Going through the Anne Frank House was an amazing experience. I re-read her diary before going and it definitely made it a more meaningful experience for me. I always imagined they had small living quarters but as we walked through the house, I kept thinking "How did eight people live here for two years and not go absolutely stir crazy!" When Otto Frank came back from the war and was approached about making the house into a museum he didn't want the rooms to be re-furnished. Even without furniture the rooms were tiny! The other thing that blew my mind as we walked through was how dark it was. Anne often wrote of the blackout curtains they had to have over the windows and how she craved to see sunshine. Sometimes she would go up to the attic to sit on a box below a window to try and see the sky through a tiny crack and to get some fresh air. While the original black out curtains are no longer in place there were some black screens over the windows that created the same effect. It made me realize that there are so many things I take for granted. Being able to see the sky and breath fresh air is one of those things.
The original bookcase that hid the door from the office up to the Secret Annex is still there. We also got to see the processing paperwork for Anne and her family and the Van Pels, the other family living there, when they went to the concentration camps.
The most impressive thing to me was seeing Anne Frank's room. The pictures she had pasted on the walls while living there are still up. They also had some of her diaries on display. Going to see the Secret Annex was my favorite thing we did while in Amsterdam.
After the Anne Frank Huis we walked around a market for a bit and then headed to Winkel, known for it's apple pie. And yes, it was delicious!
Next we headed to the Red Light District. This area is known for drugs and prostitution. We had a Rick Steve's audio guide that we listened to while wandering through and it was really interesting to learn the history behind the prostitution in the area and why it still exists today.
As we were walking around a movement in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I turned my head and saw...a prostitute standing in the window. This is when I learned that prostitutes rent store front windows for business. If the red light above their door is illuminated it means she is open for business. I lost track of how many illuminated red lights I saw. It was a bit shocking.
After the Red Light District we went to lunch and then headed to see the Nieuwe Kerk and the Koninklijk Paleis. Before heading back to the hotel we stopped in at the Rijkmuseum where we saw quite a bit of Rembrandt's, including The Night Watch.
We rested up at the hotel for a bit and then in the evening went back into the center to walk around and get some dinner.
Amsterdam was a really fun trip and we would definitely like to go back in the future. Good news, you can get a direct flight from Portland, OR to Amsterdam!
The Anne Frank Huis. This is the door through which Anne and her family entered when they went into hiding.
I never knew there were so many different kinds of mushrooms!
Winkel
The city has semi-private urinals throughout the city.
Red Light District
Oude kerk in the Red Light District (Old Church)
Statue of the Unknown Prostitute
The Bull Dog. Throughout Amsterdam you will see signs for coffee shops. Don't go in there if you want coffee, go to a cafe. Coffee shops are where marijuana is sold. You can get it in the form of a joint or a brownie. The Bull Dog is the most popular coffee shop. At any given time a coffee shop is only allowed to have one pound of marijuana. The Bull Dog goes through, on average, six deliveries a day! Interestingly, the coffee shops' main business is from tourists. Very few locals go to them to smoke marijuana.
Oude Kerk
Inside the Nieuwe Kerk
Koninklijk Paleis
Recognize this scene? Read 1 Kings 3: 16-28
A doll house in the Rijkmuseum
