Our first day in Amsterdam was a cold and rainy one. Our hostel was located fairly close to the Central Station. However, it was across the water – so we had to take a quick ferry to get to and from the mainland. The ferry is short, only about 5 minutes – and it’s free public transportation. It was always full with people on foot, on bicycles, and in little mini cars. We attempted to brace the weather after we were settled in our hostel. Rick Steves had a city walking tour that we wanted to do that took us down a main street, Damrak.
It was about 50 degrees that day with 30 mph winds – and quite miserable if I have to say. We got about halfway through our walking tour when we called it quits. It had started to rain again and my socks were wet through my shoes, we were both freezing, and pretty hungry. We went back to the hostel to dry off and take a hot shower determining to make it out the next day no matter what.
Our second day in the city was still pretty chilly, but luckily the rain had passed and we were able to stay dry! The Van Gogh Museum was on the agenda today. This was something that Ryan had been looking forward to our entire trip. We pretty much had designated the whole day to this as not to rush us in any way. Unfortunately we weren’t able to take any pictures inside the museum – so I can’t show you guys some of the amazing art that we saw that day, but I can attempt to describe our experience.
The Van Gogh Museum was laid out chronologically through Van Gogh’s life. Both Ryan and I loved this layout as we got to see Van Gogh’s progression, mental illness, and other influences on his work come out in his paintings. It started us off with his upbringing and how he grew up, and then they showed us pieces of art that Van Gogh himself was inspired by. It really helped me especially (who has no background in art), understand how and why Van Gogh painted in ways that he did and the way he created his own style through other’s influences. Vincent didn’t start painting until he was an adult, about 10 years before he died.
It was incredible watching this man try to capture light, life, humanity, emotion, and so much more through painting. And what’s more, succeed in doing so. Ryan was completely in his element and if I dare say so – inspired. I do imagine that once we get settled back in Austin that Ryan will start painting again soon. The museum took us through Van Gogh’s mental illness and struggle with depression and extreme mood swings – and how it effected his art. Van Gogh is famous for his painting, but he was a great writer as well and wrote consistent letters to his brother Theo that we got to see and read.
Van Gogh was obsessed with peasant life. He didn’t want to paint grandiose scenes, but the every day, the normal people. One of his famous paintings – The Potato Eaters was at the museum. With this painting he wanted to show that ” they have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish … that they have thus honestly earned their food”. The museum ended with artists’ work who were inspired by Van Gogh. They really had it come full circle and it was super cool to see that.
Our third day in the city we got to tour the Anne Frank House. I was really looking forward to this as I had just finished reading Anne Frank’s Diary. I’ve always wanted to read it and thought I’d better do it now before I actually go see where she lived while writing it, and I’m so glad I did. Guys, it was so much smaller than you can even imagine. When reading a book, your mind fills in an environment where the action is taking place. And while Anne did describe small living quarters, there were multiple rooms, and 3 stories where they were hiding. You just didn’t realize that the “kitchen” was also the bedroom for the Van Daan couple, and the living room, and where they ate. Peter Van Daan’s room was basically just a corridor shared with a ladder to the attic. It just further put into perspective the struggle they and many other families went through to avoid persecution.
I feel like it’s really hard for people, even me, to sometimes grasp what the Holocaust really was. We hear these massive numbers and we can’t relate. That’s too big for us to wrap our heads around. While Anne Frank was just one girl, out of millions, she helped me understand.. just a little bit, how pervasive this was across Europe. There was a short video at the end of the tour where author John Green talked about the log of deaths at the concentration camp that was on display at the museum,
“The book was turned to the page with Anne Frank’s name, but what got me about it was the fact that right beneath her name there were four Aron Franks. FOUR. Four Aron Franks without museums, without historical markers, without anyone to mourn them. I silently resolved to remember and pray for the four Aron Franks as long as I was around.”
I think what Anne Frank did was help us identify with the “Aron Franks”. She was real. She was utterly human – just like every other 17+ million people who died as a result of the Holocaust. And we uniquely got an front row seat to her fears, hopes, and dreams through her diary. I really wish everyone could learn history this way. Not just reading it, but seeing it, touching it, living it. Later on Ryan and I will be traveling in Auschwitz, and I really feel like we will get a deeper history lesson than ever before.
On a lighter note – after leaving the Anne Frank museum we walked around the windy streets and alleyways of Amsterdam for a bit. And then we came upon a Dutch Pancake place (recommended by Rick & Tanya) called Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs. This was seriously some of the best food we have had! We loved it! Ryan got a bacon pancake, and I had an apple & chocolate sauce pancake. If you’re willing to brace some extremely steep stairs and wait for a table (there are only four in this upstairs restaurant) then this will be well worth it! We thoroughly enjoyed Amsterdam and are looking forward to our next city – PRAGUE!
