BFF and Amsterdam

"I regard love - as I do friendship - not only as a feeling but chiefly as an action."

- Vincent Van Gogh

On Friendship Day I cannot but write about the most wonderful of relationships known to humankind, friendship.  A man is known by the company he keeps makes it most important to each one of us and integral to our growth axis. Hence, it's important to chose well as we would like them to last a life time. Like familial relationships this too we celebrate everyday. However, no matter the duration of the "friendship"  it's actually the most humane of our auras. As it's non-judgmental, fearless and self-less. Sometimes we might have our differences but we try till the end and even beyond to overcome such challenges. It's the relationship we invest most willingly. Often even more than we do in romantic liaisons. 

Already a TV series now!

This 1990 classic remains my one true favourite book of all times for the friendship theme. The story of Aziraphel and Demon Crowley is one such tale. Aziraphel, Guardian of the Eastern Gate of Eden and Demon Crowley, who made Eve bite into the apple in Garden of Eden don't seem to be a likely pair . Yet they are and together they succeed to protect the Earth from Apocalypse. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's master piece I think is one 360 degree book written on how friendships and humanism can win over all hurdles in life. That's just at the face of it. The underlying narratives range from climate crisis, hunger, war and death. Not to forget the dichotomy and diametrically opposite protagonists who are forever trapped in doing exactly opposite to their callings to save the day. Additionally, sub-plot of Anti- Christ Adam and his friends who finish off the dark riders for true friendship and their world of Tadfield, makes protecting what we have more important and meaningful than the lust for unending power. But above all their unwavering support for each other makes them postpone end of the world to a later date. . 

263 ‎Prinsengracht, Amstrerdam 

Recently, life presented me with a chance to visit my dream destination of  Netherlands. Well, it's very close to my heart. As for some strange reason two personalities who have shaped my thoughts happen to be Dutch. One perished in Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp but became the ray of Hope for post World War 2 world. "The Diary of  a Young Girl" by Anne Frank shook me up in teenage years. My love for writing started by reading her phenomenal diary. My senses came alive by reading Anne's evocative description of fear, oppression, daily life, silly fights with her inmates while in hiding. This book unknowingly made me a steadfast pacifist at the age of 13. I could see no glory in war where millions died of terror, hunger and loss. Also writing became my constant companion. Just for my own pleasure. I turned into a prolific letter writer in my youth. However, maintaining diaries was another story. I started diaries and abandoned them midway. Finally, after the arrival of internet and blogging it made the practice quite regular. This time it has stayed with me. So, I always wanted to pay homage to my dear friend Anne in her now revered hiding place. Today  the Frank family (Otto Frank's Office) hiding place is a museum and one of the most visited places in Amsterdam. So, much so I couldn't manage a ticket. But that couldn't stop me from paying my respects. So there I am at the famous Green door of 263 Prisengracht in Amsterdam.  

The second influence is the rock star of an artist Vincent Van Gogh. Life would have been so dull had if we had

not seen the orange and the blues of Vincent Van Gogh. Nor would we have known the soulful depths of each blossom, cornfield, wheat field, potato farmers, miners, postman, doctors, inmates of an asylum, shoes, stormy seas and shining stars! A man who painted 900 paintings  (and another 900 sketches and drawings) in 7 short years is nothing but a miracle of mankind. Each painting dripping with emotion so strong that words can never do justice. Nowhere in the world is any museum dedicated to one single artist but in Amsterdam. As we people from Delhi say, mattha tekna to banta hai!

The only hitch was my bestie and fellow Van Gogh lover K was not accompanying me for this trip.  Nor was my Dad who introduced me to the world of Van Gogh when I was 15. Now, I wondered did I want to see so much beauty myself all alone? What point would that be if I couldn't share the experience with someone close, who knew my each action and could finish my sentences off? I asked her, I asked Dad. Both said I must go and see the masterpieces. It was still very difficult for me to decide as I saw no point in drinking up all this beauty alone. Little did I know Vincent had a different plan for me or may be both he and Anne had conspired to write the twist in the tale here. 

