Day 1, Saturday, April 12

Spring Break for us girls is not the typical college (or H.S.) Spring break of partying and wild behavior, although our destination could most certainly lend itself to that. This year, we headed off to the Netherlands (Holland if youve never heard of it) or, more specifically, Amsterdam: land of legalized marijuana and the red light district and of course tons of amazing art and culture too! For the first time ever we left NY on the same day school ended, but as our flight departed JFK at 10:55 pm, there was no rush and minimal stress since I agonized over packing the entire previous week. That, in itself, is rather ironic as I managed to get three peoples clothes (for 8 days) into one suitcase that weighed 39 pounds plus a small one for extra shoes and toiletries. Truth be told, we over-packed! The warmer-weather clothes didnt make it out of the closet and we couldve worn the same thing every day anyway since all our photos are with our coats on and zippered! More on Dutch weather to follow.

Pepe dropped us off at the curb at the airport and being that we were catching a late night flight the airport was delightfully empty! Although the check-in line was hardly long at all, I expressed my belief that I get priority due to my Delta Gold card. That seemed to work as we were put on the speedy queue. It took all of perhaps 3 minutes to check in and then we headed to security. That line was LONG; zig-zagging back and forth along what looked to be the entire width of the terminal. After the first zig one of the security personnel, seeing the girls and perhaps thinking they were kids, called me over and guided us to a (much) shorter line, reserved for the elderly or families with children under twelve! It took us roughly five minutes to pass through this checkpoint and we didnt even have to remove shoes, coats or unpack the laptop! Gotta love having a 20 year old daughter who measures a mere 4 10 ! As we walked through the terminal to the gate, I commented how I couldnt believe it had already been two years since our last mom/daughter trip abroad (Ireland). Time truly flies.

Speaking of flying, our plane was a 747, a model I havent flown for ages. Malka thought it was cool being on a double decker plane although I wouldnt call the upstairs 1st class lounge where she couldnt enter double decker. We boarded mid-plane and our seats were only about 5 rows from the door which made for comfortable entering and exiting, but that was the extent of comfort! I guess Im not cut out for overseas flights any more as the seats have gotten progressively smaller and closer together. The allure of flying is gone! As always, I DID manage to fall asleep between taxiing and take off (and remarkably we did take off on time!) At that point the lights were turned off and I wouldve been a happy camper had they remained that way. However, within a half hour, the lights were switched back on and dinner was being served (close to midnight). I threw a blanket over my head, not caring that I looked idiotic (Malka commenting to herself what IS she doing?!) and I TRIED to sleep as much as I could. Marina and I both agreed that if we make a concerted effort to keep our eyes shut we will sleep. I dont think it worked in my case as I was also freezing, but I tried. As for Malka, it looked as though she actually was successful in the endeavor as she reclined against the window the entire 7+ hours, but she swears she didnt sleep a wink and her moodiness upon landing might give her story credibility. All bitching aside, we landed at Schiphol Airport early, around 11:30 a.m., and so our Dutch adventure began.

After getting our luggage (brand new for this trip and already dirty ) we picked up our Holland Passes from the GWX Travelex office. These prepaid cards come with coupons for free entry to major attractions, 48 hour unlimited city public transportation and % off other admissions and shops. We also received free train tickets into Amsterdam, although we discovered that tickets are rarely even checked, or never in our case! It was easy enough to find our train and we were on our way. The rails here are fast and quiet and even though I stood the entire journey to the city, and was tired, we arrived without issue at Amsterdam Centraal.

Out in the street we encountered a maze of crisscrossing tracks amongst cobble stone streets, intersecting electric lines overhead which powered the trams, clanking bells, tons of pedestrians and a brilliant bright day that defies the Dutch weather stereotype. Malka right away commented on how cool and different this city was from the others we have travelled to. The architecture sure doesnt resemble that of Great Britain or Spain! We found the #5 tram line and took it a few stops, weaving along the streets and over canals, until we reached our destination and hotel, The Albus. Unfortunately, our room wasnt yet ready, but despite the fact we were pretty exhausted, we left our luggage and headed out to explore.

Turning right at the first tiny street by the hotel and walking a mere block we came upon Rembrandtplein (Square) which was formerly called Botermarkt after the butter market held there until the mid-19th century. The name changed when a statue of the artist was erected in 1876 in front of which stands a larger than life-size three-dimensional bronze reproduction of his famous painting the Night Watch. After walking around a bit we realized we should, perhaps, eat. We found a small and old looking eatery, kind of like a luncheonette, called Vandobben where we got a bite. While sitting there we noticed a number of customers, young men included, ordering glasses of milk as their choice beverage even though the drink didnt, to our American sensibility, match the meal. When paying I asked the middle-aged waitress if thats the norm here and she replied in perfect English: Ja! Milk makes us strong and tall and gives us big boobies as she lifted her hefty breasts to emphasize the point! The Dutch, we are finding, are very friendly, open and humorous.

We returned to the hotel around 3:00 by which time the room was ready. The Albus is what is called a boutique hotel, a rather small place on Vijzelstraat with 70 rooms over 8 floors (fewer rooms as you get higher up). Our room, 704, covers the entire width along the back of the narrow building. We have a lovely balcony overlooking the houses and yards below. We were all pretty tired and thought a power nap would do us well. The alarm didnt do the trick as I turned it off and the nap turned into a 2-3 hour much needed sleep to get over the jet lag.

Awake again, we headed to the famous, or infamous, Red Light District. Prostitution here dates back to the citys emergence as a port in the 13th century. By 1850, the city, with a population of 200,000 had more than 200 hundred brothels. This neighborhood is an eye opening experience. Narrow cobbled alleyways and lanes along the canals boast scantily clad women (mostly very young and not Dutch looking) in tiny windows. Illuminated by black lighting to accentuate their barely-there attire, they are framed by the glow of red light over and around the glass. Casually posed, the girls sat chatting on their cell phones, smoked, primped and primed themselves in front of mirrors and a few actually looked as if they were interested in catching the eye of a prospective customer. The area was packed with tourists; rowdy stag/bachelor parties (from England) and I mean ROWDY, and maybe even a few Amsterdammers as well. Loud groups of guys were egging each other on and we even overheard one guy, in his drunken state, offering 1 euro to a girl for her services. One thing for sure, its impossible to take pictures of them. THAT they notice right away, and they all have no photo signs on their windows, as if this were a museum of precious artwork. Well, in some sense I guess it is like a living museum although I was much more hesitant to really look at this art if you want to call it that. Maybe a man would have a different experience, but as a woman I found it difficult to stare at and further objectify the prostitutes even though that goes along with their job.

