W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, July 23, 2025
This is going to be the last post from Europe. It has been fun and we’ve seen and visited some amazing places in London, Swansea, Paris, and Amsterdam and places in between.
We visited five art museums while we were exploring Europe. I saw lots of paintings, drawings, and I saw several of the thirty-five known Vincent Van Gogh self portraits. Neither of us created the selfie, it was around long before either of us. We just did it. Many years ago my friends ribbed me for the one-eyed selfie I would use with my social media posts.
One of the things I learned while wandering the museums and looking at paintings is that often the artist wasn’t painting a painting, they were practicing their craft. Yesterday, we arrived at the Vincent Van Gogh Museum to see the collection. I learned even more about Van Gogh while we toured the collection, then I found this – Vincent Van Gogh and the self portrait.
Sunday, while touring the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, I was feeling a little silly and thought I’d capture me with Vincent Van Gogh so I took a selfie, with a selfie. I did it again yesterday.
It’s the one-eyed selfie! Actually, the photos are edited to show more of Van Gogh’s work than the original photo.
“The only time I feel alive is when I’m painting.”
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)
I read the quote in the Van Gogh Museum and it made me think. Really think. It was sad really, he was brilliant, creative, and deeply troubled. There are so many of us who look like we’ve got it together. I think sometimes making the days count helps me focus on the times when my days were a minus, not a plus.
These past couple of weeks have been awesome. Today we fly home, tomorrow morning I will awake bright-eyed and bushy tailed at three or four in the morning and spend a couple of days getting over the jet lag of a seven hour time change.
Today is going to be an amazing day, so I’d better jump up, jump in and seize the day. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, unpacking, and putting away my suitcase. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, reflecting on being better every day, even a little bit.
What’s going to make your day?
Fun selfies 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome. I learned a lot in those museums. We have a world class museum in town and it’s been more than a decade since I visited.
I love your selfies…with selfies! Thanks for taking us along, Clay!
Thank you. It was a fun trip and it was a pleasure to share. I listened to your podcast on the way home. They were peaceful and calming. Thank you for stopping in…
What a fascinating observation about the selfie, Clay. And I love yours with Van Gogh. So glad you had such a fantastic trip. Travel home safely, my friend!
Thank you! I learned quite a bit about Van Gogh and other painters of the late 19th century in our visits to the museums. Van Gogh seemed so troubled and struggled with mental health… not unlike folks today who are struggling. I created a post to go along with the blog on Insta and FB… the insta post was accompanied by the song ‘Happy to Be Here’ by Wookiefoot, if you have a moment give it a spin. Home and happy to sleep in my own bed. Stay well, peace.
What a great trip you two had! You got a lot packed into the time you were there. Thanks for sharing it with us.
You are welcome. You’ve shared your adventures and it’s fun to see how others travel and what we see. Sometimes, all you have to do is get out into your backyard, and other times traveling a distance brings us a new appreciation of what’s at home. It’s good to be home, even if it’s for a day.
Well, who’s that handsome fellah swanning round the museum taking selfies? You seem to have had an amazing time with lots to remember and to think about. Looking forward to more snaps from your holiday scrapbook. Safe journey home!
Thank you. The selfie has become rather ubiquitous, a modern art form for the digital age. We certainly did have a good time. It is good to get away and see things we aren’t able to see, but there is so much here that I could see, but I don’t. We arrived safely and very tired. Traveling is hard.
Travelling IS hard, especially when you pack a lot in. Memories though, a-plenty, to look back on.