Amsterdam Day II

The Anne Frank Museum.  The bottom part was the warehouse and now museum with displays and photos of the families who hid there from the Nazis.  The top floors were where they hid for two years and where Anne wrote her famous diary.

Our first stop, on our second day in Amsterdam,  was the Anne Frank Museum.  It was a good thing we bought tickets online because we would not have gotten in otherwise.  Going inside the building that has become so famous was really an outstanding, but also depressing experience.  To be there where Anne Frank and her family hid for two years from the Nazis is hard to really put into words.  Seeing the wallpapered walls reminded me that at one time, these rooms were ordinary places to be.  Brave people hid them there and brought them food and supplies.  During the day they were unable to move around for fear of being heard by the people below.  The annex where they lived, was hidden behind a book case, so when checks were made, the Nazis could not tell they were hiding there.  I can't imagine how depressing and stressful it must have been.  But at the same time, from her writing, we know that there was also a sense of hope that someday this would all be over.  Of course no one except Anne Frank's father survived.  They all died in concentration camps.

As we moved through the rooms and up the narrow steps everyone was silent out of respect for what occurred within these walls.  When I left I felt drained, but also had a renewed appreciation for the freedom I have.  I won't ever forget going there.

The Van Gogh Museum in the Museum Quarter in Amsterdam.

The Van Gogh Museum was wonderful.  Seeing his paintings up close really made me appreciate the vibrant colors he used to create the mood and emotions in his paintings.  His famous work, Sunflowers was on display and was the highlight for me, of the collection.

We walked all over Amsterdam on our second day, for a total of about 10 miles!  I can hardly wait to go back again!