We walked up and down the canals and side streets trying not to inhale the fetid smoke emanating from all the coffee houses. Here coffee houses are not cafs like Starbucks but rather places where smoking marijuana or hash or eating cannabis-spiked desserts is probably the prime objective and a cup of java an afterthought. The amount of shops that either caters to sex or drugs, including marijuana cookies of different flavors or lollipops for only 1 euro apiece, was startling although expected. From there we walked a fair distance to find a more suitable area to have dinner. We came upon Hasta la Pasta, a small restaurant with only one employee who made our very tasty meal from scratch right in front of us; penne with pesto sauce and fresh buffalo mozzarella, spaghetti bolognaise and cream of broccoli soup. By the time we got back to the room and one thing or another, we went to sleep around midnight. A long first day!

Day 2, Sunday, April 20, 2014

The alarm worked better for us today as we were well rested and we awoke to a really sunny day. Aside from finding some place to eat breakfast, our #1 stop was the Rijksmuseum. It opens at 9:00 and we were there pretty close to then; totally avoiding the crowds or long line that comes later in the day. Today coincided with the one-year anniversary of the major renovation of this world-class museum and we were greeted with a piece of green-iced cake. Had I known there would be food that could have been my breakfast. The ornamented Neo-Gothic building is, in itself, majorly impressive but difficult to navigate. To get from one side to the other we had to climb numerous flights of steep stairs, compensation for the fact Im not going to the gym this week. We visited many galleries and of course saw Rembrandts the Night Watch in a tourist packed room. We perused an interesting, yet small, exhibit of twelve artists vying for the commission to paint the official portrait of the new King (Malka was bored by this), a lovely Renaissance collection, some modern piece of art; a globe covered by foil petals that open and close due to the heat of a light inside, and I cant remember what else as we wound our way through the maze of galleries.

Upon exiting we went to the museum gardens where there was an interesting fountain that springs up around you, should you want to stand inside. Marina did, but as it was chilly I passed, not wanting to possibly get wet. We walked through Museumplein (a large expanse of grass) to the Van Gogh Museum. By this time it was well after 11:00 and the line to enter was outrageous. We realized wed be best off coming back first thing another morning when it opens, rather than freeze on line outside for God knows how long and then be smushed inside by crowds. We took the tram back to the hotel from the Concertgebouw Concert Hall (1888) in order to pick up a jacket for Malka. Although the days (so far) have been very sunny, when the wind blows it becomes more than nippy. Ron, our former neighbor (and Dutchman) who recently moved back to Europe had e-mailed prior to our trip to warn me about Dutch weather and especially the wind-chill; advising to pack scarves, which Marina and I did. But Malka poo-pood the advice, took no heed and didnt believe him (?????) Who was a dummy today going out without a coat or sweatshirt? She admitted she would NOT be making that mistake twice.

After exiting the tram we walked through the bloemenmarkt (flower market) that is housed on permanently docked structures in a canal a block from the hotel. More than simply selling flowers, they feature tulip bulbs and other varieties (all reasonably priced but I dont think I can bring them back through US Customs) as well as start-up kits to grow your own weed! This I know would be a no-no to bring home! Oh Amsterdam a very liberal city indeed. We had lunch of Dutch pancakes in a small canal-side caf. These dont resemble their American counterparts at all as they are thin, like crepes, and take up an entire plate!

A brief rest in our room, no nap, and we energized for our next activity for the day; a canal cruise; a must-do for any visitor to this city. The tram took us to Central Station and a short walk away we found the Grey Line Canal Cruise dock. We traded in our Holland Pass tickets and boarded a glass-covered boat for an hour-long tour of the waterways, a pleasant manner by which to take in the varied architecture from a distinct and different vantage point. I learned: the origin of the name Amsterdam: the dam that was built along the Amstel River to keep the city from flooding duh the city is actually 1000 years old there are 100 km of canals throughout, built at various times in history the locks we passed formerly kept the city from flooding, no longer an issue as the city has been closed off from the North Sea at one point a moat (called Singel) surrounded the medieval city (still exists by the same name) there are over 2,000 houseboats along the canals, many of which popped up during a housing shortage in the 1970s but are now permanent fixtures for which inhabitants pay for the gas, water, sewer and electric lines to which they are connected that three rings of canals were carved out at later points (in the 17th century); the Herengracht where the wealthiest citizens built opulent stone faced large homes, the Keizersgracht and finally the Prinsengrahct this latter being less affluent a those with money lived closer to the citys center. What do you think gracht means?

While on the boat ride Marina heard mention of De Negen Straatjes which is an area consisting of three streets that cross all three of these canals and where there are quirky shops. She decided to make that our next destination (Malka didnt complain since there were shops) and it would eventually land us SOMEWHERE near Anne Frank Huis which we hoped to visit. First we stopped to pick up some Indonesian food that the girls, surprisingly, enjoyed and then we literally wove our way back and forth down these three streets; 3 streets x 3 canals = 9 little streets, de Negen Straatjes. We went into a bunch of places, some vintage, bought nothing and before we knew it, it was 6:00 and closing time for those shops that were actually open on a Sunday. I think the first Dutch word Marina learned was gesloten, which means, closed, and as she passed shop after shop and saw the little sign on the door she said gesloten/closed out loud. At one point she turned to tell Malka the shop was gesloten only to find she was actually talking to some random pedestrians as Malka and I tagged behind. Anyway, all the while Malka, who didnt bother to read the signs, kept thinking Marina was pointing out clothes (get it? clothes/closed). We know where Malkas mind is; shopping and NOW cute Dutch boys oy vey!

With this activity complete, we passed the chiming Westerkerk (1620s), which has the tallest tower (272 feet) in the city. Luckily at that time I didnt have my tourist info with me to point out that fact, and it was closed due to a concert, or we might have found ourselves on a vertical climb. We arrived at Anne Franks House and Museum and encountered a line even LONGER than that at the Van Gogh Museum. This site is actually open until 9 p.m. and it is advisable to go at a later hour to avoid the crowds. It was not near to that time and we were already tired from so much walking. We didnt want to randomly stroll for another few hours just to bide the time and so decided it would be best to make this a first stop for another day as well, to be able enjoy a more favorable viewing experience.

We walked around the block to the unimpressive Homomonument consisting of three (I only saw two) large pink granite triangles symbolizing the badge gay men were forced to wear in Nazi Concentration camps and which later became the emblem for gay pride. One triangle had an engraving of a poem by Jacob Israel de Haan but we didnt see anything with a translation or other information.

Even though our legs were well worn we decided to forgo public transportation back to the hotel. After making a pee and snack stop at McDonalds (where we THOUGHT the bathroom would be free- it wasnt - but still 50 cents cheaper than the 1 euro fee for toilets at the beautiful Magna Plaza) we walked down Kalverstraat. A busy shopping area, which takes its name from the livestock market on this site in the 15th century, it is now replete with all our American brand stores. Finally back in The Albus around 7:30 it wasnt long before the girls were asleep and now, at 9:20 p.m. they are still napping and we need to have dinner!

