Wow, where to begin? Normally I can pick out a couple of pictures that capture the basics of our day, but this time, it was hard to pick just a few. There was so much to do and see, and so much to share with you about our lovely day in Amsterdam. We took a tour bus to the city, and got off in front of the Heineken Brewery with the instructions "The bus heads home at 8 pm, so be on it!" We stood there a minute, more than a little overwhelmed. How on earth do you cram a lifetime of adventure in so little time? Then our rumbling stomachs kicked us into action and we headed down the road to the Hard Rock Cafe. Food before culture, I always say! It's beautiful there. Canals everywhere!
In the little plaza outside the restaurant, a pair of gentlemen were playing a game of chess. I have got to get one of these chess sets. How cool is that? I think I'll put it on my Christmas list!
After a super lunch (with a very handsome Austrailian waiter-I'm just saying), we headed back to the Heineken Brewery for a tour. I now know more about how to brew a Heineken than I every thought possible. For the beer drinkers out there...they love to give out free samples. If you are ever in the area, it's well worth your time to go and check it out. Everyone is extremely nice and can answer any questions you have every dreamed about asking concerning the brewing process of beer.
The tour walks you through each step of the process of making beer. It's a full sensory tour--you get to touch and taste things at different stages. This is the site of the origional brewery. After we finished our tour, we asked the kind employees there how to get to the Ann Frank house. (See? I actually remember something educational from High School! Aren't you proud of me?) Long story short, they sent us out to get on the tram system. The tram is like an above ground subway system that flies through the city at an alarming pace. There are two major routes, both of which connect at Central Station. If you can read numbers and have a nice person willing to interpret the signs for you, you can go anywhere in the city on the tram. Two tram rides later, and we were dropped off at a big church near the Ann Frank House.
There is a statute in front of the church as a tribute to Ms. Frank. The tram driver had told us that the house was just on the other side of the church, so off we went.
This is the canal that runs in front of the house. Unfortunately, half of the population of the Netherlands were in line to tour the house, and we were on a tight schedule. After waiting for a little while in the line, we decided to take a picture and return for our tour another day. (If you want to tour it, be sure to buy your tickets on line in advance, and you can pass right by the line outside. We did not know this ahead of time.) Here is the site.
http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2
It's such a nice, regular looking house. There is nothing to even hint at what went on in there. You can just imagine a young girl peeking out from behind the curtains and wishing she could go out to play and live a normal life.
In case you are wondering what Central Station looks like, here it is. It's a very busy place, but well organized. We were in and out very quickly.
This is the view from Central Station toward the canals.
This is an Amsterdam parking garage. Did I mention bikes are really big in Europe?
This is a famous international super model that agreed to spend her day with us as we explored the city. (We almost lost her a few times because the city is full of "hot guys with great accents" and apparently the Heineken Brewery is their Mother Ship.) After running all over the city, we stopped at a local cafe and had cappuccino and bitterballen, a Dutch snack that translates to "bitter balls". They aren't bitter at all, and are very good. They look like hush puppies, but are little deep fried ball with a soft inside made of pureed veggies and beef. You dip them in a dijon like mustard. Yum! You can find the recipe online if you are feeling adventurous and don't live near this area. In all, it was a very fun and interesting day... and we made it back to the bus with 5 minutes to spare. I call that a success!
This is the canal that runs in front of the house. Unfortunately, half of the population of the Netherlands were in line to tour the house, and we were on a tight schedule. After waiting for a little while in the line, we decided to take a picture and return for our tour another day. (If you want to tour it, be sure to buy your tickets on line in advance, and you can pass right by the line outside. We did not know this ahead of time.) Here is the site. http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2
It's such a nice, regular looking house. There is nothing to even hint at what went on in there. You can just imagine a young girl peeking out from behind the curtains and wishing she could go out to play and live a normal life.
In case you are wondering what Central Station looks like, here it is. It's a very busy place, but well organized. We were in and out very quickly.
This is the view from Central Station toward the canals.
This is a famous international super model that agreed to spend her day with us as we explored the city. (We almost lost her a few times because the city is full of "hot guys with great accents" and apparently the Heineken Brewery is their Mother Ship.) After running all over the city, we stopped at a local cafe and had cappuccino and bitterballen, a Dutch snack that translates to "bitter balls". They aren't bitter at all, and are very good. They look like hush puppies, but are little deep fried ball with a soft inside made of pureed veggies and beef. You dip them in a dijon like mustard. Yum! You can find the recipe online if you are feeling adventurous and don't live near this area. In all, it was a very fun and interesting day... and we made it back to the bus with 5 minutes to spare. I call that a success!
No comments:
Post a Comment