Yesterday I stood in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The architecture (the display walls were all canvas and the stark white, lots of glass and opennness, etc.) added to the experience as well. The arrangement of the art carried a message with it, too. The influential artists and contemporaries of Van Gogh stood on the first floor, and the two floors above held the various works, which show his "rank" above them...and then those he influenced are held in a special travelling exhibition "beneath" him in the basement. Very cool. There's something inspiring and undescribable standing three feet from a priceless painting.

And, only adding to the experience, was the fact that I got "hit on" by this guy handing out the brochures. His pick up line: "Hi. How are you today? Did you bring the weather with you? Because it's beautiful!" Needless to say, the teenagers I was with have not let me forget it, either. On two counts. The first is that I'm married, for cryin' out loud...and the second because they've been using the pick up line in jest on each other for the better part of two days.

If any of you happen to be in Amsterdam and you aren't with teenagers (which will allow you to skip the Hard Rock Cafe, although I'll kick some shouts out to them for ice in Coca-Cola and free soda refills), check out the Trivoli Italian Restaurant. Wow.

Best T-Shirt I Saw In Amsterdam: Jesus Loves Everyone, But I'm His Favorite.