Day 3, Monday, April 14

Boy did I sleep well! We ended up briefly going out again last night for a snack around the corner. Marina had pizza at a joint called NY Pizza (not really like our real pizza but good enough for a late night bite). Malka had gelato and as for me a delicious waffle topped with melted Nutella YUM! Back in the room I passed out, not having had the luxury of a lengthy evening nap like the girls.

I awoke today totally refreshed and finally with a real game plan as to the days activities: map circled, Holland Pass book with pages ear-marked. I left the room a bit before 8 to go around the block to pick up some breakfast from Hema, a small grocery store (for lack of better word) that I spotted last night on the same street where we dined. Just encountering this shop, where I can pick up the basics, makes me feel more at home here. Ill no longer have to go out in search of morning cafs but can, instead, bring the goods back to the room for us. I thought I had picked up a small container of orange juice for the girls however it turned out to be that wonderful drinkable yogurt that I used to love 35 years ago when I lived here! That will be a go-to staple for the rest of the trip! I also picked up four chocolate croissants for the girls, and for me, the special 1.50 breakfast of coffee, an egg and bacon (more like ham) sandwich on fresh bread and a plain croissant! In all, the food came to 7 euro and we ended up with leftovers for the afternoon snack. By the time I got back to the room, the girls were dressed. We ate and were out the door before nine as we wanted an early start and to beat the lines at the Van Gogh Museum.

We took the #24 tram down to Museumplein, cut across the lawn and got onto the fast pass line due to our Holland Passes. Malka actually got in for free being under 17, which saves us one pass. Marina could have gotten in for free as well, but I had already asked for two adult admissions and turned over two tulip vouchers when the lady looked at her and asked if she were the child (she claims this doesnt bother her). Inside we passed through security, checked our coats and bags and proceeded to follow the exhibit and fellow art-admirers in an orderly fashion around the museum. It was only 9:20 and the place was jammed, but the work was well displayed and the crowd moved nicely, affording us space and time to view each painting at our leisure and to read. Van Goghs work occupied two and a half floors of this perfectly sized building that opened in 1973. I remember the first time I came here in the 70s. That was when I first gained an appreciation of his Impressionist style, an aesthetic that I previously didnt care for. This visit was equally enjoyable and its amazing to see so many of one artists work under a single roof. There were also works of his contemporaries displayed most logically alongside his own.

One of the nicest things I saw this morning, however, werent the masterpieces on display but rather the two childrens educational tours we came upon. One had a woman reading a storybook about Van Gogh while a young man held an enormous copy for the kids to see. They were so adorable and enthralled learning about the artist and responding to the questions posed to them. Another group sat in a different corner on the floor and were being entertained and educated by a VG hand puppet. Again, the little ones were bouncing on their tiny tushies vying for the puppets attention. Both groups were comprised of; Id say 4-5 year olds. They then followed their leaders and their puppets into the actual galleries where they stopped to observe the paintings. How wonderful for little kids to have such an early introduction to art, great artists and the experience of museum-going!

Van Goghs art and the children experiencing it were not the only things that impressed me today. I was most pleasantly surprised by the additional special exhibit Fire Beneath the Ice of works by the French Swiss artist Flix Vallotton. The girls ALREADY were telling me that they were tired (little did they know how tired theyd REALLY be by the end of the day) but I insisted on seeing the exhibition and thought it wonderful! Vallotton (1865-1925) was part of Les Nabis (the Prophets) a group of avant-garde, turn of the century, artists in Paris. This was a term new to Marina, the art history buff who actually came out of the show having learned a thing or two and with information to take back to her professor regarding this artists interpretation of male/female roles (something she just wrote a term paper on)! I really appreciated the clean lines, cool tones, the realism in the work and the way the bare surroundings enhanced the viewers focus on the figures, their gazes and expressions. There were a series of beautiful woodcuts that were striking, paintings of mythological themes or the female figure but I think the best piece was of a womans butt, beautifully curved yet realistically portrayed with cellulite to make all female observers think, Hey, thats my ass and its damn attractive! The painting sure was! I bought a magnet of it since no postcards were available. Anyway, Id highly recommend looking up Vallotton and his work! By the time we left the museum it was nearing 11:30. Upon exiting we checked out the queue waiting to enter and it was insane! Good thing we woke up early. We caught the #24 again for two stops to the Albert Cuyp (street) Market, which began trading in 1904 and apparently (as per tourist info) contains 325 stalls. We meandered, sun shower and all, for three long blocks. Our purchases; freshly squeezed oj for Malka and poffertjes, little fluffy pancakes covered with powdered sugar for them both to try (loved them!) From there we caught the #4 three stops to Utrechtstraat and Keizersgracht and so ended public transportation for the day. We walked over to the Amstel River to see the Magere Brug (bridge) nicknamed Skinny Bridge, a drawbridge, which is the most famous of Amsterdams 1400 or so crossings. The original dates from 1670 but I doubt the 1969 renovated one counts any parts from then, although it still maintains the traditional double leaf.

We continued up and over the river past the ugly Stadhuis Muziektheatre (nicknamed Stopera by protesters who opposed its construction and the resulting destruction of dozens of medieval Jewish structures.) Over another old draw bridge, passed the Hermitage Amsterdam (enough major museums for us and as Marina said, If I want to see the Hermitage Ill go to St. Petersburg!) and we found ourselves in the eastern half of the city Oude Zijde or Old Side. In the early 1400s this area began an expansion, which continued to grow into the 17th century due to the influx of Portuguese Jews. Our next stop was to the Joods Cultureel Kwartier (the Jewish Cultural Quarter) and the Ashkenazi Synagogue, Grote Synagoge. Built in 1671, the first of four built in quick succession; it now serves as the Jewish Historical Museum. We took advantage of the free (and fine) extensive audio tour, as well as the interactive displays of art and religious/cultural artifacts. The museum continued into the adjoining Nieuwe Synagoge which didnt contain anything Temple-like. On the lower level of this edifice was a lovely and large exhibit of the photographer Roman Vishniacs work.

We had hoped to visit the Portuguese Synagogue, but due to the fact Pesach begins tonight, it was closed. If it is open later in the week well try to stop by as our entrance tickets are good for a month. By this time in the afternoon the girls were ready to plotz so I gave in and we stopped for lunch at a place called Tonys NY Bagels (whats with all this NY stuff here?) Guess what we ate? And they were good!

