We left Paris on Monday morning and just barely made our train to Amsterdam. We were the very last people to get on but thankfully jumped on just in time. The train ride to Amsterdam was uneventful and we arrived at the Central Station at 4:00 in the afternoon.
After checking into our AirBnB and eating some dinner we made our way to Anne Frank's House. The house is open for tours until 10pm each night and we knew there would be a long wait, but this was our number one priority for our stop in Amsterdam. If you plan your tour months in advance you can buy tickets for admission in the morning and don't have to wait in line, but we were simply not that organized so we had to endure the wait. After about two and a half hours in line (with some ice cream as we waited) we were admitted to the house at about 9pm. Pictures of the inside of the house are not allowed, but it is easy to find images online.
The tour through the house was really incredible. The original bookcase that hid the secret annex still stands right next to the entrance of the staircase. All the furniture was removed from the house and Otto Frank insisted that it remain that way as a sign of all that was lost when the house was raided. The annex is two floors and at first glance actually seems much more spacious than I first imagined. However, once I realized that no furniture was in there and eight people shared that small space for over two years it is incredible to imagine. In Anne's room the pictures she put on the wall of some movie stars and Princess Elizabeth still adorn the walls as does the map where the family marked the movement of the German troops. The small bathroom that the occupants could use only in the early morning and evening still holds the mirror where Anne carried out her extensive beauty routine. It was simply incredible to walk through the rooms where several families sat in near silence for hours at a time hoping that they would not be found by German soldiers.
After walking through the house there are exhibits in the museum that show some of the artifacts from the house. Of course Anne's famous red diary sits in an enclosed case and pieces of her other diaries (she filled several notebooks while in hiding) are around the rooms. She dreamed of being a writer and planned to write a story called The Secret Annex after the war, but her true account was published and the truth may be harder to believe than any fictional story she could have written. We were a little rushed looking at everything, but by seeing her actual pieces of writing was pretty amazing. What a gift to the world to be able to read Anne's thoughts and feelings.
As I sit and write from so far from the United States it strikes me that the hatred that sent Anne into hiding is still alive in our world. There is so much fear and hatred of the "other" being enacted on our streets and being spouted from the mouths of some leading politicians. It is scary and distressing and hits close to home as my own two children are part of the targeted minority group. So, while Anne's dream of being a writer was realized with the publication of her diary, her dreams of a world where people could just be people are far from true.
The next day we wanted to walk around more of Amsterdam to see the canals and the old city. Amsterdam is quite pretty and the canals wind all around the center of the town. Talia was getting a little tired of being dragged to museums and churches so she and Adam spent the afternoon at our apartment playing, but Tea and I went to the Van Gogh Museum, the other site I really wanted to check out while in Holland.
Van Gogh has been my favorite artist for years and I was eager to check out a museum dedicated to him and his art. Tea said she wanted to come along and was glad she did. The museum offers a great scavenger hunt for children and that made the visit more engaging for Tea. We saw plenty of Van Gogh's self portraits and some of his most famous pieces. My favorite piece, Bedroom in Arles, was on display in this museum and I was struck by how bright the colors are. I originally saw this painting years ago at the Musee d'Orsay and fell in love with it there; I was pleased to see my memory served me well and it is still my favorite piece of art. Tea loved Sunflowers and read Camille and the Sunflowers and What's So Great About Van Gogh in preparation for our visit so she was excited to see pictures that she had seen in her books.
Our brief stop in Amsterdam was well worth it. Seeing Anne Frank's house was something I had wanted to do for years and sharing the story with Tea was really cool. There are two great age-appropriate books that explain her story and Tea was really excited to see the house. Of course it is hard for her to truly understand what it means to be in hiding in that small apartment for over two years, but she asked great questions and will hopefully remember this visit when she does read Anne's diary in a few years.
Our next stop is LegoLand in Denmark! The girls need a break from art, history and churches so we are going to the Holy Land of Toys to have a day of fun in Billund!