The days go langorously here in the Old Country. Mr. and Mrs. Scatter relax in the Vondepark before wandering off to find pannekoeken and beer:
Each morning after rising, bathing and dressing, the Scatters enjoy a hearty breakfast prepared by the attentive staff at their hotel:
Braced for the day, they toddle over to the Rijksmuseum, where to their astonishment they encounter a Large Smelly Boy. Fortunately it’s not one of THEIR Large Smelly Boys:
A bit rattled, Mr. Scatter returns to the park for a quick walk to clear his mind. But the day has turned blustery:
So he rejoins Mrs. Scatter and they drop in on a small party to which they’ve been invited:
After several hours of revelry they return to their room, exhausted. While Mr. Scatter brushes his teeth, Mrs. Scatter wearily peels off her stockings so she can climb into bed:
And to think: Tomorrow it all begins again!
*
ILLUSTRATIONS, from top (yes, Mr. and Mrs. Scatter saw all of these in the flesh):
- Frans Hals, “The Marriage Portrait of Isaac Abrahamsz Massa and Beatrix van der Laen,” c. 1622. Rijksmuseum/Amsterdam
- Johannes Vermeer, “The Kitchen Maid,” c. 1658-60. Rijksmuseum/Amsterdam
- Bartholomeus van der Helst, “Portrait of Gerard Andriesz Bicker,” 1642. Rijksmuseum/Amsterdam
- Vincent van Gogh, “The Garden of Saint Paul’s Hospital (‘The Fall of the Leaves’),” 1889. Van Gogh Museum/Amsterdam
- Jan Steen, “Prince’s Day,” c. 1660-70. Rijksmuseum/Amsterdam
- Jan Steen, “Woman at Her Toilet,” c. 1658. Rijksmusuem/Amsterdam