From there we forged ahead to Rembrandthuis, the artists actual residence and workplace from 1639 to 1656. Malka and I again opted for the audio tour, which was useful in describing the living quarters and objects found in his studios. In one of his workrooms there was actually an (American) artist giving a demo on how Rembrandt made his own paints with linseed oil and various minerals (Marina got to mush it around on a rock). He discussed how canvases used to be stretched and prepared and even told us how left-over old paint that was drying or the muck at the bottom of the receptacle of oil used to clean the brushes were incorporated into actual paintings. There was no waste! In another studio on the top floor of the house was an etching workshop but unfortunately we arrived too late for that. Marina was TOTALLY bummed out about that and I doubt well come back tomorrow for the 11:30 session. We finished off this cultural stop in the galleries filled with Rembrandts meticulously detailed etchings, many so small that my aging eyes had to strain to see all the beautiful elements.

Out in the street again, Marina was ready to head back to the hotel but Malka and I werent yet ready to quit. All three of us walked past (for photo-op) Zuiderkerk, a Renaissance-style church, the first Calvinist one in Amsterdam after the Alteration. Built in 1603, but no longer functioning as a church, it is a prominent city landmark towering over the surrounding shorter structures. We began heading south along some canal because Marina wanted to go back to the room and once we all got our bearings she went on without us, TAKING THE MAP WITH HER! Malka and I continued our adventure left to our own instincts and sense of direction (yes, I have one!) and we did rather well. We walked all the way north to Nieuwmarkt, an open, paved square and the multi-turreted Waag, the citys oldest surviving gatehouse (1488). We had been here on our first evening and I knew the Red Light District was nearby, in the center of which is the Oude Kerk which we hoped to visit. It wasnt due to close until 6 p.m. and we had left Marina around 4:30 and with all our strolling we arrived at 5:15 only to encounter a sign saying it had closed at 5:00 for a funeral. Oh well. We continued around the Red Light area for a while and then headed back to the hotel after one last photo stop at the Tuschinski Theatre, an impressive art deco/Amsterdam School of Architecture styled variety venue. When it opened in 1921 it caused a sensation. This was two blocks from the hotel and the locale used to be a slum known as Duilvelshoek or Devils Corner. Although it is more than decent now, on the weekend with all the drunken foreigners perhaps it more resembles the neighborhood as it was 100 years ago.

By the time we got up to the room (and found Marina fast asleep) it was already 7:15. In effect, Malka and I had been out (and mostly on our feet) for a good 10 hours today! Resting up a tad, and spending time writing my journal, we went out in search of nutrition around 8:30. We didnt venture far as we ended up at the lovely Italian restaurant, Bella Regina, right next door. Dessert was found down the block and then it was back to the room by 10. Its now 11:20 and I must plan for tomorrow and maybe finally rest my feet, legs and eyes.

Day 4, Tuesday, April 15

Again, the alarm went off at 7:30, the sky a bright clear blue and I was ready to go! I was out and by the store to pick up breakfast at 7:50 only to find it didnt open until 8. I went in search of an ATM where I withdrew money which will hopefully last the rest of our stay. Back in room 704, the girls were getting ready. We quickly ate, packed our cameras and were out in the street headed for Anne Frank House/Museum. It was a pleasant start to the day as the sun shone and there was barely a breeze. Unfortunately, that lasted a very short time and we were in for a VERY uncomfortable and long morning!

Okay, I just want to interject and add something here. Our former Maple Street Neighbor and Dutchman, Ron, recently moved back to Europe and although now living in France is often in the Netherlands visiting his dad. Prior to our trip, he e-mailed a few times with weather updates. The last correspondence was to remind us of Hollands wind chill and to advise that we pack scarves. While putting together our suitcases, I mentioned this to Malka who dismissed the idea. Marina and I did have gloves and scarves. Malka had neither! On day 2 I wrote how after the Rijksmuseum we had to come back to the hotel because Malka was freezing and needed additional layers beneath her jacket. Well, todays warm start to the day was totally deceptive and Marina and I left behind our gloves and hats and second layer of outer gear. Whos the dumb-ass now?! Ill take the hit!

The walk to the museum took us probably 30-40 minutes and we were already pretty frosty by the time we arrived. Then we saw THE LINE! I had commented how long it was Sunday afternoon; well, that was NOTHING by comparison! And there I had actually thought to myself, Really, who will get up early to be at this major attraction by 9:00? Vacationers like to sleep! (or not!) I guess the other thousand tourists had the same idea. We arrived at 9:15 and the line was over 3 blocks long: beginning on the south side of Westerkerk, wrapping around behind it along Keizersgracht where the Homomonument is (and we found the third triangle and the meaning of the quote: Such an endless desire for friendship.), then to the east side of the church down to Prinsengracht. Turning right, about block further was the entrance. When we first got on the line I figured it would be about a two hour wait. I really didnt want to wait so long but we met a lovely pair of English sisters who said we should stick it out. Besides, we couldnt be two-time quitters nor go home to NY and admit wed been to Amsterdam but didnt come here! Well, the wait was two hours and 45 minutes and it was beyond frigid!!! The wind chill: that is an understatement! There was nowhere nearby to warm up aside from two miniscule, unheated, closet-sized gift shops where first Malka bought tea, then a pair of gloves and then I bought the most ridiculous (but warm) hat with a huge pom-pom and Amsterdam woven enormously around it. I didnt care, and vanity didnt figure into this picture at all. Meanwhile, Marina sat on random benches most of the long wait literally curled in a ball, while Malka and I socialized, toughed it out and were literally shaking from the cold. And this comes from a New Yorker who just went through a really cold winter! Lesson learned, we WILL carry extra clothes for the rest of the week! We endured at least two sun showers, witnessed an accident between a bicycle and a Vespa due to the drizzle on the bike path and the tourist line impeding their way and were finally admitted to the museum at noon.

What can I say about the Anne Frank House? All who have read her diary or are familiar with the history basically know what the warehouse and annex contain. We moved slowly from room to room, reading quotes from her pages that were enlarged on the walls, listening to short videos (one of her father, the sole survivor of the 8 hidden at 263 Prinsengracht in the former business location of Otto Frank). We actually walked through the movable bookshelf that concealed the entrance to the annex, up the steep stairs and through the dimly lit, barren rooms where they lived in fear from July 6, 1942 until august 4, 1944 when they were betrayed and arrested, and we actually got to see her diary and other writings. At the conclusion of the visit there was an outstanding interactive video display, Free2choose. We viewed examples of basic human rights that could conflict with each other, then voted on questions pertaining to what wed seen and then learn, via percentages, how our opinions agreed or differed from those of other visitors. It was extremely interesting and gave pause to think. It also furthers a desire of Otto Frank who in 1970 said: We cannot change what happened anymore. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and to realize what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means. I believe that its everyones responsibility to fight prejudice

Our stay in the museum and this educational component lasted an hour and a half, half the time of our wait to get in. We ended at the lovely cafeteria where we enjoyed Panini, grilled cheese and the fact that nearly 4 hours later we were warm and seated.

