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Published: April 11th 2010
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Traveling on trains with large bags is quite difficult; however, after a 2.5 hour train ride, we safely arrived in Amsterdam!
I was really looking forward to Amsterdam because I haven't been there in 3 years, & when I was there, it was only briefly so I didn't really get to "know" the city. Luckily, we had 2 full days to discover things in Amsterdam, & now I think it's one of my favorite places in Europe.
We first hit up the Spiegelkwartier which is known for its arts & antiques. There were so many nice things, unfortunately space constraints kept us from buying things that we couldn't fit in our suitcases. There was a lot of Delft pottery (the blue & white tiles, plates, & other ceramics). Some of the tiles that were for sale dated back to 1620. It's incredible to me that 1) anything can last for over 4 centuries without being destroyed & 2) that things that old an be found on a regular basis (I mean, our country wasn't even "born" yet at that point!). It's incredible!
The best part of Amsterdam are the canals which serve as a great means of transport
Canal houses
The houses are slightly slanted forward to give them a larger appearance & permit the use of the hoisting beams for moving purposes. throughout the city. The only natural body of water in the city is the Amstel River; that being said, all of the canals were man-made throughout the centuries in order to expand the city to meet the needs of its growing population. The houses that line the canals are
beautiful. Most are designed to slant slightly forward to give them a larger appearance (plus, it was structurally necessary in order for people to make use of the hoisting beams that are located on the facade of the buildings to make moving easier). The charm of the buildings coupled with their age is absolutely stunning.
The main attraction in Amsterdam that I wanted to see was the Van Gogh Museum. However, by the time we got there, the line was already stretched around the building. (Keep in mind that it was about 10:15 am & the place opened at 10:00 - talk about high-demand, considering it's not even peak tourist season!) . I was disappointed that I hadn't thought ahead & purchased tickets on the internet but oh well. Now I have a reason to go back! Similarly, the Rijksmuseum (which houses many classical paintings by Rembrandt) also had a
line of gargantuan proportions. I'm not a "line" person (I lack the patience & I like to have my 3 feet of personal space), so that was also out. haha.
We then headed out on the "canal bus" & went to a tulip store in the Jordaan district. The bulbs that this florist had were beautiful; however, again, how do you get that back to the US? Luckily, US citizens can order from their website, & the tulip bulbs will be delivered to their homes back in the States. That's the game plan that we went with.
The next stop was the Rembrandt house. Rembrandt lived at 4 Jodenbreestraat from 1639-1658. Unfortunately , by the time we got there, the museum was closed, but we did get to see the facade of the house.
We then went to the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht canal. I thought ahead on that one & bought tickets prior to our arrival in Amsterdam so we walked in without the hitch of standing in lines. The house is amazing, but the story behind it is even more fascinating. For anyone who never read the Diary of Anne Frank, essentially Anne
& her family hid in the attic of her father's business for several years when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands because they were Jewish. With the help of an office worker, they were able to survive in the attic from 1942 until someone gave up their location in 1944. (To this day, it is still unknown who the person that gave them up is). During the day, the family had to remain quiet (i.e. not walk around & not flush any toilets or run any water) for fear that the other office workers would hear them. They also had black-out curtains on the windows so nobody would know they were up there. After being found out, the Franks were then sent to concentration/labor camps. Only Otto Frank, the father, survived. Anne & her sister, Margot, died in the Bergen-Belsen prison camp, & their mother died in Auschwitz. After returning to Amsterdam, Otto Frank found the diary of his daughter & had it published. It details the family's time in the attic & provides insight into Anne's perception of the persecution of the Jews. It's a beautiful & insightful read for any that haven't read it.
Amsterdam has a lot
to offer, & one definitely needs more than 2 days to be able to see it all. Regardless, we had a great time in the city, & I look forward to going back to see what I missed this time around.
For all the photos from our trip, see this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024142&id=68800099&l=e8bf607c49
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Mary Jean
non-member comment
Wish I had seen more of Amsterdam
Good post! I went to Amsterdam only once and it was a very brief trip, in and out in one day. Really wish I had seen more of the city, especially more of the canals. Really like how you gave the refresher of Anne Frank. I lived in Germany for almost 11 years but never made it back to Amsterdam. Mary Jean http://www.travelingineuropesite.com