Post #10: The Amsterdam Tours

Side note: we went on some tours yesterday as well, but I thought that it might make more sense to separate Amsterdam into history and tours, rather than by day. Thus, the last two posts are not separated by day necessarily.

Today we wake up early so that Jan can prepare our room for the next guest. Breakfast is the same as yesterday, but the sun has come out to make the conversation cheerier. It takes us a few hours to shower and pack after we eat, but Jan is patient. He is helpful as well, as he agrees to let us keep our luggage in the corridor until we leave.

We first decide to tour Rembrandt's house. It turns out that Rembrandt was kind of a rock star, as he was quite the sought after artist while he was alive. His first house cost 13,000 guilders when the average yearly wage was only 500 guilders (he defaulted on his loan 20 years later). His mastery of his art (he painted and etched equally well) is quite obvious, even to a lay person, and we found him so good that it was chilling. He and everyone in the house slept in beds housed in cupboards. Apparently, they slept sitting up so that they didn't suffocate (a common fear then). He also had quite the eclectic collection of art, which he apparently used to teach his pupils. We found his art spellbinding, and might just become collectors after this.

We had a tough time deciding, but our next stop was the Heineken Experience. A lot behind that had to do with timing, but we got a free canal ride out of it, so we thought it was worth it. As far as an experience, it was so so. The brewing process is the same just about everywhere, and you drink beer the same everywhere. However, what was cool was that they have a livery, and in Amsterdam they opperate like a Budweiser Clydesdale, pulling barrels of draught to different vendors. They have a cool slogan that says "horses have been a valued asset to our company since 1864," which I like. After several videotechnical presentations, we emerge on the other side ready for our canal ride. We are too late though (actually, the boat left early), so we put off the canal ride till the following day. It is well worth the wait. Amsterdam by canal is almost like seeing a different Amsterdam. All of the bridges and houseboats merge together to form an amalgamate of lazy sailors and brilliant architecture, which of course makes us jealous of the lifestyle.

We decided to hit up the Anne Franke house next. As you can imagine, it is a very somber couple of hours. No new information, just neat to experience the house that the Franke family and the others hid out in for so long. As I mentioned before, the Dutch feel very guilty about the Anne Franke ordeal, as it was a Dutchman who betrayed them (although they don't know who). The Dutch had allowed the Germans to live here peacefully for quite a while, and it had become a vacation spot for German soldiers that needed reprieve from the front lines. However, the Germans started enforcing stricter rules, and it was incidents like the capture of the Franke family that spurred the Dutch revolt against German occupation.

In between all of these wonderful experiences,  we spend a significant amount of time just wandering the city. All of the architecture and house arrangement is so unique and foreign that it is sort of fun just to walk down back alleys to see what we come across next. Along the way, we get a good dose of culture, human interaction, and the way that the Dutch think. Our lunch is a prime example of this. We inadvertently stop at a little cafe that is hidden in plain sight, right next to what must be a farmers market. Later, we discover that the patrons of this cafe are all the artsy type; you know, the kind who like to sit for hours in one spot to people watch and get inspiration. Thus, lunch takes forever, as no one in this place is in a hurry. We decide to embrace it and have fun anyway. This is vacation, after all.

Afterwards, we know that we need to leave, but we head to the farmers market to get some flowers for Jan. We head back to Jan's, pick up our stuff, and say our goodbyes before heading to the train station. Feeling very relaxed and not stressed in the slightest, we stop for some Dutch pancakes first. This hidden gem is something that is a mouthwatering experience. The cakes are as big as a Clydesdale's hoof, and melt-in-your-mouth good. This adds to the relaxed feeling, and the train station this time is not as intimidating. We have a c4 compartment (this train sold out months ago, so we were lucky to have this), and our bunkmates are a nice couple from Sweden. We all talk for a long time, and hunker down for the 14 hour ride to Copenhagen.

Drew and Nicole