Grandma graciously gave me an afternoon to do some shopping with friends on Saturday. Sunday, we loaded the van and drove to the Netherlands. The day we left also marked the first day of my laryngitis, something I haven’t suffered from in years! I lamented the timing of it all as I rarely get to speak English, lost two days of visiting with Mary, and Mary had to take on mama’s voice and in my stead uttered all of the, “Settle downs” and “Shhhs.” I’m sure my lack of voice in Amsterdam made people think that I’d smoked myself into a speechless stupor.
Once in Amsterdam, we visited the Anne Frank Huis where her family and others lived in a small annex for two years. Though I’d read her diary, I wasn’t fully prepared to realize the smallness of the annex after climbing the staircase concealed by a bookcase. Markings made by the Franks annotating the girls’ growth while in the annex are still visible on a wall. Photos of celebrities pasted on a wall by Anne are visible. The annex was stripped bare of furnishings, but video monitors punctuated some of the rooms and featured contemporary (80’s and 90’s) interviews with Miep, Otto Frank, and Bergen-Belsen survivors who knew Anne and Margot. Personal photos and other original memorabilia were on display. Visitors were quiet and moved slowly through the rooms (including the kiddos!).
Standing in line and touring the Anne Frank Huis absorbed quite a lot of the afternoon, so instead of visiting museums we opted to take an evening canal cruise of the city. The canal cruise posed its own difficulty as it required that the kiddos exist somewhat quietly so as not to disturb other passengers as they strained to hear the garbled audio guide. I enjoyed the evening cruise because it indulged my love of people watching; many of the houses lining the canals were lit against the night sky making it easier to be a bit voyeuristic. Many of the rooms featured beamed ceilings (some of the beams were painted in vibrant colors like reds and blues) and pictures with gilded frames. One particular district was obviously a wealthy one as many of the homes boasted painted/frescoed ceilings and intricate moulding. Several rooms I saw boasted floor to ceiling bookshelves stuffed with red (leather?) bound books. The canal cruise snaked its way through and around the city to the ocean and back again.
Surviving the cruise, we ate a late dinner and called it a day; the kiddos were asleep in a matter of minutes once their heads hit the pillows.
The following day, we visited the Rijksmuseum and I lustily sought out the Vermeers regretful that ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ should be in The Hague. The boys were fascinated by medieval weaponry and paintings depicting knights. Littlest was content to be pushed in her stroller looking for animals in the larger paintings. Bop enjoyed the portraits. Thinking that one art museum may have sucked up all of the quiet reserve the kiddos were capable of for one day, we forewent the Van Gogh Museum.
We strolled through the public park and walked to the Flower Market where we perused thousands of bulbs in all colors and varieties I’d not heard of or seen. If only we had a garden patch!
Laden with amaryllis and tulip bulbs, we walked to the Rembrandt Museum to view the artist’s studio and long time home. I was struck by the seemingly uncomfortable box beds, but my eyes lapped up the rich, dark woods and exquisite tile work. His studio allowed for natural light to pour in through the windows. An exhibition showcasing etchings was also housed in the museum.
We traversed much of the city on foot, and the kiddos were always glad to board one of the many trams. One area we avoided was the red light district as I did not want to explain the concept of flesh as a commodity; however, we did pass several coffee shops that sold baggies of marijuana.
Thoroughly exhausted at this point, we began our drive home in the evening feeling that there was so much to see and experience.
The rest of Mary’s visit was not as eventful as I would have liked save for the unfortunate incident involving the van, but I’ll save that for another post. We were all sorry to see Mary leave and secretly wished that her plane could have been delayed for a day or two ;) J and I are already trying to concoct plans to lure her back again!
The Amstel River
Bulbs
Tulips
Flower Market
Log in the Public Park
Rijksmuseum
Bicycles and a Bridge
In front of Anne Frank Huis
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