Amsterdam, The Netherlands
We got up around 9:00 this morning, just in time for the free breakfast. We were excited to see that instead of cornflakes and toast, this hostel provided everything from meats and cheeses to croissants and crackers. They even had 3 juices to pick from!
Our first activity outside of the hostel was an hour-long canal ride. We got to see some of Amsterdam’s sites from the water. My personal favorites were a house that was just one door wide and three doors high (I don’t know how far it went back) and all the houses that kind of lean out above the street. Both of these strange architectural designs came about because in the past land owners paid taxes based on how much of their houses footprint was facing the water. Another super cool thing that we saw was a life-size replica of a Dutch East Indies Trading Company ship built by the cities homeless population (I think Eugene could us a similar project).
Once our canal cruise was finished we made our way toward the Van Gough Museum. The museum houses more than 200 painting by my boy Vincent and almost all of the letters he wrote to his brother Theo. The museum was a bit smaller than I anticipated but I learned more about Van Gough and his life than I ever thought I would.
When we left the museum the Bastons were tired and decided to rest at the park. I still wanted to explore the city. We made a plan to meet at the Anne Frank Museum at 5:00. I had two hours to cruise around. It was a beautiful day and I decided to walk along the canals. It was very peaceful and relaxing to have some time to myself and made me realize that it would not be difficult to travel on my own if I had to.
Eventually, I had to ask some of the friendly locals for help to get to the museum. I got there just as the 5:00 bells began to chime. The Anne Frank Museum is housed in the actual house where she and her family hid out from the Nazi’s. It was incredibly interesting, powerful, and sad. Anyone not familiar with her story should do a quick study...
On the way back from the museum we stopped in at the local market for some food. We each grabbed a cheap dinner and headed back to the hostel. Tomorrow we have to be at the train station by 6:30 (to catch the first of many trains we have to use to get to Prague) so we are going to take it easy. Currently, we are all doing laundry. Once my load is finished I will pack up my things and then try to get on the internet to post my blog and read all the comments I hope to have!
PS – I was not able to get on the internet and instead went on an evening walk around our part of the city with Peter.
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