Follow our journey on this map.
Day 4 was a recovery day. We slept in late knowing that our first scheduled appointment was not until 1:30. We were so casual that "breakfast" was a caprese sandwich on a baguette purchased from a street vendor; at 12:15PM!
Our whole focus today was on the Van Gogh museum where we had a small group and a private guide. I didn't take any pictures because first, photographs were discouraged, and second, the guide was so engaging and knew how to navigate the museum over the 2-1/2 hours that the time just flew by. We experienced a deep dive into the history of Van Gogh, his family, his friends and influences highlighted by the explanation of the different styles and evolution of his art. I was not all that excited about taking the tour but I am certainly glad that we did.
Following the tour we needed a little sustenance and struck out to find a fun cafe. We landed in one right on a canal and relaxed in a sunlit cool afternoon. The bread was fresh and the beer was cold.
As we were leaving the café, I made the mistake of commenting to Mae about a casino right across the street. So off we went at a faster pace than we had travelled all day! Once inside, and successfully passing the dress code, Mae tore up the penny slots for a good 20 minutes and we were off.
When we got back to the hotel I remembered why I like the Marriott brand so much: they recognize their frequent guests. Yesterday it was the fruit, today they gave us a can of Stroopwafels!
Dinner was another planned destination and was really interesting. In a good way. It was a restaurant fashioned out of a rotating train trestle over a canal. (The exterior photo below is not mine; I borrowed it to show how cool the structure is.) I didn't realize that the concept is a prix-fixe 4-, 5- or 15-course meal! We opted for the 5-course meal and added an appetizer. Even though it took over 3 hours to eat, the venue was lively, the food was outrageous, and we had a great time.
Today we will hang out around the hotel and head to the ship about noon.
