Our group for the day:
Me, Will (Scotland), Caitlin, Nicole, Betsy (Scotland)
Anne Frank House
The museum is cool because they built the outer exterior (above) in front of the house to preserve it. You enter the front to buy your tickets and then go through the new building to the back where they have kept the house almost exactly the same as it was when the Frank family was hiding there.
The house did a great job of explaining the story of Anne, as well as going further to tell why it is so important to know it. I found it fascinating that her diary, written at the age of thirteen, is the second most translated book of all time; second only to the bible. We were able to see the actual bookcase that hid the family, as well as climb the steps to the attic. They boarded up all the windows so that you felt the dark and enclosed space they were cooped up in for two years. Overall, I thought the museum was really well done.
After the museum we decided to get coffee. It just so happens that we looked up a coffee shop that is known for their Dutch apple pie. Grandma, I LOVE your pie, however, this was so delicious it may have almost made up for missing Thanksgiving this year.
Walk to Cafe Papeneiland
My slice of apple pie
After that massive slice of pie, we needed to walk it off a bit. We made our way to the the Museum square where the famous IAMSTERDAM letters are. This was the perfect stop because it is the closest thing to a playground for adults.
I am super impressed that I was able to climb up there in my boots!
This lady was completely oblivious and bombed all of our photos...that's what happens when you try to get a photo in one of the busiest tourist destinations
Just playing around
Nicole and I trying to get a fun photo for our off campus house next year!
Because the letters are located in the Museum square there was a multitude of museums for us to pick from to try that afternoon. We ended up deciding on the Van Gogh Museum.
The Van Gogh Museum does not allow photos so I do not have a lot to share about that except for one picture that I risked the life of my phone on to get.
I saw this photo and almost didn't realize what I was looking at for a second. I felt as though this was something I had seen a million times. Well.... that is because I have. This photo was an art project that everyone in the second grade had to recreate. My parents framed each child's rendition of the painting and they are hung in our den. Possibly the highlight of my trip seeing this, could not wait to get home and tell the rest of the family!
Giuffrida's try Van Gogh
Top Left: Jane
Top Right: Matt
Bottom Left: Katie
Bottom right: Bean
Later that night we headed to the Red Light District to see what it is like at night. While it was not something that I would say was "fun" it was really interesting to see. It is another one of the reasons that Amsterdam is one of the most unique places I have ever been to.
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