Monday, more perfect and warm weather.

Museum day again.

But first the rotated picture mystery. It is now confirmed that on Mac computers, PCs and Android tablets and android phones the portrait pictures are rotated. On iPads, iPhones all are correctly displayed. I will try to take all pictures in landscape mode until a fix is found. The cause: seems as though iOS does not correctly manage the metadata. This turns out to be a known problem using WordPress and iOS images.

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A story from yesterday: On the bus back from the great tulip park we ended up standing next to the bus driver. A chatty one, probably from North Africa. Well informed with his set of facts and interpretations. When we said we were Americans he let us know how great a President we have. I asked him if he was joking. No. Trump is great. Why I asked with the intent of finding out, not convincing him otherwise.

-North Korea. Obama would have gotten us into a war. Trump stopped all the testing.

-Black: Obama did nothing for the blacks, Trump has been the best for the blacks.

-Middle East: Obama screwed up Syria. Trump is getting us out of the wars, and make Jerusalem the capital

-Politics: Every president promised many things, only Trump is following through on all his promises.

-The wall: Previous presidents built much of the wall with little pushback but Trump is not allowed build his part.

-He loved his two week visit to Israel, traveled all around, Arabs were great to him and loved Israel. Could not get him to be concerned about Palestinians. Trump has stabilized the area.

The bus ride is about 45 minutes so he had time to elaborate on each of the above and more. Some I challenged a bit but he felt his own eyes and interpretations were better than the news sources or any discussion points I offered.

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One major annoyance to me, at least, is that no photos are allowed at the museum.

One spot is permitted, a wall designated for selfies and pics.

At the museum, in addition to 200 Van Gogh paintings, selections from his 1100 drawings, etc. art work from his friends. Many more interesting to me that his works. However my favorite, The Potato Eaters, was on prominent display. No Starry night.

Special exhibit of Hockney, lots of works we have seen before a few showing an attempt at a different perspective were new to us. Many of the iPad drawings but not the sequences from Yosemite.

A very special exhibit was the etchings of Camille Pissarro. Works he did for himself and not for sale. Direct etchings onto copper plate or zinc plate. For me the best exhibit in the museum. In most cases each print was different as he modified the plate each time with experimental effects such as scratching, deepening, using ridge lines….

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Noticed how bikes in Amsterdam have both wheelocks and heavy chains, a duplication in most cases. Asked a local to explain. Turns out that wheels and bikes are regularly stolen and there is a regular eco-system for stolen bikes. 25 euros for a junk shop bike, likely stolen, to 100 euros for a bike store bike, also likely stolen.

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We climbed many stairs today. Have noticed that museums have turned into motivational stair climbing gyms. No membership required but expensive daily entry

Dinner: went back to Tomaz for beer and veggie burgers. A lighter fare after much eating and snacking.

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Tuesday, another hot day with full sun.

Portuguese Synagogue visit, as recommended by our friend Michelle.

Magnificent wooden alter donated by a rich wood merchant. Slightly different interior set up of a Sephardic synagogue. Pews parallel for example.

Good explanations of the lottery system for potential brides without money, international system administered from here. Also discussions of the system of the elders who managed the community, those who excommunicated Spinoza but also maintained a social services net.

Note of record: Today April 23 QB walked past a bakery and did not look in. Actually passed several.

Paris tomorrow.

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