Today we tackled Amsterdam from 8am until midnight! What a GREAT day!
Highlights:
- Jordaan Neighborhood: Rick’s walking tour brought us across several canals and past cute homes where we learned about the different types of gables on the roofs…very scenic!
- Anne Frank Haus: Pre-ordering online tickets = worth the extra euro so we could bypass the HUGE line….clearly these people do NOT have Rick’s book! Took the self-guided walk through the museum which had English translations on all exhibits to learn about the family’s history. The building we were in was the office of Otto Frank, Anne’s father, who owned a jam making company before World War II. When the family went into hiding in July 1942, Otto sold his business to non-Jewish friends who agreed to hide the family in the upper back floors of the building and bring them food and supplies when possible. The Frank family (Anne, her parents and her sister, Margot) lived here for two years along with four others. On our tour, we went through the hidden door behind an office bookcase to reach the family’s small living quarters (two bedrooms, a bathroom & a common room). Although there is no furniture left (at Otto’s request), the pictures and videos helped you clearly envision what it must have been like. It is unbelievable and horrible to think that the Frank’s lived here (often in silence during business hours) for two years. The museum also covers the discovery of the family by Nazis and their separation to various concentration camps, where only Otto survived at Auschwitz. Anne’s original three diaries were not on display due to preservation, but we were able to see copies before exiting the museum. Overall, a very moving take that really brought to life the story of just one of the many Jewish families who suffered under Nazi rule. I’m not much of a reader, but I will definitely be reading Anne’s book!
- Sara’s Pancake House = yum! I usually don’t do this over here, but today I couldn’t resist the “American breakfast” with scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, juice and coffee. Joe skipped straight to dessert and ordered an apple pancake with whipped cream and rum…and of course all the items that came with mine that I got for him! Pancakes here are thinner than the ones at home…almost like a crepe. They are made in a large cast iron pan with a shallow dome in the center. My pancakes were covered in confectionary sugar, and served with a brown molasses-like syrup. Joe’s was more like a thin “Big Apple” pancake from Bickford’s. The final verdict: Everything was pretty tasty, but I still like our pancakes at home better…and our maple syrup is ten times better!
- Amstelkring Museum: When Catholics were forbidden to worship publicly in Holland from 1578-1795, they built “hidden” Churches like this one, Our Lord in the Attic. Hidden here means that while authorites knew the churches existed, they did not destroy or prevent people from attending as long as the Churches were tucked away and didn’t look like Churches from the outside. This Church was just as it sounds…located up very steep steps in the top floors of an Amsterdam building. Unfortunately, the site is undergoing major restoration right now (read: most of the furniture and art has been temporarily removed), so it was hard to picture what it was like to attend Mass here. The audiotour was informative, though…and if nothing else, we got a good look at the inside the maze that is the narrow Dutch building.
- Amsterdam City Walk sites…De Papegaai Catholic Church: another “hidden” Catholic Church. This one looked and felt like a Catholic Church with its statues of saints and fancy altar. A quiet respite inside an unassuming building right on the busy pedestrian shopping street, Kalverstraat. Begijnhof…a peaceful courtyard and homes behind the busy Kalverstraat where Beguines (devout women who were not nuns, but were still dedicated to serving God) lived.
- Van Gogh Museum: Interesting museum where we learned a lot about Van Gogh’s life. We were impressed that the artist painted most of his work in the last five years of his life. Some favorite paintings included The Yellow House, Sunflowers, and The Harvest.
- Heineken Experience: Watch out Guinness…Heineken puts on quite the show (I mean, tour.) The multi-leveled brewery is one huge advertisement for everything green, and while expensive, it provided some good entertainment on a rainy afternoon. One staff member gave a great synopsis of brewing and its history. Sampled barley, hops, and lots of Heineken, Joe got to be the Heineken DJ, and we made our own music video. We even went on a 4D motion simulator ride where we were turned into a beer! Still not Joe’s favorite.
- Jordaan Walk…Part 2: This area makes for a great walk no matter what time of day it is. Lots of nice spots for pictures along with another view of Anne’s house.
- Sara’s Pancake House…Round 2!: We normally don’t do this, but we couldn’t resist more pancakes. Italian pancake (w/ tomato, mozzarella and pesto) was excellent! Chicken, onion and cheese was okay. Pancake with chocolate sauce and ice cream…pretty good! I think it’s safe to say that once we left here, were had our fair share of pancakes!
Unfinished business…per usual, we ran out of time to see/do everything Amsterdam has to offer. Guess that means we’ll have to come back someday for…a canal cruise, a bike ride, Rijksmuseum (Rembrandt’s work), the English Reformed Church in the Begijnhof where the Pilgrims supposedly went before leaving on the Mayflower…and of course more pancakes and frites!
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