Amsterdam

Below is the only picture I could get of Anne Franks house














Pictures of the houseboat that we stayed on called the Beagle


Heineken Brewery






Scenery of the streets and canals

On Thursday, April 8, we departed from Paris to Amsterdam via train. The ride was about four hours or so and we left early in the morning from Paris...almost overslept...and arrived in Amsterdam around 11am. First thing we did was check into our hostel-which was a houseboat. There were only four beds on the boat which was perfect considering that's how many there were with us. The captain of the boat checked us in and then went out of town for the time we were there. As a result it was just the four of us with the boat all to ourselves! The location was great just a short walk from the city center and train station. He had a computer on the boat which was also really nice and actually the beds were comfortable and the bathroom was decent. After checking in and dropping off our things we walked around the city. We went by the Van Gogh museum, but we didn't go in. It was quite expensive. Instead the other kids decided to go one of the other art museums close by while I walked through the shopping district. When they finished we sat at a park nearby for a while before grabbing dinner and heading in for the night. On Friday we got up early and went to Anne Frank's house first. The line was a bit long but went by rather quickly. It was also fairly expensive but completely worth it! It was by far my favorite part about Amsterdam. The way they have the museum set up is just really good, and you really learn a lot about what happened to the people who were hiding there and what they went through and finally what happened to them all. I could go on and on about the house, but I won't. The one thing that I will say is that they did not allow pictures from the inside and because the home was hidden completely from the outside I could not get any pictures whatsoever of the actual hiding place. The place they hid was her father's warehouse and the home was hidden in it behind a bookshelf, so the only picture that I have is from the outside which simply blends in to the surroundings. After we visited the house we went to lunch and had paninis at a cafe along one of the canals. Being as though there is not a lot of sight-seeing things to do in Amsterdam, the rest of Friday and most of Saturday was spent shopping and walking around. Of course there was a lot to see just walking around in Amsterdam between the red light district and the beautiful scenery of canals. Because of it's reputation for a good nightlife and other activities, I didn't have very high expectations for the city as a whole, but I was completely wrong. Amsterdam is really a nice city. The canals are lined with cafes, flowers, shops, and homes. People sit outside along the canals at the cafes or on their doorsteps all day. Boats are constantly going down the canals and many other boat houses as well.We saw a lot of parks and all with beautiful flowers in them especially tulips which is something Holland is known for. Oh and everyone rides bikes! Bikes are everywhere and everyone is riding them. They have special lanes for bikers and stoplights for them. I have never seen a city with more bikers in it! Overall the red light district is kept on smaller side streets and not really noticed too much in the big picture of the city. I was surprised at how many older people were visiting the city as tourists and how many children were there too in school groups. However, the city was so beautiful, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. But be warned...it does have its reputation for a reason and there is definitely a lot to do and see there that you wouldn't normally run in to!

Well, enjoy the pictures!