harbor. Once in a while you will see the whale blows water through its blow hole. As the water was a little bit lower than normal, you will see the whale was above the water.

Once we left the ship, we walked over to the ferry which would take us on the 90-minute trip to Vlieland.  The Island of Vlieland is known for its peaceful nature and many sand dunes.  It is located in the northern Netherlands and is the second least populated municipality in the Netherlands.  Our adventure had two options – a bike ride or a drive on the beach.  Needless to say, we chose the drive on the Beach. As we left the ship, the bike riders went in one direction and we boarded a bus for a quick ride to where our transport awaited.

The Vliehors Express makes trips over the sand desert which is some 20 square kilometers on the west side of Vlieland.  The Vliehors is also called the Sahara of the North due to the size of the area covered in sand.  Our transport was a converted military truck with extra wide tires.  Along the way, we were on the look-out for seals, but alas non were in evidence during our trip.  The highlight of the trip, beyond the unique adventure, was a visit to the Reddingshuisje or rescue cottage located in the middle of the sand dunes.   

The cottage dates from 1890 and was built here as a shelter for shipwrecked sailors. If a ship was wrecked during a storm, and survivors were able to make it to shore, they could reach the striking white house where blankets, basic foodstuffs and water were stored. There was also a telephone connection to a post house more than five miles away to alert someone of their presence at the place. After the storm had subsided, they were then picked up by horse and cart.  Nowadays the house is furnished with all kinds of things that were found during beachcombing. 

The fence is also made of driftwood and buoys. Everything that has washed up on the beach can be admired here, from cigarettes to messages in a bottle – small items stored inside the ‘house’ while lots of stuff arranged around the driftwood fence.

Since 1997, the rescue house has been one of the official wedding locations on Vlieland. This unique wedding location has been in the top 10 of the most beautiful locations worldwide for several years.  Inside the house, those who have been married in the house are allowed to write their names on the wall and ceilings.

After our visit to the rescue house we went back to where we boarded to reconnect with our biking friends and have lunch.  

After lunch, we walked through the village and visited various spots – of course including a gift shop or two.  

Once completed, we were to the ferry and back to our ship for the evening’s entertainment the ‘reveal’ of the next adventure.

On Sunday, we joined our second UniWorld Mystery Cruise adventure on board the River Queen in Amsterdam.  As was the case last year, when we went on our first Mystery Cruise, we had no prior knowledge of what was to happen beyond the cruise would start and end in Amsterdam.  

After getting checked in and partially unpacked, we joined our fellow traveller’s in the lounge for the ‘big reveal’ – what was to happen the next day.  

The Captain, and members of his staff, performed the required safety briefing and provided general information about the ship.  Once that was completed, Rik, the cruise director, continued the information ending with the ‘big reveal’ which was Barbara coming to the stage with a diamond tiara and a sparking red gown and a diamond topped staff.  

Seems we were to visit one of the foremost diamond houses in the world – Coster Diamonds is one of the world’s oldest and most trusted diamond factory has a rich and compelling history. Royal Coster Diamonds has been around for a long time, dating back to at least 1840.  I asked if there would be free samples, but alas, no there won’t be – however, I was told they do take credit cards.

The following morning, gathering together on the coach, we took a short ride to the Coster Diamond home in Amsterdam.  

As we entered the building, we watched two workers polishing diamonds.  Polishing, or faceting, uses a cast iron disc which rotates at 3200 rps and is impregnated with diamond dust and olive oil.  The diamond is set in an adjustable ‘dop’ and pressed against the disc.  The angle of the diamond must be changed for each facet.  Naturally he more facets results in a higher cost – and waste.

During the tour, our guide explained everything you may want to know about the mystical world of diamonds. He spoke about the origins of diamonds and the process a diamond goes through once it has been retrived from the ground. While we have learned about diamonds over the years, the four basic criteria hasn’t changed on how to evaluate a diamond – the 4 C’s carat, cut, clarity and color. There are a number of levels within each category each impacting the final quality and of course cost of the diamond.  There is so much more to know and appreciate about a diamond than just the sparkle. 

A regular brilliant diamond has 57 facets, while this unique diamond cut, of Royal Coster’s own patented diamond has no less than 201 facets. These extra facets make the light reflect even more within the diamond and creates a sparkling effect that is no match for any other diamond shape in the world.

During the presentation, our guide pulled a number of diamonds to share (they never left his sight) from very small to one that was 4 carats.  

After showing us a bunch of diamonds, champagne was presented.  In each glass was a very small ‘stone’.  The surprise, of course, was that one of these stones was a very small diamond.  

 Not sure what it was worth but a very nice souvenir of the experience.  Needless to say, we didn’t get the glass with the diamond.

Naturally, on the way out, there was a gift shop.  Fortunately, only post cards jumped out to find their way into Janeen’s bag.  I was ready to spend BIG but she wasn’t interested.  Maybe next time.