By the time we left it was now after 2:00 and we were way behind our planned schedule. Right next door was Westerkerk, built in 1620s. I had mentioned how the other day we were contemplating climbing the 272 foot tower. Well, that idea went by the way-side today as we were so tired. We didnt even pay the entry fee that would give us an audio tour and instead just walked around by ourselves for a bit. Rembrandt is buried there but his grave has never been marked and found so who needs an audio tour to point out no grave!? The organ was beautiful and impressive and after seeing that we headed back north-east to the Red Light District and Oude Kerk which Malka and I were closed out of yesterday.

It is getting increasingly easy to navigate the city. We paused near Dam Square for some yummy, much needed, hot chocolate to warm our insides and then returned to Condomerie (condom boutique) so Malka could get a postcard for her friend (such appropriate 15 year old souvenirs, but it could be worse!) and then we easily found the church. I exchanged my Holland Pass windmill voucher but paid kids entry for the girls and we went in with a nice pamphlet to guide us.

Oude Kerk (Old Church) is Amsterdams oldest building, established in 1306 in the heart of the medieval center of the city. Originally a Catholic church it switched to Protestant in 1578. It isnt ornate at all but possesses a lovely and (for me) rare timber ceiling. There are four organs, the largest built in 1724 and reconstructed nearly 20 years later so the sound would carry further. The bottoms of the 36 seats remaining in the choir contain some humorous carvings. One (see photo) is an inversion of the Dutch equivalent of the saying Money doesnt grow on trees or, as illustrated by the carving, You cant poop money. On the inside of the choir screen is an inscription the abuse introduced into Gods church was reversed here in the year seventy-eight referring to when, barely 20 years after the choir was completed, the Catholic clergy were expelled and the church become Protestant. This inscription commemorated the Alteration.

Artist Rembrandt and his wife Saskia (who is buried here in a marked grave) came here in 1624 when the Commissioners of Marital Affairs had their offices in the church. Over the office door reads, Marry in haste, repent at leisure. The green Mirror Room where wedding registrations took place is still furnished. One more interesting site within the building is the double door that is 4 meters from the floor. A white door made of 3 iron plates is in front of another one made of solid oak. In the square fireproof room beyond are two niches; one with an iron clad chest behind which were 45 drawers where 290 documents from 1275-1650 were stored. These were deeds, royal signatures, the citys most valuable papers and possessions, including the charters in which Amsterdams rights were enshrined and defining how the city governed itself. To open the doors two burgomasters each with separate keys had to climb two steep ladders.

From a small room at the back of the church where some contemporary tapestry work is being done (not during our visit though), we could see some of the prostitutes in their windows (and I was able to get some photos). They literally are working their stuff 15 feet from this ancient religious site. There is a statue in front of the church asking for respect for all sexual workers.

After this last cultural stop of the day, we took some new (to us) back streets back to the hotel. It was around 5:00 so in all we had an 8 hour day (short by our standards!) A little later it was down the block for Chinese food for dinner and now we are in for the night and thinking about our first day trip out of Amsterdam tomorrow!

Day 5, Wednesday, April 16

The sun woke me way before the 7:30 alarm. Our room, with its great expanse of windows allows for a brightness and warmth (sometimes too much warmth and none of it from the radiators). Its lovely to be able to actually have the balcony door open for fresh air during the day or cool air at night as we sleep. We werent in a terrible rush today so I got our breakfast later than usual but in any case we were still ready to leave by 9:12. Just a note, we didnt get back until 9 p.m. so thats nearly a twelve hour day!

As our two-day tram card expired, we hiked to the Central Station at a leisurely pace and arrived thirty minutes later. Todays adventure would take us ultimately to the beautiful gardens of Keukenhoff, but first with a stop at the university city of Leiden.

Our train departed a bit after 10 but when we pulled into the station at Haarlem, we were told there was a power failure on the line between the two cities so we had to backtrack to Schiphol Airport. The ease of negotiating this obstacle was made possible, or at least easier, by the friendly college students (who like everyone else spoke perfect English) who were encountering the same dilemma but helped us find our way. Most tourists just go to the airport directly from Amsterdam and then take a bus to the gardens, which is the cheaper and quicker means to the end, but a garden alone does not a day make so, after pulling into the airport train station, we again pulled out on another track and eventually arrived in Leiden.

The trains here are amazingly smooth and quiet and quick and clean and seem to work on an honor system. We spent about 53 euro on round trip tickets and no one ever checked them! Its amazing, and wonderful, how people dont just scam the system. Those with electronic cards just seem to swipe at the appropriate place on the platforms upon exiting (and entering?) the trains. The rails are efficient and clean, trains run very frequently (every 15 minutes) and are always on time! The LIRR should take note! Most of the trains weve been on have been double-decker ones and sitting upstairs gives a nice view during the ride.

Again, I digress. Leiden is like night and day from the hustle and bustle of the countrys capital. It is a calm and low key city, has canals running through it (after Amsterdam this is the city with the most waterways in the Netherlands) and lots of low (no taller than 3 stories) charming buildings. We didnt have any itinerary planned so we picked up a map at the visitors center, discovered it was market day and then just went on our way.

Right off the bat we noticed a beautiful windmill and decided to check it out. We had so much fun there, learned a great deal and maybe I even overcame my fear of ladders and stairs. The De Valk Windmill is a flour mill dating from 1743. The present stone one is the third to have stood on this site. It is seven stories tall and we climbed them from the base, which contained the quaint and lovely millers dwellings, via two flights of typical Dutch steep winding stairs and then five more flights via ridiculously steep laddered stairs. Only afterwards did we notice by the entrance there were lockers where we could have stored our bags that were a real hindrance with which to maneuver. We also noticed the CCTV that probably caught us being totally silly while snapping numerous photos.

Next, we walked down a nice pedestrian shopping street commenting how pleasant all these areas are in Europe that are free from cars. I picked up a lompia (egg roll type thing) to snack on. It was good but NOT the kind I recall from the Indonesian restaurants I used to frequent in The Hague. From there we found the market that lined the side of one of the canals. In the water were many docked barges with open air cafes on them and we passed the Korenbeursbrug, a stone bridge over the Nieuwe Rijn (River) that was roofed in 1825. In the market I bought a warm syrup waffle (stroop wafel) for the girls to try. YUMMY! We found a nice patch of grass for marina to rest upon for a while and then continued our explorations on to Pieterskerk. It is a massive structure! I dont know much about it other than that Marina told me it as built in the 12th century and now seems to be used as an event location. We were lucky that todays event was a concert by the Holland Symfonie Orkest (directed by Wim du Ru) of Bachs Passion of Matthew and we came upon the afternoon rehearsal. I paid 2 euro to enter. The young man who took my money said it was free for the girls (under 18 Marina your age keeps changing!) because it was educational. Anyway we caught a 10 minute or so segment of the rehearsal before they took a lunch break. THIS is the way Back is meant to be heard; in an immense church with soaring acoustics!