Divine powers came to my rescue, I got to know that my another rock of Gibraltar R would be in Netherlands during the same time. So, now there was no excuse to pass off this extraordinary opportunity for a Van Gogh lover. Netherlands here I come. That too by Thalys from Brussels. Until then I had only vaguely heard about the Euro Star and the famous Red Train (Thalys). B a lifeline insisted I absolutely must experience Thalys. So, within a couple of hours I became a master of European Trains and learnt  the sprinter timings by heart. There I was with train tickets and museum tickets ready to bask in the palette of wonder. 

This was turning to be quite a trip for an art lover as my first stop would be at Delft where R was staying. Delft  is where yet another Dutch Master, Vermeer had spent his entire life. The genius of vanishing point. Very little is known about him as a person but the entire world still is charmed by his quiet, sometimes mischievous aura emanating from his masterpieces. So off I went from Brussels to Rotterdam to Delft to catch up with adorable R. Though delayed by 15 minutes the Red Train was indeed a joy. Fast, organised with a cafeteria and free high speed Wi-Fi, which worked beautifully. I highly recommend the experience.

Outside Van Gogh Museum

The next day, 21 June was the big day for Amsterdam visit. What an adventure and joy ride it turned out to be. First, we were reprimanded by a fellow passenger for talking on a silent coach. But talk we shall. So, we found ourselves a talkative carriage. Don' t despair there are many of those as well on these trains. The mess outside Amsterdam Central station immediately brought back memories of Howrah Station of my childhood days with trams crisscrossing right as one stepped out. I instantly felt at home. Thankfully, this was more organised and R had a tram/bus pass and most importantly she knew how to check Google maps for directions. I was at sea most of the times at such devices. I was spoiled by Brussels experience and wanted to get around by asking, but apparently it might be considered rude in Europe. Anyway, I was only too happy to follow her lead.  So in a very Indian fashion we boarded tram no 12 and headed towards Holy Land, the Van Gogh Museum. 

Be warned the museum is huge and the most visited in the world so be prepared for thronging crowds. I definitely wasn't! Plenty of Indians too who were often cursing their Travel Agents who had put them to such a mindless challenge of walking several flights, listening carefully to the texts on the electronic catalogue and spend hours standing and walking to view the paintings. I so wish they indeed had given it a miss. Significant crowd would've gone down. I could be less overwhelmed and less anxious. . 

We started with the seven self-portraits and moved to potato eaters, enthralled and soaking in the yellow house, his bed room, the stormy sea. One can't but marvel them surviving considering they remained hidden in Dr. Gachet's back garden during the second World War. Saved from Nazi greed for valuables. I shudder to think how they could have disappeared from mankind forever. I wish I had more time and there were less number of people so one could listen to each of the letters written to Theo more closely. I was already intoxicated with the beauty when I reached the Japanese period and there she was the Almond Blossoms in bloom. I had not expected it to be as large a painting and was quite taken aback in it's splendour. How could he have painted it exactly as the Japanese see it without ever visiting Japan I wondered. But then a genius such as him can surely do that! 

With Radha at Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Final stop was of course the Sunflowers. With all the five paintings, sketches and Gauguin's painting of Van Gogh painting one of the Sunflowers. Which was a bonus. I was completely blown away by this display. Van Gogh had painted the Sunflowers specially for his friend Gauguin. The many gompa climbs I had done in Ladakh came in very handy for this final stretch as I didn't lose my mind. My heart was thumping so loudly and my mind was reeling on such high speed by then that it's an absolute miracle I had not fainted. The many gompa  climbs and being an old hand at AMS kept me grounded I suppose!😀 

When we stepped out of the museum there was a gigantic sunflower back drop for clicking photographs with those remarkable lines written to Theo, resonating with all friends and lovers so well, " I regard love - as I do friendship - not only as a feeling but chiefly as an action."- Vincent Van Gogh. It was the summer Equinox in Europe. And I had just experienced the surreal beauty of the greatest painter ever. Somehow I'm sure Vincent was smiling at us from stars above.