I set forth at 9am this morning in the cold and damp (it's perpetually like this) and walked the few blocks to visit the Anne Frank House. It was a little building/house that stands fairly empty. I didn't know this prior to my visit, but after the group was captured by the Nazi's, they had stripped the house of all it's furnishings. Many years later (I think around the 1960's) when they turned the house into a museum, Otto Frank (Ann's father) insisted on leaving the house as is...unfurnished. The most compelling item for me was the movable bookcase. When I was young girl I had seen the movie that starred Millie Perkins as Anne, and was deeply affected by what I saw. I had not known anything about WWII or the Nazi's or the Holocaust prior to this movie. I will never forget the sound of the Nazi's coming up the staircase, and the discovery of the hiding place behind the bookcase. It made an impression on me that has stayed with me to this day.
All in all, the house is a moving tribute to Anne, her family, and the others who were in the hiding place during the occupation.
After visiting the Frank House, I took a canal boat to the museum district. I found my way to the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum of contemporary art. I liked this museum better than the Van Gogh! To tell the truth, together, the Metropolitan Museum and the MOMA in NYC have more Van Goghs! The Met has a ton of his self-portraits, which are my favorite, along with the Olive Grove paintings. I will say one thing, though...putting those Van Goghs under glass is a damn shame. You can't see the textures very well or experience the glistening of the oil paint when they are under glass. They had a few that were not under glass and there was a huge difference. My favorite Van Gogh there? "Wheat Field with Crows". Beauty.
After this I made my way back to the canal boat for the rest of my tour, but had an hour to kill so I went to lunch in the American Cafe across from the boat dock. I have not had a cheeseburger in I don't know how long and thought it sounded good. They claimed that this burger was the "Classic American" burger. I must
protest. This burger comes with a sunny-side-up egg on top. Hello????? Are you serious? This was supposed to come with bacon...it didn't. So, they removed the egg and the bacon and left on the tomato, which I told them to remove from the order, along with the egg. Hmmm. Not so good. I had a few bites and left to catch my boat.
So, that's it for today. I got back at 3 in time for tea, and here I sit, counting down the days until I go home...
Happy Thanksgiving all...
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| Big House Boat |
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| Reflections |
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| Canal |
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| Anne Frank House |
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| Clock Tower next to Frank House |
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| More Reflections |
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| View from the Boat |
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| Along the Canal |
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