From there we wanted to head back to the train but first had to find the citys second windmill, De Put, which is smaller and a totally different structure (a post windmill where the entire body moves to catch the wind versus just the top with the sails) It was not open for visitors which was just as well in view of the fact wed already spent four hours in Leiden. We almost forgot to look for the location of Rembrandts birth, but coincidentally, as we were snapping picturesque mill and bridge photos we realized we were actually standing just where we needed to be. It didnt much matter as the artists birthplace was torn down in the 20th century and all that remains to be seen is a plaque on the wall and a strange statue.

Picking up some sat chicken and noodles for Marina, we returned to the station to catch the bus for a 20 minute ride, passing rainbow colored tulip fields along the way. Upon entering Keukenhoff, we were serenaded by the hurly-burly music of a street organ playing Hava-Nagilah and other Joodse Liederen (Jewish songs) from a perforated cardboard music book. For a long time Marina stood bewildered in front of this ornate instrument, never having seen one before. She was literally bopping along to the tunes, oblivious of the swarm of fellow tourists who wanted to get an unobstructed, or Marina-less, photo!

What is there to say about Keukenhoff? I guess the photos will have to speak for themselves but the gardens were beautiful. We did plenty of walking and lots of posing and picture taking. Marina was so demanding and specific about how she wanted to be framed that I wonder if the photos I took of her didnt come out poorly for some subconscious reason! We also did plenty of laughing! 7:00 was closing time and, after feasting on a small portion of poffertjes, we were amongst the last to leave, picking up a bus back to Leiden and then the train to Amsterdam. Needless to say we were tired, but schlepped the approximate mile back to the Albus. Malka and I stopped to pick up some dinner and Marina went ahead to the room to begin her blog. Too bad for her as she encountered the elevator out of order and had to huff it up 7 flights of stairs. Fifteen minutes later when we returned, Malka and I were fortunate to have the first run of the newly repaired lift. Even with that extra help, Malka is now passed out on the bed, but then again, it is now 10:30 and tomorrow will be another long day so I should follow her lead!

Day 6, Thursday, April 17

I dont know why I even bother to set an alarm. Today the sun woke me at 6:45. I didnt fight it and instead got up and readied myself for a busy day. As per the course, I walked down the block to pick up breakfast; we ate and were on the street at exactly 9:00. The walk to the Central Station must really be a mile as we arrived precisely at 9:20 and just missed our train.

We caught the 9:40 to Delft (no train mishaps today) and arrived an hour later. Delft is a very beautiful little city. Its origins date from 1075 but most of the medieval town was destroyed in 1645 only to be rebuilt in the late 17th century. The train station was miniscule and had no tourist information what so ever. It wasnt difficult, however, to find our way to the center (centrum) of the old city since all one has to do is look up for the spires of the churches that loom over everything else. Once out of range of the station and major construction for a large sports complex and walk-way that is going up in the vicinity, we found the narrow cobbled streets and bridge covered canals.

We came upon an antique market lining the sides of a canal and after perusing both sides of that we walked around the Oude Kerk (13th century) but didnt go inside because we are finding that all these Protestant churches, with their lack of interior adornment, resemble one another and so we save a few euro. We continued walking in search of the tourist information center and came upon the towns central square (again, not difficult to miss due to the two large buildings flanking either end in typical European style.)

What little tourist info I had stated Activity centers on the market square, bordered by the landmarks of the Stadhuis (Renaissance town hall built around a gothic tower of the 13th century) and Nieuwe Kerk (built between 1383-1510, the 320 foot Gothic tower was added in 1872) and that was true as we came upon a huge outdoor market that filled the impressive square. (An aside; have you noticed all cities have olde and nieuwe churches!?) We made some minor purchases in the markt but perhaps the most important was the ice cream because Malka was feeling sick all morning and her throat was hurting. OH NO!!!! It was a hard day for her . The coolness of the snack might have temporarily made her feel better but when the Dutch wind picked up then she became chilled. We finally found the info center, not that we needed it as our Delft day was only half a day and we had another destination for the afternoon. One thing, however, that Marina wanted to do was go to the Royal Delft Factory , Koninklijke Delftsch Aardewerkfabriek de Porceleyne Fles, because she had read they had workshops where she could make her own piece of pottery and we needed to find how to get there.

It was actually a nice size walk (horribly long for Malka). We passed yet another market (flower) before coming to the Rijn River, crossing over and entering a residential neighborhood. When we finally found the factory I, much to Marinas disappointment, decided we were NOT going to make our own souvenir because:a) they dont accept discount vouchers for that and the entrance fee would have doubled the cost to 36 euros b) the hour-long workshop wasnt going to begin until 2:00 and it was only 12:45 c) most importantly, the pottery would be fired BUT wed either have to return NEXT WEEK to collect it OR theyd mail it home for 45 euro! (I dont think so).

Marina became a tad bit moody in her disappointment but so goes life. We donned our audio guide headsets and proceeded towards the informational videos that introduced us to the history of this company.

The blue and white pottery, known world-wide as Delftware, was introduced to the Netherlands by immigrant Italian potters in the 16th century who adopted Dutch motifs as decoration. Trade with the East brought samples of delicate Chinese porcelain to the country and as the market for the coarser Dutch pottery crashed in 1650, local potters adopted the eastern model and began designing fine plates and vases decorated with Dutch landscapes and biblical scenes. In 1652, De Porceleyne Fles was one of 32 thriving potteries in Delft. Today it is one of two still in production. Our tour took us almost an hour to get through. We were able to get to part of the factory but it was lunch time so only two people were working. We did observe one of the painters earlier on in the actual museum. By the time we finished here, Malka looked like death warmed over and it was only about 2:00. We had a decent sized walk back to the station where we faced a huge flight of stairs up and over the tracks. We dragged our bodies to the platform on that opposite side, only to find that the original platform was where we needed to be and our train to The Hague (s Gravenhage or Den Haag) was pulling out! Oh well. Up and over the tracks again, we barely had to wait as the trains here run so frequently. And, as the norm..NO ONE came to check our tickets. This is some honor system indeed.

