In reality we have spend the last couple of days in Haarlem but today we are going to take the train and go into the city of Amsterdam. The plan is to go for a boat ride in the canals, guided tour of our first museums(two) and then Genine got us tickets to the Ann Frank House. Dinners on our own.

Took the train into the big city… arrived and had a walk about with a local tour guide. Something that works well is each one of has a small wireless receiver and the guide has a transmitter you wear one ear bud and you can actually hear what they are saying.

The boat ride in the canal was my favorite part… had some good street food for lunch. Went to the first museum and everyone seemed to enjoy it but for me there was too many people. Still some breath taking art and our guide had great knowledge and lots of passion. So the tour guide I am married too (Genine) said we had tickets to the Van Gogh museum which was even more packed with people and I am not a fan of his work. If there is a hell on earth it be for me to be trapped in that environment. Sorry to be dramatic but I do not do well with crowds!

The Ann Frank house tells the story we should all review. There is a quote at the Boise memorial for Ann from Albert Einstein I wish I could remember…?

I will look for it because it is about the people that did not speak up about what the Nazi regime was doing!

found it

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.

Ann Frank

Learned the big reason for all the brick construction has to with that several times in the history of Amsterdam it has burned to ground because the houses were made of wood. In fact there only two houses in the whole city made of wood. Fire ,flood and the plague has brought this great city to its knees.

from Genine: a long day 4, but truly remarkable. We were at breakfast at 7 am and we turned at 22:10…a bunch of tired pups. We had a walking tour, we took a river cruise through the canals and out to the main port. We visited the RiJksmuseum, featuring masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. We had a tour guide that was a retired school teacher and honestly it was fabulous. We left and immediately went to the Van Gogh museum, which we all really were much more inspired by Rembrandt. That being said, this is art and we all are not the same and There were even more people in the Van Gogh museum, which did not help.

we left there, grabbed dinner and headed to the Anne Frank house. We got on a bus to the Amsterdam train station after that (Anne frank house: her marbles, the marks on the wall measuring her growth during their two years of hiding and the photos really brought it home. We can not forget our history and it’s vital we know it so as to not repeat it. What a terrible time in our supposed civilized society.) then took a train and arrived home. Definitely tired!! Definitely thankful!♥️