Our Trip to Europe

Day 18 – Amsterdam

We got up early today, had breakfast – usually cereals, lots of bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt and some fruit. Walked to the train station and took the train into Amsterdam. Unfortunately it is another rainy day!! Once we were in Amsterdam, we took a tram into the center of the city to visit the Anne Frank House.

The Anne Frank House was a very solemn experience. It is absolutely unimaginable what these people had to endure. I had not read her diaries so was not real informed as to the entire story. They lived above her father’s business, which he had had to sign over to a business associate to keep from losing it due to his being a Jew. During the day, when there were people present in the offices downstairs, all the people living in hiding upstairs were unable to use any water, including the toilet, had to be very quiet, especially walking around so as not to give themselves away to those below. There were two ladies who worked for Anne’s father that had agreed to help them and were mainly responsible for getting them food and water which became more and more difficult as time went on. They lived with all the curtains drawn and could only see outside through a crack in the curtains and there was a rear-view mirror type of thing mounted on the outside wall that allowed them to see the street. Of course, they were finally discovered and taken to the concentration camps where all but the father died. Anne’s diaries were left in the house and held in safekeeping by one of the ladies in the office until the father returned from the camp and she gave them to him. We purchased her book there and I will read it on the bus.

We then toured the city, stopping to see the old orphanage where there were actually small boxes built into a wall where women could come in the night and put their baby in the box for the nuns to find. Many women felt that this was giving their child an opportunity at a better life as they would receive an education by the nuns. We also saw the place where all the Jews were placed on boats to be taken to the camps. There is usually lots of flowers placed there. It is simply a triangular piece of pink marble jutting out into the canal. Jews were forced to wear a gold star on their clothing to identify them as Jewish but Hitler also punished homosexuals and they were forced to wear a pink triangle on their clothing and that is the significance of the pink marble triangle. We visited Dam Square, saw urinals placed on street corners with only a small wall around them and saw a small apartment place where the wealthy families of Amsterdam helped house widows and unmarried women who in turn helped care for poor children. These women lived as nuns but never took the vows and were called begijn. There are women still living there today.

We were free for lunch and then met back up to go to the Reijks Museum. Ferdi pointed out several of the most important works and explained how to read a painting. We were then free for a couple of hours. Paul and I wandered around the museum for a while and then headed out as Paul wanted to try a Heiniken Pilsner beer. We found a place close to the museum and got a beer and a glass of wine and rested our feet for a while. Ended up staying and having a latte also before rejoining the group for a walk to the Red Light District.

The Red Light District was a seedier part of town with lots of sex stores and “coffee shops”. You could smell the marijuana smoke drifting out into the streets. We only walked down one street in the District. It was a very narrow lane with rooms with large plate glass windows and the doors standing open. The women stood or sat behind these windows in their underwear under black lights that made their underwear glow. Most of them were young and attractive. Being the prude that I am I had difficulty making eye contact with any of them and could only catch quick glimpses of them. I felt guilty staring like they were freaks or something. Of course, that is what they are there for, for you to check them out and pick out which girl you would like to spend some time with.

That was the end of our day in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, during one of our tram rides in the city, we lost 4 members of our group when they were unable to get off quick enough and were trapped on the tram until it made it’s next stop. They were on their own to find their way back to Haarlelm and our hotel. Luckily, most of the people in Amsterdam speak English.

We had dinner together at De Lachende Javaan an Indonesian restaurant. Everything was served family style and it was all very good even though we weren’t really sure what all we were eating.

Tomorrow we get on the bus for the first time to drive to Bacharach, Germany.