We headed out this morning for the walk to Anne Frank's House; it took about half an hour or so without getting lost. Even though it was spitting rain and a little windy, we kept going. Once we got there we realized why our guidebook said to go either first thing in the morning or later in the day/evening, the lineup was huge! There were a number of school groups and people who had purchased tickets online in advance which added to our wait, overall though it wasn't that bad and it was absolutely worth it.
We watched a number of videos about Anne Frank and her family who went into hiding in Amsterdam once Jewish people were being arrested and sent to concentration camps during World War ||. There were many excerpts from her diary, photos, and even the posters she had in her room in the "Secret Annex" where eight people hid in until betrayed and then arrested. It was very emotional to walk through the rooms she lived in, where she feared for her life and wrote about the injutices taken against her Jewish community. I choked up a few times, especially when I read that her diary was the voice of 1.5 million children who were killed in concentration camps. It was a very unique and humbling experience to witness this home and the devestating history it has been a part of. Anne was killed in a concentration camp one month before the Jewish people were liberated - only her father survived out of he family of four. It was heartbreaking to watch a video of him speak about reading his daughter's diary; To paraphrase; 'In conclusion, I guess that parents don't ever really know thier children'. How sad that he learned the depth and wisdom of such a talented, articulate and smart young girl after it was too late. If you haven't read "A diary of a young girl", I encourage you to do so.
After our tour through Anne Frank's house we decided it was time to get something for lunch. I had read that pancakes are pretty popular so we stopped at a restaurant called the "Pancake Bakery" on our way home. If you can believe it, one of their traditional pancakes is bacon and banana! So, seeing as that would satisfy Jeff's savoury side and my sweet tooth, we ordered one to share. Jeff immediately said he would make it at home, it was so delicious.
We then cruised through the street taking pictures of the beautiful city, with all of it's canals, houseboats and gorgeous architechture. We spent some time this afternoon planning our next part of our trip. We booked a place in Brussels for Friday through Sunday before heading into Germany; I think we're figuring it out :) At least we know where we're going the day after tomorrow!
We went for dinner at another Chinese place - €8.50 for all you can eat buffet. There wasn't a lot to choose from but we definitely got our bang for our buck. We're going to head to the supermarket tomorrow to pick up some healthier options.
After dinner we perused the Red Light District. Now, I was expecting lots of adult novelty shops and bars and seedy looking places, and I really wasn't disappointed... But it was the peepshows and all the rest of it that caught me a little off-guard! lol. The strangest part for me is walking past window after window of girls surrounded by red light and a red curtain, posing in pervocative ways, in skimpy outfits, winking at you, trying to get your attention and selling their "wares". I felt awkward looking at them so I just smiled politely and kept going... lol A girl we met in line for the Anne Frank House had heard that someone offered one of the girls the same amount of money for their services just to get an interview, but was refused... I wonder what that's about. We also checked out the Erotic Museum which had a ton of pieces of artwork, ranging from video, paint, sketches, figurines, models... You name it. There were a number of levels and themes, it was pretty neat!
Anyway, the Red Light District is a neat place with lots to see, if you're not squeamish about sex and eroticism; if you're even slightly embarrassed this place may be too much! lol
It's midnight here and it's been another long, busy and enjoyable day on our adventure.
Until next time.
XXX OOO
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