More Exploring... Amsterdam...
With the number of bikes in this town, it’s no surprise that we would see a few beautifully decorated. Spring is in the air… flowers blooming, This really caught my eye! I love it!
Another day, another cathedral. Can’t miss entering a church. There are many similarities but most definitely, each has a sense of uniqueness. Architectural eras are mostly responsible for the differences. Being centuries old, some churches suffer damage and as a result have sections built in different time periods. This one had sculptures with more color than I have seen in others. Still very detailed, the color added to the work.
Railings along the canals are always lined with bikes. None necessarily fancy like you see in the USA. They are constantly used because a car isn’t very convenient. Actually, we tried to hail a taxi to the hotel… approached a man who quoted us $85! It was literally three blocks away, I was just trying to limit my walking. Shocked at the price, he explained that he could only go one direction… he would have to go all the way around the canal area to circle back to our hotel. Okay… he gets a pass… wasn’t trying to rip us off!
This much used building housed ticket offices, a church, and a monument to Anne Frank. Located just around the corner from Anne’s family home, it stands tall and surrounded by cobbled and brick walkways.
Visiting Anne Frank’s house required advanced reservations. Our friends had purchased tickets so we decided to visit even though they wouldn’t be joining us. We found the house but arrived about two hours early… so we wandered around. Stopped for a cocktail beside the canal. Then we saw a liquor store and ventured in. The owner was quite nice… showed us local wines and whiskeys. Of course, we bought a couple to bring home.
We sat at the base of this street, with the liquor store on the right hand corner. Still waiting for our assigned time, we sat at a table and watched the passersby. What an awesomely active street… to me, this is the epitome of Amsterdam. Bikes, overhead lights, cobbled streets and sidewalks, flags and lots of greenery! I kind of love this perspective…
Finally it was time for our visit. No photos are allowed… and although I was very tempted, there were cameras everywhere! Immediately when we crossed the threshold, a somber feeling overtook me. Having read the book as a child, the story had a huge impact on me. I’ve never forgotten the haunting words of a young girl (my age at the time of reading) describing her life in hiding.
Walking through the small rooms, it hit me how amazing it was that young Anne kept a pretty positive attitude. She definitely made the best of her situation. It was also disturbing how close she came to seeing the war come to an end. It was a very powerful experience that I recommend to anyone visiting Amsterdam.
Returning to our hotel, I took a bit of time elevating my foot. We had dinner plans with our friends, Martin and Danielle from this beautiful area. We met them on a very special TransAtlantic crossing in 2018. The cruise started in Florida and ended right in the heart of Amsterdam… just behind Central Station.
With our planned restaurant closed, we visited a new (to us) restaurant. Our friends picked it because they had heard great things about it and also it had an airplane theme. They came by public transportation and met us in front of the hotel. We walked down the street to catch a tram to the square where our restaurant was located. My meal was amazing! Salmon, deliciously prepared with sweet potatoes on the side. After dinner, we all jumped on the tram, our friends told us which stop we should exit… and slightly disoriented, it took us a moment to get home in the drizzle. End of another great day!
