September: Amsterdam

 The night before we were to drop off L'il Guy, we stayed just outside Amsterdam to make our drive to the port easier.  Jack had a friend in the campground that kept trying to bite his toes!

The next day, we drove to the dock area northwest of Amsterdam and said goodbye to L'il Guy and took a taxi back to the Marriott in central Amsterdam. The hotel was in a perfect spot for us to do all of our in-city sightseeing.

We took a canal cruise around the city that included the main harbor where this Tall Ship is permanently moored.

This is not a half sunken ship, it is their new maritime museum and the open deck part is filled with sand to make a beach!

Picturesque canal side homes, ships and many, many houseboats 

We visited the Anne Frank house.  By going after 7pm, the line was only one hour long - the attendant said the line had been three hours in the afternoon.!  The house itself was surprising as it was not a house, but a commercial building that Anne Frank's father had purchased to house his business of milling spices.  The building had been remodeled before it became a museum in the 60's.  Fortunately, the upstairs hidden rooms where the Franks and two other families lived were not disturbed and we could see the various magazine cutouts, etc., that Anne glued to the walls to decorate them, like most teenage girls.

This small statue of Anne Frank is just around the corner in a church courtyard

Surprisingly, this is the front of the Anne Frank house.

The only member of the family to survive was Anne's father and he personally made sure the rooms were authentic.  Anne and her sister died of typhus, just weeks before the camps were liberated.  So tragic.

Amsterdam Canal Flower Market

boats everywhere

bicycles everywhere

A popular store that specializes in American and British food

We thoroughly enjoyed the vibrant spirit of Amsterdam and we walked miles and miles along the canals.  We did make a quick tour of the infamous Red Light District on a Saturday afternoon, but it was ridiculously tame....older, overweight women in the windows in bikinis.  Maybe because it was the afternoon?  We spent two very busy days in Amsterdam, but loved all of Holland.

Next stop:  Summerville, South Carolina and home.  It has been an astounding trip with a few difficult moments, but truly the dream trip of a lifetime.