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Published: April 15th 2006
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We had to get up early today for two reasons. Reason number one was that we were going to Amsterdam for the day, and number two was that our parents were having a barbeque together at home, and were ringing us at eight in the morning.
It was great to hear from our parents, but it also makes you feel homesick, particularly when it has been such a warm summer back home.
Ada and Lenny were going to give us a guided tour of Amsterdam, and Lenny drove us to the station so we could catch the train in.
I didn't know what to expect from Amsterdam as there is so much hype surrounding it, but I was taken with it right from the start. All the Old World buildings are excellent, and the canals are just amazing.
The first thing we did on arriving in Amsterdam was to buy an all day pass for the Canal Bus, which is well worth it, and is a great way to see the city. While you are on the Canal Bus you are given an informative commentary in six different languages, which shows how multi-cultural Amsterdam and Europe is (Dutch/English/German/French/Italian/Spanish).
The canal buses
or boats have 3 different routes on the waterways, and take you near all of the main attractions. The Canal Bus claims to be the first boat company in Europe to run boats on eco-friendly natural gas. The boats are both silent and clean.
We planned our first stop to be a short historical short movie on Holland, and Amsterdam, but our timing was out. So we grabbed a quick bite to eat, and then headed for the Rijksmuseum, which was the main place we wanted to see.
The Rijksmuseum is under construction, but is a very impressive building nonetheless. Inside, not only is the art very impressive, but there is a wealth of history and information as well. I didn't realise to what extent the Dutch Empire reached during their Golden Age. Reading such history makes me want to find a good book(s) on European history.
My favourite artist in the Rijksmuseum is Johannes Vermeer, not because of any great difference in the style, but because of the funny scenes portrayed so well. All of the art was fantastic, particularly from the 16th Century (The Golden Age). The museum is currently celebrating 400 years since the birth of Rembrandt,
and I really liked all of his paintings as well. The painting entitled 'Nightwatching' is absolutely huge, and it would be my favourite of Rembrandt's. Another reason for this would be that I have seen the picture before in print form at Beck's Mum and Dad's house. The museum is also showing the work of the many artists Rembrandt influenced or mentored. Much of the art is similar, but I really like the style, as it is impressive how life like much of it is. The art is the main attraction for the Rijksmuseum, but there is also plenty of artefacts, such as Delft blue, memorabilia, etc.
Once we had made our way around the whole museum we decided we needed a rest, so we jumped into a bar for a snack and a drink. I ordered osserworst, while the girls went for wine, cheese, and something that was like gherkins, but had a bit of spice to it. Osserworst is raw sausage, and while the texture takes a bit of getting used to, it actually tasted pretty good. I wanted a stubby to add another photo to the collection of beers consumed so far, but I didn't realise it
was 10%. Beck joined me in having a beer, and when we left we were light-headed. I tried to tell myself that it was due to the smoky bar, but in all likelihood it was the strong beer (which was very nice), and a light stomach as we had eaten much all day.
After we stumbled out of the bar it was off to Anne Frank's house, 'A Museum With A Story'. I read the book for school in Year 8 when I was in America. Beck is currently reading it, but didn't quite manage to read it in time before our arrival.
I don't think it really sank in that I was in the same house Anne Frank had hidden in for so many years. The story is obviously very moving, but it is hard to comprehend being stuck in not just a house, but a small room for such a long period of time (July 6, 1942 - August 4, 1944).
Anne Frank's diary is so accessible and identifiable with even people today that it has been translated into 60 different languages. Anne Frank's greatest wish was to be a journalist, and then a famous writer. Her writing
skills would have obviously taken her there considering she was only a young teenage girl when she wrote her diary in hiding.
The one thing I had forgotten from reading the diary, or hadn't realised, was that Anne Frank's father, Otto, survived the Auschwitz extermination camp. It was very interesting to watch the interview of him on his families saga.
The Anne Frank House is not just about the past. It also has an interactive big screen on current day issues involving prejudice, discrimination, and human rights abuses, which people can vote on. These issues aren't always in the mainstream media, so it was interesting to watch. I was that captivated and tired at the same time that I didn't realise Lenny, Ada and Beck were waiting for me. The best quote for me that sums up the ideals of the Anne Frank House is by writer, and Holocaust survivor, Primo Levi.
"One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who have suffered just as she did but whose faces have remained in the shadows. Perhaps it is better that way, if we were capable of taking in all the suffering of all those people, we would
not be able to live."
I didn't even think of it, but Lenny and Ada started talking about how their parents coped during World War II during Holland's occupation by the Nazis. Lenny also spoke about Beck's Opa and how he got on during these tough times. It was a bit surreal to have a second hand account of World War II from people you knew.
After Anne Frank's House we had to make a decision on whether we would have dinner or go to The Red Light District first. Dinner won out. We had trouble deciding on where we would have dinner, and I'm not sure if we made the right choice. Once again choosing by price instead of quality proved to be the undoing. I had lamb that was small and tough, but I was lucky enough to have Beck's vegetables which were pretty good. Lenny and Beck both had steak, but poor Lenny ordered garlic sauce which didn't arrive until she had finished her meal. I don't think the waitress spoke much Dutch or English, just Spanish, and as customers we could tell.
After dinner it was off to the much hyped Red Light District. Ada expertly
navigated us through the streets, and before long we were there. The ladies insisted that we had to go to The Red Light District, as it is a big part of Amsterdam, it wasn't my idea at all!
It was a bit of a shock when we saw the first woman in the window, but there is so many that you become used to it quite quickly. The girls come in all shapes and sizes, but most of them seemed bored. The majority of the girls were on their phones, while one even had her dog with her! There were plenty of guys on the streets, but there were some ladies taking in the sights. I did see a couple of guys smoking funny smelling cigarettes, but other than the obvious I thought it was fairly tame. Granted we didn't go to the notorious Banana Bar!
It was great to go The Red Light District, but I thought it was slightly over rated. As for Amsterdam, overall I was very impressed. I loved the culture, and history, particularly the Old World buildings.
By now it was time to go home, so we headed back to the train station which was
extremely busy, and looked completely different at night. We were extremely lucky to have two locals show us around our first time in Amsterdam, so thanking the Lovely Lenny and Amazing Ada didn't seem enough. Lenny is family, but Ada has made a great impression on us both with her generous personality.
After re-capping the day with Lenny and Ada we called it a night for a well earned sleep.
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Ada
non-member comment
thanks
Hello Beck and Danny,i just red your storys about your visit to Holland and i'm getting a bit shy about your compliments. It was for John en for me a great pleasure getting to know you and showing you around. I hope you still have a great time and we wish to see you both again. Love, John and Ada