The Fountain, Amsterdam

"The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises."
Sigmund Freud

"Early" start for me to get pain au chocolat from the supermarket for breakfast.  It's damp and soggy so no sitting out on deck to eat this morning.

First stop the Rijksmuseum to admire the Rembrandts on display, and of course the obligatory visit to pay homage to "The Night Watch".  I think K preferred the dolls houses and I would probably go for the scale models of sailing ships as the memorable exhibits - but yes, the paintings were good too.

Next stop the café for lunch, and there's a queue.  I get in line while K wanders off to the shop.  The queue moves unexpectedly quickly and soon I'm at the head and no sign of K.  A group of 6 Irish ladies behind me are very understanding of my plight and offer to share - asking the waitress for a table for ... 7? looking mischievously at me.  Very tempted but I wait.  K arrives and we're in, seated next to another English speaking couple with their 14 month old son who's just started walking.  Lovely company for a short interlude then back to the fray, Van Gogh calls. 

But so does K2.   No sooner do we get our tickets for Vincent than we're summoned back to the Rijksmuseum for second lunch - for Lord of the Rings fans it's like second breakfast but later.  A delightful hour or so catching up and finding out about tomorrows plans, then we insist on dragging them down to the fountain to have a photo inside the jets of water.  Get the timing wrong and it's an early bath I promise you.

The nearby Van Gogh museum is an eye opener, with lots I didn't know about Vincent and his art, really worth a visit for me.  We're thrown out at 6pm and it's time to head back to the boat to get ready for dinner.

A short walk and there's a selection of eating places, and most of them are busy.  Starting to panic but soon find a nice little Italian Restaurant with a table for two.  Timed well because the next half hour is a steady stream of disappointed customers looking for a place and being turned away.

Another full day in the Dutch capital, then stroll back through the streets along the softly lit canals to sink gently to sleep in the reflected light from the "skinny bridge" illuminations.