The General Staff building, now housing the impressionist and 20th century collection

Thursday became our Museum day. The weather turned grey and cool so it seemed like a good idea to go inside. Andrey our guide from earlier had directed us which entry to bypass the crowds with the tickets I had bought online. After much to and fro Richard and I left Tom to his own devices to traipse across the square to the building housing the impressionist and 20th century collection

A tiny door for such a large building!

There were huge crowds at the Winter palace and a surprising lack of people in this wing. Richard and I made our way through the impressionist collection separately at our own pace. I saw a Toulouse-lautrec that I had been showing from a book in my classes for 35 years and yet here I saw it in the “flesh” quite startling but what a joy! I caught up with richard similarly transfixed on a Van Gogh that I had never seen even in reproduction. Eventually I found myself in the Matisse room and all alone! Finally I was being paid back for all the misery I had suffered from the noise and the selfie takers. Peace and quiet in front of some of my favorite paintings. Maybe there is a God!

Only a guard to keep me company. And , even he left the room!
These two left shortly after I took this.

I stayed for at least half an hour enjoying what I had only seen in books for the last 40 years. All alone, for the most part, and in bliss. The richest person in the world couldn’t buy what I had: time alone with old friends. Reluctantly I moved on and finished the floor and headed over to the Winter Palace to meet Tom and Richard at the time and place we planned.

It’s great traveling with Kornfelds. They are NEVER late. After a bite of lunch Rich and Tom headed for the coins and I made my way to the Italian wing only to give up because of the crowds. It just wasn’t meaningful to fight the mob for a glimpse through hundreds of hands taking selfies. The excellent collection of Rembrandt’s was a similar situation only further obscured by the glare of the glass. I finally gave up and went to the Assyrian rooms to see some great wall carvings away from the crowds. This collection didn’t match what I saw in Berlin two years ago but it was still a treat.

Grand new entry hall in the General Staff building.

I finally made my way home after more than 22,000 steps my dogs were beat!