Day 6: Amsterdam, Netherlands

The rest of the trip is going to be low key . . . only plan to visit one maybe two museums each day.  I am taking the outlook of having a slow paced, relaxing trip and taking time to just enjoy!  First stop was to the Anne Frank House.  Let me just say if you are ever thinking of visiting, be sure you book your tickets far in advance because they go quickly!  They do have walk in only times in the afternoon but have read the lines can be hours long.  I had also read about a special ticket that goes on sale only two weeks in advance.  This is the only reason I managed to get tickets.  It is a special program with a 30 minute introduction with a historian and then a self guided tour of the house.  Let me say it was fabulous and so glad this was the ticket we got.  The historian was amazing and gave great information before going inside the tour.  There are of course no photos inside the Anne Frank House but you can imagine what it must have been like for the family.  The one fact that I did not know was that they family did not leave the house for 3 years!  Can you imagine what that must have felt like?  It totally makes sense that she kept such a detailed journal of her experiences.  Again, just standing and walking around the house made you appreciate the life you have now.
These are not my photos . . . it said no photos so I did not take photos.  I found them online.
Since the family did not leave the house for three years, they would put photos and ads on the walls from magazines that were smuggled in to them.

 The bookcase covered the stairs that lead to where they hid . . .

It was interesting to know that where they lived/hid was not visible from the street.  It was a house that was behind the main house where those stairs behind the bookcase led.

I can not imagine . . . at least they had a much larger area to live compared to the tin Boom family.

After such a deep experience, what I really needed was a break . . . a break in Dam Square.  It is nice to sit, relax, enjoy a cappuccino, and watch people.  We headed over the to SkyLounge at the Double Tree Hotel . . . great view . . .

and a refreshing drink too!  Thankfully it isn't as hot as Spain!

We did a little shopping and explored the canals.  My favorite thing to do in Amsterdam was just walk the canals and admire the beautiful houses.  Apparently, I totally forgot to take photos while in Amsterdam!