APRIL 2016
Our third and final day in Amsterdam was yet another lesson in flexibility. We had a late 8:00 flight on Wednesday night, so we packed up bright and early and stored our bags at the hotel. After breakfast, we headed to the Anne Frank House around 8:15 so we would arrive around 8:30, half an hour before it opened.
If you're planning on going to the Anne Frank House: buy tickets in advance! In April when we visited, the ticket system was set up so you could buy tickets online about 90 days out, but they sell out almost immediately. If you didn't purchase tickets online, you could wait in line and still get in, it will just take a while! As of May 1, all visitors between 9:00 and 3:30 MUST have purchased tickets online. If you haven't, you are allowed to visit after 3:30, but expect to wait!
For us, since we visited before the new ticket system was in place, we waited outside until about 9:30. There were 80 people in front of us when the doors opened at 9, and maybe 250 behind us. The line wrapped all the way around the neighboring building. Yikes! I'm glad we got there at 8:30!
While we were in line, we did lots of people watching, and enjoyed the beautiful view of the canal. One important element of Amsterdam living is their favorite mode of transportation: bikes! Bikes are everywhere! They have their own lane on the roads in the city, the bike parks are packed with thousands of bikes, and they are a true part of their culture. Since we were visiting during the week, we saw parents taking their children to school via bike, sometimes with one kid on the front handlebars while another sat behind the seat. We also saw plenty of professionals and students dressed to the nines on their way to work/class! So interesting!
While we were people watching, we also witnessed the one thing you should be warned about in this bike culture: collisions. A tourist stepped out of line into the bike lane to get a good picture of the House, and BOOM. She got hit by a bike. Luckily, neither party was injured. In Amsterdam, it's important to remember that stepping into a bike lane is the same as stepping into a busy street in a downtown area. As long as you're aware of your surroundings, you'll be fine, but definitely don't hang out in the bike lanes.
The Anne Frank House is definitely worth the wait. We weren't allowed to take photos inside, and in my opinion it is a totally reasonable request. The space is SO small. If everyone tried to take pictures, it would be a terrible experience. Our first stop within the House is through the offices below, where Anne's father worked before they went into hiding. It was a step back in time. The exhibit in the offices focused on the Frank's helpers: who they were, and what they did for the family.
Eventually, we went through the bookcase entry to the Secret Annex, where the family lived for two years, before being found by the Nazis and sent to various concentration camps. The stairs leading up to the Annex were so steep, that we had to climb them sideways so we wouldn't hit our shins on each step. The rooms had no furniture, but there were photos of what the room looked like while the Franks and their housemates lived there. Each room seemed to be a reasonable size, but when you realize that they were double and triple capacity, and never left the space, it definitely put it into perspective. Anne's room still had photos of movie stars on the walls, and her father's room still had maps and pins where he was tracking the war progress. This part of history is so fresh, and so terrifying. I read her diary the week before we visited, and I definitely recommend it! Everyone reads it in grade school, but it was really interesting to be familiar with her story while we navigated the Secret Annex.
We left the Anne Frank House and headed to a lunch reservation. I had made the reservation about two months in advance based on stellar reviews, and when we got there, it was closed. Awesome. Closed every Wednesday. We grabbed a quick lunch at the open restaurant next door, and headed to Dam Square for our walking tour of the city. As we arrived at the meeting point at Dam Square, and as the 3.5 hour walking tour began, so did the downpour. Luckily, our tour was through Sandemans New Europe, which is free, except for tips! The guide was super nice, and basically said that the tour would continue rain or shine, and we were welcome to leave if we didn't want to walk in the rain for the afternoon.
Since this day was our final day, we had already seen a lot of the main sights in Amsterdam. So, we decided to ditch the tour, and head to the one place we hadn't visited:
Heineken! It was indoors, and we could drink beer. We checked our coats and booked a tour. The first part of the tour was just like any typical brewery. It focused on the history of the brand, and the process of making the beer. Heineken is one of the most popular beers in the world, and it was really interesting to see the different advertisements and labels for different cultures. At the end of the brewery tour, you get to have a tasting seminar and learn the proper way to drink a Heineken. There's quite a bit of trivia involved, and correct answers are rewarded with extra beer. So, naturally, B answered two of the four questions, and his mom answered another one, so we had a great time!
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| Heineken family horses |
We were in absolute sensory overload! At the end of the party segment of the tour, you end at a bar where you can either get 2 more Heineken, or pour your own single glass and get a certificate. We opted for the 2 glasses of Heineken each, and just enjoyed some family time and reminisced about our time in Amsterdam. After we finished our beers, we headed back to the hotel, grabbed our bags, headed to the airport, and flew home!
Final Thoughts. Don't be scared of Amsterdam! Even though marijuana and prostitution are both legal here, we did not have any uncomfortable interactions with it. Are the souvenirs a little risqué? Yes, but we bought souvenirs that reminded us of our favorite part of Amsterdam: the homes! English is everywhere, and the people are SO nice. The people are just happy, relaxed, and welcoming. Even though Amsterdam is from where we are in Italy, tickets to Amsterdam are cheap. I'm really looking forward to our next trip, hopefully sometime in the Spring of 2017! (and 2018?!)
We did walk through the Red Light District in the afternoon one day. Sorry, I don't have any photos! Most of the shops were closed for business, but there were definitely quite a few suggestive advertisements. The Red Light District itself is two streets within the city and easily avoidable. The most interesting thing about this part of Amsterdam culture is how legal it is. The government sees these workers as individual businesses and entrepreneurs. They rent their space, report their income, and pay taxes. In the end, this makes the 'oldest profession in the world' safer for its employees. They don't have pimps, therefore all of these workers are working for themselves. It's still not something we care to experience, but its a true testament to how different the thought process in Europe can be!
The same thing goes for marijuana. It's just a fact of life here. There are definitely touristy shops around the city specifically meant for people to go there and overpay for this legal drug, but it's not super prevalent. There aren't dealers on every corner or shady characters hanging out near these coffee shops. Its easily avoidable, and during our three days there, we had zero uncomfortable encounters.
Amsterdam, your happy go-lucky attitude and beautiful city stole our hearts! We WILL be back!
That's great that you read Anne Frank's diary before you went so it would be fresh in your mind. I think that the fact that WWII was fought in some of the areas that we'll be visiting when we're there is going to be the most mind blowing part of our trip to me. I just can't imagine the horror that people went through! And yes to the Heineken tour and walking through the Red Light District too!
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