After our diamond adventure, we walked a few short blocks to the Cobra Art Company (www.cobraamsterdam.com).  This family business, started in 1983, is operated by Leon Jonkman – who just happens to be the husband of our Cruise Director, Rik.  This wonderful spot has a number of very interesting works including works printed on plexiglass and other materials.  

The place was filled with paintings, various objects and sculptures.  There were some very interesting displays and reminded me somewhat of the works we have by Jeff Burke (https://www.jtburke.com)  – who does photographic artwork in his studio in Pasadena.  In-addition to getting to enjoy the wonderful art, we had some very delicious snacks which Rik had made!  Seems Rik became quite the baker during the lock down and was amongst the finalist for the Dutch version of the Great Bakeoff.  

After our visit, we went to the trolly stop and boarded an historic tram for our journey back to the boat.  

Our local Guide did a great job describing all the neighborhoods we travel and some of the historical links to the past.

We have started another adventure.  On Friday, we departed from Richmond Airport to Boston – where we had a 7-hour layover before heading to Amsterdam.  This was the first leg of our trip.  We arrived in Amsterdam Saturday morning – dropped our bags off at our hotel and got ourselves to the Van Gogh Museum.  We took the train to the Central Station and started walking towards the Museum. 

 I had remembered all the bicycles but it always an amazing surprise to see so many and with so many different configurations.  

Over the last several years, we have seemed to be following Van Goh around.  While on a River Cruise, in 2019, we visited several places he had lived – most notably in a small village in the Brabant region of the southern Netherlands where he lived with his parents – and painted a number of images.  One of the most well know, is the Potato Eaters – which has been recreated in bronze in the village square. 

 Additionally, we visited several museums, particularly the Kroller-Muller Museum located a little over an hour from Amsterdam that has a large collection of his works.  And finally, we stayed in Arles in the South of France where Vincent lived for a while being treated for his depression.  So, it only seemed like a natural that we would arrive in Amsterdam and visit the Van Gogh Museum.  The last time we were here it was fully booked so I had gotten tickets well in advance.

After Vincent left Arles, he went to Paris for a short stay and eventually went and lived in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise about 25 miles west of Paris.  During his final period of painting, he did 74 paintings in 70 days – a lot of output.  He was tremendously productive in these months and made several of his most renowned masterpieces, including Wheatfield with Crows, Doctor Paul Gachet, and The Church of Auvers-sur-Oise.  Unfortunately, his depression got to him and he took his own life at the end of July 1890.  He as only 39 when he died.

Vincent van Gogh left behind a magnificent body of work. He died just when his paintings were starting to be recognized and priced.  The exhibition did a good job of exploring his significance as an artist at the time.

The Museum has mounted a number of paintings from his time in Auvers.  It follows his output from  when he arrived in Auvers-sur-Oise, May 1890, where he optimistically and ambitiously set to work. He was highly productive: he often created more than one painting a day, while freely experimenting with new approaches to color, brushwork, formats and subjects.significance as an artist at the time.

The painting on the left, is Van Gogh’s first painting of the garden of Daubigny, the famous landscape painter who had lived in Auvers. Van Gogh used a piece of kitchen towel because he had run out of canvas. The painting on the right, The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise, 1890.

A panoramic-sized canvas allowed Van Gogh to portray universal, all-encompassing nature even more forcefully.

He painted Wheatfield under Thunderclouds (above) shortly after a turbulent visit to Theo and Jo in Paris. In both this work and Wheatfield with Crows (at the left) he emphatically tried to convey ‘sadness, extreme loneliness.’ At the same time, he believed that these canvases ‘will tell what I cannot express in words: what I consider healthy and fortifying about the countryside.’

Clearly the Museum put a lot of work into the exhibit.  Paintings are on loan from a number of collections – Van Gogh in Auvers and his Final Months is the result of years of research into the final period of Van Gogh’s life. But above was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see more than 50 paintings and 30 drawings and sketches by Vincent van Gogh that have never before been exhibited together, featuring exceptional loans from private collections and museums around the world.

We took the tram back to the train station, the train to the airport and the airport bus back to our hotel.  Tomorrow starts the first day of our Mystery Cruise.  Stay tuned.

The final day started at 2:00 AM when our alarm went off. Damn early for sure. Our flight out was scheduled for 6:00 AM so of course we had to get there 2 hours early, meaning we left the ship at 3:15 in the morning. We flew from Budapest to Paris, from Paris to London and then from London to Washington DC – so a very long day and three different flights.

It has been a wonderful adventure and one that we will think back fondly. Even though it was so damn early in the morning Barbara got up to see us off – and of course a final selfie for the collection. Empress Maria watched over the entire Mystery Cruise.

I have added a few more pictures that didn’t make into the dally blog – just for fun.

Janeen and I have already signed on for the first Mystery Cruise in 2023 – starts and ends in Amsterdam mid June. Won’t you join us?

For now, this Blog will be in hiatus until new adventures need to be posted.