It took probably fewer than 20 minutes to reach our stop and we got off at the Central Station. This city, the political capital of the Netherlands, which is home to the Dutch Parliament and the International Court of Justice, was also my home from July 1978 until the following summer. The only other time I had been here since was in the summer of 82 after graduating college and on my way to (live) in Malaga, Spain. I have to admit, I didnt recognize this city AT ALL! The Central Station (the larger of the two in the city) has always been big but now is massive and it is attached to other office complexes and BROAD pedestrian streets. There is NOTHING touristy about the city and even finding a tourist information center was not too easy (about 10 minutes walk from the station and housed within a huge public library/cafe and hardly marked) and the people working there not at all helpful. They wanted to sell me a map for 3 euros and when I asked for a free one I got one but it was pretty poor! By this time, the weather had become increasingly bad, overcast with the winds whipping, truly bipolar as Malka points out. We sat in the caf where I shared a smoothie with Malka which was much needed sugar for me! With three crappy maps covering the table our goal was to figure out the tram system, the location of the one museum we wanted to visit and how to find my old house. It was totally overwhelming for me, especially knowing that Malka was feeling pretty bad and was looking flushed and glassy-eyed.

Getting our bearings we walked a short distance and found Binnenhof (the Parliament building) and its courtyard in the center of which stands the double-turreted Gothic Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights 13th century) which I totally remembered and which I sketched 35 years ago! From there we walked along the Hofvijver (a lake or maybe at one time a moat?), took an opportune photo with the girls wonderfully blocking the scaffolding on the side of the Mauritshuis (world famous museum known for being home to artist Vermeers Girl with a Pearl Earring, currently closed for major renovation) and then on to the Escher Museum for which we only had a remaining 45 minutes before closing but it was now or never. It was a very good exhibit covering 3 floors of a former palace (Lange Voorhout Palace) dating from the eighteenth century. Queen Emma (Emma of Waldeck Pyrmont) bought the stately house in 1896. She used it as a winter palace from March 1901 until her death in March 1934. Four Dutch Queens used the palace for their business offices. Now, in all the former 'Royal Rooms' on first and second floor there are window shades with information about the interior at the turn of the last century and two rooms still have this periods decor. Unfortunately, we didnt have enough time to appreciate the surroundings nor to fully taken in the permanent display of a large number of woodcuts and lithographs by Escher and the gift shop was gesloten by the time we exited thus sparing us a few euro on picture postcards easily accessed on line. Malka had not been familiar with this graphic artists work and really liked it. Marina and I knew much of it but the information that we were able to read along with the works on the wall gave more insight. Again, its a shame the visit was so rushed. The third floor of the museum is dedicated to the Optical Illusion, and is totally interactive. I had read about it but if wed headed there first wed never have seen Eschers actual prints because there is so much to play/interact with in this part of the exhibit. Throughout the museum are fifteen (often times, bazaar) chandeliers made by the Rotterdam artist Hans van Bentem which he designed especially for the museum, with some references to the work of Escher and the Palace. We were basically escorted out at 5:00 closing time and by now were totally depleted of nutrients. Not wanting to spend too much time eating, we went to a McDonalds that I had remembered from 3+ decades ago (THAT I knew how to find.. everything else.. not so easy). At the museum I picked up ANOTHER map of the city, as equally poor and not to scale as the others. We sat at McDs with now FOUR maps in front of us trying to locate my former home on Leeuweriklaan and a way to get there. After much frustration, the free wifi afforded us and Marinas outstanding map skills; we tracked down a tram and were on our way. I dont recall our home being so far out of the city center. We took two trams, the second leaving from the second of the two train stations. This part of town was totally Muslim with the women wearing head coverings and long dresses and the men with plentiful dark beards. Actually, knowing that the Netherlands in the last decades has had such an influx of immigrants, I had been surprised that this was the first time, in any of the cities, that I had seen this population, or at least en masse where it was noticeable. It was also the first tram ride (or any type of transport) where there were inspectors on-board to check tickets. Racial profiling? We bought a one hour tram pass although, truth be told, our round trip to my house and back probably was quite a bit longer than that. The ride took a decent amount of time and the way Marina mapped it out did not seem familiar to me at all. However, once we rounded the corner a block away from the shopping square/circle down the street from the house, I totally had my bearings! Malka said, You arent going to cry are you? and of course that made me emotional! The only thing that remains in the shopping area is the bakery and the fruit/veg store. All other storefronts (including the drugstore with the little post office window in the back where I bought all the stamps to mail letters to send back to the US) have been turned into homes I dont know if separate from the apartments above or incorporated into one. It wasnt difficult to spot our old home. I didnt even need the #21 to identify it. It looked charming with its small green fence in front and big clean living room window that gives a view straight out back. I pointed out to the girls as we walk around many residential areas, how the windows are so large and CLEAN and generally unencumbered with shades or curtains giving little privacy but allowing for a great deal of light (on the rare Dutch day when there IS sun actually for that weve been rather fortunate!)After taking the obligatory photo of me in front of the house, I wanted to show the girls I knew ANOTHER way to get to the tram. WellI recognized SOME of it! Even though I had written down instructions I dont know why I didnt bother to LOOK at them. Oh well.. what should have been probably a five minute walk turned into 15-20 minutes. One cant say we arent getting our fill of exercise this vacation! Originally I had hoped to take another tram up to Scheveningen (the beach resort on the North Sea) but the weather was not favorable. If it was so windy and damp inland what would it be like on the beach and dunes and would that be good for Malkas health? It was nearing 7:00 (I think) and we were just too tired. On the ride back to the station no one checked our tram tickets. Actually this time we boarded a tram where you couldnt even buy a ticket and that eventually went UNDERGROUND only to come up on a track running through the mid-level of the Central Station. Quick off and on and we barely waited before our double decker train pulled out for the hour long journey back to Amsterdam. While on the train, the weather took a turn for the worse and it was pouring. I guess we lucked out as far as that was concerned for a long days outing, although it didnt let up when we arrived and due to that and Malka we bought (24 hour) tram tickets to get us back to the hotel and to use tomorrow. Marina bought some take-away dinner at the station and headed to the hotel while Malka and I went to Hemma for our usual groceries and we got back to the hotel precisely at 9:00. Another FULL 12 hour day, and, although we didnt really do much tourist stuff, we achieved the goals that we had set out for ourselves.

Day 7, Friday, April 18, 2014 Since Malka wasnt feeling well last night she did not set the alarm. I figured today was going to be a more relaxed day and if my body needed to get up at some ungodly hour, (as it has been for the past few days sans alarm) then it would. Even though the sun again flooded our room, today I slept until 7:45 the latest wakeup yet this vacation. I took my time getting our breakfast as the girls were still in dreamland and, in fact; I let them stay in bed until near 10:00.

