Amsterdam
Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) is one of Amsterdam's three main canals and was where our flat was located. In 2010, Amsterdam's 17th century Canal Ring was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Our afternoon walk took us past Rembrandtplein, a busy square that features a statue of the famous Dutch master painter, Rembrandt van Rijn, created in 1852 by sculptor Louis Royer. The surrounding statues, by Russian artists Mikhail Dronov and Alexander Taratynov, make an interesting addition to the square and honor Rembrandt's most famous work, "The Night Watch".
We visited the Bloemenmarkt (the floating flower market), and enjoyed a little cheese tasting at a Henri Willig shop.
We had an Italian dinner at Trattoria That's Amore, and then strolled along the canals, enjoying the views at night.
The next day we met Captain Rene for an early morning canal ride. At that time of day the reflection of the houses are accentuated in the canal water like a natural mirror, plus we had the pleasure of being the only boat out on the water. Rene provided coffee, tea and snacks (and heated cushions!), sharing his passion and knowledge of the city's 165 canals.
Below: A few of Amsterdam's 2500 houseboats, the much photographed Seven Bridges, and the tilting Dancing Houses, so named due to the unequal sinking of the wood pylons, or pillars, on which the houses rest.
An excellent audio tour; books by and about Anne in the museum bookstore.
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When we first planned to visit Amsterdam, touring the Anne Frank House was one of our priorities. The tour begins in the front half of the building, which continued to operate as a business while the Frank's brave friends secretly brought them supplies. The tour then enters the Secret Annex, the rooms where Anne, her parents Otto and Edith, her sister Margo, and four other Jews hid for 25 months, the entrance concealed by a bookcase. On August 4, 1944, surprised by a German policeman and three Dutch Nazis, the Franks and the others were arrested and transported to concentration camps. Only Otto Frank survived.
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On her thirteenth birthday, just before they went into hiding, Anne was presented with a diary. During the two years in hiding, Anne wrote about events in the Secret Annex as well as her feelings and thoughts. After the war, Otto returned to Amsterdam and was given Anne's diaries by Miep Gies, who had found them on the floor of the Annex after the arrest. The diaries were first published in 1947 as "The Secret Annex" and have been translated into more than 70 languages.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
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"I don't want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death."
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"I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."
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We took a bus to Lisse to visit Keukenhof and spent most of the afternoon enjoying the world's largest flower garden.
More than 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually here, with a total of 800 varieties of tulips.
More than 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually here, with a total of 800 varieties of tulips.
The National Museum of the Netherlands, or the Rijksmuseum, has been housed at this location since 1885. The Rijksmuseum boasts the largest collection of Rembrandt’s paintings in the world. To mark the 350th anniversary of his death, this exhibit presented all Rembrandt's works in their collection for the first time: 60 drawings, 300 prints and 22 paintings.
The home of businessman Jan Hartmann, who converted his attic into a church. A door hidden in the living room provided access to a steep staircase leading to the upper floors. The ornately decorated church could seat 150 worshippers. The church was turned into a museum in 1888, making it the second oldest museum in the city.
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Oude Kerk (Old Church) is the oldest building in Amsterdam and the oldest parish church in the city. Our evening walk on our last night took us past several neighborhoods that were becoming familiar to us, and we marveled at all we’d been able to experience in a few days. We had a Mediterranean dinner at Middl.Eat, then returned to our flat to pack and get ready to leave for London the next morning.
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