Europa 2013

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We were up early today as it was our last day in Amsterdam and I was determined to visit Anne Frank's House. You don't come to Amsterdam and not visit Anne Frank's House, you just don't. We tried all week to book online tickets but there were none available as they are booked out well in advance so we decided to wait in line for however long it took to get in. Correction, I decided we would wait in line for however long it took.

We high tailed it off the tram and bound down to Anne Frank's House thinking we were nice and early and shouldn't have to wait too long in line. Apparently 100's of others thought the same. Surprisingly we only had to wait about an hour to get in. We'd heard stories of people having to wait two or three hours so all in all we didn't do too badly. I may have left Clive to hold our place in the line while I went for a little walk so for me the wait wasn't too bad at all!

Cameras are not allowed in Anne Frank's House. Although her diaries are protected under glass and in a temperature controlled environment the risk of damage to the documents by a camera flash is too great. In my opinion it would be disrespectful in any event. To actually be in the attic that Anne Frank and her family lived in for two years before they were betrayed to the Germans and taken to Aushwitz was an incredibly moving experience. The walls of the bedroom she shared with Fritz Pfeffer are still covered with the pictures she glued on them of her favourite movie stars. The rooms are empty of furniture because when the family was taken away whatever was there was removed. When Anne's father Otto Frank returned from Aushwitz he refused to put furniture back into the attic. He left it empty of furniture as a sign of respect for all those Jews who had been taken from their homes and sent to a concentration camp. The kitchen bench and sink remains as does the toilet. The wallpaper and paintwork too is unchanged. The effect on us of the visit to Anne Frank's House will stay with us forever. So very, very sad.

In the afternoon my cousin Ron and his partner Shee Boon took us to lunch in Ouderkerk aan de amstel, a gorgeous little village just outside Amsterdam. We had lunch at at the most divine little bakery and sat outside on a balcony overlooking the Amstel Canal, glass of wine in hand. Doesn't get much better than this . . . Later we went back to Ron's place for further wine tasting. He and Shee Boon have a divine little apartment in a very quiet and pretty part of Amsterdam. They have such a lovely home. The outside of these apartments gives the impression that they are tiny but looks are deceiving. They are really quite roomy on the inside and beautifully laid out. Sigh. . .

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Photos

Amsterdam
A small section of the line waiting to get in to Anne Frank's House.

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Sign at the entrance of Anne Frank's House.

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Poster outside Anne Frank's House.

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Shee Boon, Ron and Henny on the balcony of the bakery in Ouderkerk aan de amstel.