Days: 0 - 3
Sept 15-18, 2006
Conversion rate on
our visit:
$1.27 = €1.00
Amsterdam
                    
   
What We Had
Cloudy/Sunny/Cloudy
High: 72° F Low: 47° F
Averages
High: 66° F Low: 49° F
 Current Conditions
Haarlem Amsterdam Bacharach Rothenburg Reutte Venice Florence Rome Cinque Terre Lauterbrunnen Beaune Paris

Page Index
WOW Moments
•  Bike Parking Structure
•  Van Gogh Museum
What We Learned
•  Helpful Hint
What We Saw
•  Anne Frank House
•  Canal Tour
•  Dam Square
•  Hollandsche Schouwburg
•  Red Light District
•  Resistance Museum
•  Rijksmuseum (State Museum)
Where We Ate
•  Marche du Monde

 
  Overview
 

​We stayed in Haarlem while visiting Amsterdam and after a great breakfast at our hotel we took a short train ride into Amsterdam.

While planning our visit we looked at various maps for the locations of the museums and churches we were interested in seeing. We had an impression of a well organized and neatly designed city...windmills and wooden shoes. You talk about wrong. From the various pictures, you'll see a bustling city with people moving about on foot, on bikes, in cars (small ones), on buses and even trams.

Unfortunately for us, there was construction in front of the train station. It prevented us from easily finding the tourist information building and the place where you get the trams. We found both after we wandered a bit and caught a tram to the Dutch Resistance Museum.

We returned to Amsterdam the next day with our tour group. It was a BUSY day visiting the Dam Square, Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, a canal tour and the red light district. As I said it was a busy day, the first of many we were to have over the next three weeks.
 
 
  WOW Moments Van Gogh Museum
 

The Museum from the outside

​While waiting to get into the Rijksmuseum, we strolled down the street to the Van Gogh Museum. It was too bad that we had only an hour to visit. The art of Van Gogh is breathtaking! Many of the paintings (be sure to visit the web site, below) were works we had seen many times before. The difference...we were standing only a couple of feet from the real thing!! (Be sure to go to the museum website (below) to see how close you can get).  Imagine, with no protection and nothing to prevent you from simply reaching out touching a painting that Van Gogh created. His paintings were in chronological order which showed not only the changes in his style but Van Gogh's many moods. Thankfully, his brother collected his paintings after his death and preserved them for the finest Van Gogh collection in the world.

We took advantage of the audio program available at the main desk. You learn a great deal more when you have commentary about the artist, details of why the paintings were created and the influences of Van Gogh's fellow artists on his work and life.

THIS IS A MUST SEE WHEN YOU'RE IN AMSTERDAM!! yes heart

BTW...we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the museum.
Van Gogh Museum
Museumplein 6
1071 DJ Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 570 5200
         
 
 
  WOW Moments Bike Parking Structure
​
 

Bike Parking Structure

Everyone in Amsterdam rides bikes as shown by this huge parking structure for BIKES.
   
 
 
  What We Learned Helpful Hint

Having purchased a map of Amsterdam before leaving Michigan, we bought stick-on arrows to note places we identified for meals and sites we wanted to see.

We learned that the Netherlands produces 95% of the world's baby back ribs.
   
 
 
  What We Saw Anne Frank House

​


The second picture is how Anne's room looked when she was there.  The third is how we saw her room.

We have read the book and watched the movie but walking through the annex brought Anne's experience to life.  A little girl pasted her favorite pictures on the walls of her room to make it more alive.  The pictures are still there!

If this wasn't such a sad, sad story about such a beautiful innocent child...it would be a Wow moment.
Anne Frank House
Prinsengracht 267
Amsterdam, Netherland
Tel: 31-20-5567 105
      
 
 
  What We Saw Rijksmuseum (State Museum)
 

The Rijksmuseum (the Dutch State Museum) is a fantastic collection of Dutch art that dates back to the 18th century. To quote Rick Steves "Holland's Golden Age shines with the best collection, anywhere, of the Dutch masters-from Vermeer's quiet domestic scenes to Steen's raucous family meals to Hal's snapshot portraits to Rembrandt's moody brilliance". Well put Steve! I agree it's all that AND MORE!!

Lisa lead the tour of the museum. She walked us through and explained several of the pieces of art. Her explanation greatly enhanced the pieces we saw bringing each to life. The Still Life with Gilt Cup by Willem Claesz (below) was a fine example. No it's not a photograph of items on a table...it's a painting! She compared it to another work that looked very similar. Notice the reflections, how the plates are balanced on the edge of the table and the tones of paint that make the gilt cup come alive. You can't tell me the painting does not look like it was taken with a camera. As cool as that is, Lisa then compared it to another work that looked very similar. The two paintings looked the same...yet different. Lisa pointed out the parts that clearly made them different.

The Rijksmuseum is a must for everyone that comes to Amsterdam.
Rijksmuseum (State Museum)
Museumstraat 1
1071 XX Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0) 6747 20 000
      
 
 
  What We Saw Canal Tour
 

One of the best ways to see Amsterdam is by boat on one of its many canals.  The picture below is of our canal boat.  You are able to see pictures of our group on board and some buildings we saw by clicking on More Pics (below).

Take note of the fact that many of the houses are very narrow and tall.  The dutch built up, not sideways, because they were taxed based on the front footage along the canal.  There was a hook located near the roof in the middle of the house.  This was used to haul furniture or whatever to the various floors with a line and pulley.

There are more canals in Amsterdam than in Venice!  It's clear that you'd be lost traveling on them if you did not have a map.
 
 
  What We Saw Dam Square



Dam Square is located in central Amsterdam.  The Square is a multi-acre area encircled by buildings such as the Royal Palace (below), the Nieuwe Kerk Museum, and Madame Tussaud Wax Museum (see More Pictures, below).  In fact a building in the corner of the Square served as the Nazi headquarters during World War II.  The Square is a gathering place for locals and those with a talent to share (note the guy dressed in orange!)
 
 
 
  What We Saw Red Light District

  You don't see any pictures since we were not allowed to take any!  So what did we see...store fronts with "ladies of the night" advertising their wares!  What were they wearing...very little.  They rent the store fronts for the day/evening or both.  Quite an experience!
​
   
 
 
  What We Saw Resistance Museum
 

Out front

Inside

​The Netherlands were occupied by Nazi Germany during most of World War II.  How did the Dutch people respond to the increasing oppression of the occupying power? Who took up resistance? Why and in what ways? The Resistance Museum covered all forms of resistance: strikes, forging of documents, helping people go into hiding, underground newspapers, escape routes, armed resistance, and espionage. There were model streets and walls full of photos that made up the décor to help evoke the climate of the war years. The authentic objects, photos and documents, films and sound fragments, told the history of people who lived through that period. You saw, heard and, read fascinating stories about the exceptional as well as the everyday life.
   
 
 
  What We Saw Hollandsche Schouwburg
 

From the first picture above:
 
During part of the Second World War, in 1942 and 1943, this theatre building was used as a deportation centre for Jews.  Thousands of men, women and children were sent by train from here to Westerbork transit camp in Holland, and from there to death camps.
 
Hollandsche Schouwburg
Plantage Middenlaan 24
1018 DE Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 531 0310
      
 
 
  Where We Ate Marche du Monde
Marche du Monde
Kalverstraat 203
1012 XC Amsterdam, Netherland
Tel: 0900-235 83 63
      
 
 
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