The first stop of the day was to be the Portuguese Synagogue which was closed the other day in observance of Passover. Fortunately, this time it was open and was extremely impressive and educational. The audio guide that assisted us with our visit was linked to markers along the walls or areas of interest. It took us over an hour to make our way through the sanctuary and all the outlying/surrounding buildings. This was built as a complex, with a massive central structure, the actual synagogue and one-story buildings that completely ring it. In the basement of one of these was an interesting video and then displays of the ornamental Torah covers (actually made from dresses that rich congregants, centuries ago, donated for such use since they couldnt be seen wearing the same dress twice), finials and other religious objects that are actually still used for services today but stored here. Other surrounding buildings contained the mikvah (ritual bath), the room in which the dead were washed and prepared for burial, the winter synagogue which is more like a chapel and was used as a classroom, the Board Room (Maamad) and the ante-room which contains storage cubbies for the top hats they wear during services (which I dont understand as the website says dress for men here is less casual than in the U.S and our men sure dont wear top hats!) But of course, what everyone really comes to see is the Esnoga (I guess that is Portuguese) or the Synagogue. This imposing structure (which was inspired by the architecture of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem) dates from 1675. Over the entrance door the following is inscribed: "In the abundance of Thy loving kindness will I come into Thy house", which is (should be) recited by all Jews before they enter a Synagogue. The entire interior is still intact not having been destroyed by the Nazis because Dutch cultural enterprises attested to its historic importance. Aside from a synagogue in Prague this is the oldest functioning Jewish house of prayer.

The layout is of the longitudinal Iberian-Sephardi type with the Hechal (Ark) and tebah (bimah) at opposite ends of the interior while the seating is divided into two equal halves facing one another and separated by an aisle and of course with the womans gallery upstairs. The wooden, barrel-vaulted ceiling is supported by four Ionic columns. The wood floor is covered with fine sand - in the old Dutch fashion - to absorb dust, moisture, dirt from shoes and to muffle the noise. The ark is very long and, although we couldnt see it, is lined with gold leather. There is no heat or electricity in the Synagogue. Instead 1,000 candles held in beautiful brass chandeliers, sconces or candle holders light the building. That must be a beautiful sight indeed (if not an incredible fire hazard.) The nare tamid (eternal flame) is also a candle. I think it is one mans job to light the candles, a task that takes two hours!

That was a totally worthwhile stop for me (probably one of the highlights) and it would be nice to attend Shabbat services tonight but;a) itll be freezing in there during the day the womans gallery was so much colder than the downstairs where the men sit b) for all I know the services will be held in the tiny winter synagogue c) the website did not say what time services were even though I was told by the staff to look there d) the girls we not too thrilled with the idea

Our next stop was basically across the street at Waterlooplein. Dating from 1882, two canals were filled in to create a large market square in the heart of the Jewish quarter. The original market disappeared during WWII when the Jewish residents of Amsterdam were rounded up by the Nazis but after the war, a popular flea market grew in its place. Today it is a lively market in which we spent a bunch of money and quite some time until a necessitated lunch break when the Dutch weather decided that an overcast day would change to showers and then to real rain! Across the street we found a vintage thrift store called The Kilo Shop where we ducked in to avoid the wetness. Every item there is marked with a color tag, the clothing is weighed and you pay by the kilo. Orange tags 60 euro a kilo, green and yellow 35 euro and red 25. The amount of clothing and the variety of crap or styles was overwhelming but the girls both managed to find rags which ended up costing me about 40 Euro (Malkas choices were more expensive) When paying they scanned an inventory label and I saw that each item of clothes actually had a unique name. Someone somewhere has a lot of time on his/her hands to do that. Apparently these clothes come from the bins in the US and the rest of the world where we donate our clothes and there are stores like this worldwide. Hmmmmm, good business. By now the rain had let up and the caf next door had available tables so we had a delicious and filling meal of various sandwiches at Lunchcafe Waterloo. The sun was now out full force (that would last about 20 minutes) but the wind was whipping as we were next to the water. We walked through about another quarter of the market and then headed back west to the main street. We were debating whether to rush to the Nieuwe Kerk which has a major photo exhibit opening today but it was nearing 4:00 and as it closes at 5 we didnt want to rush another museum visit. We went back to the hotel, dropped our bags and then set out to pick up money from the ATM. The only thing is I got distracted in the room, forgot to take what money I still had left (I did have some in my wallet but in case the girls wanted to splurge some more) AND I forgot to take my bank card as well. We strolled for another hour and finally came back to the room where I am now typing my journal instead of scribbling in a little pad, and later having to recopy, as has been my custom on all other trips. This is also possible because Marina, whose laptop I am using, decided to take a nap (actually they both are now!) But that is presently going to end as its 7:20 and time to head out in the streets yet again. We have to take advantage.. only two nights left!

Day 8, April 19, 2014Today is our penultimate day, or really the last one, since well be leaving for the airport tomorrow while most of the city will still be sleeping after a wild Saturday on the town.Today was a mixed day with the morning itinerary planned for Amsterdam and the afternoon for a small excursion. Wake up time was the most overcast it has been all week. I woke up to no bright sunshine but at least not horribly cold weather. As per my norm I was in the street at eight going about my morning routine. It would be the last time I went to get breakfast, passing the Munttoren, a polygonal-based gate from the medieval city wall. The clock tower and steeple were added in 1619, followed by the carillon in 1699. The bells in this tower ring every quarter of the hour and this is the first historic sight that greeted my eyes every morning of our trip! We didnt have to rush today as our first destination wouldnt open until 10 (we got there a bit late). Buying another 24 hour tram card (since wed need one tomorrow to get to the station to get to Schiphol) we went to Nieuwe Kerk which had been closed all week until yesterday when a major World Press Photo exhibit opened. Marina and I used the last of our handy Holland Pass entrance coupons and Malka got in for 5 euro. The exhibit took up a fair amount of the great churchs floor space with award winning pictures, videos and interactive displays of various topics. I didnt get a chance to really look at it all as we spent a great deal of time watching two lengthy videos, but Ill be sure to check out the website http://www.worldpressphoto.org and would recommend it to anyone who might read this journal. We were there for more than an hour and the girls were getting antsy worrying wed run out of time to do our afternoon trip. We also didnt really get to look around the church (dating from 14th century but reaching its present size in 1650s) but as I stated yesterday, they all pretty much resemble one another. We sure must be jaded world travelers. We exited the church into bright sun (yeah!) and brisk winds (boo!) and the exciting environs of a carnival in the vast square in front of the Royal Palace. Theyve been setting up all week, I guess for Easter and then for the following Saturday, which is, King's Day (first time ever - formerly Queen's Day but she abdicated the throne to her son last year). The festivities invite locals and visitors alike to soak up Amsterdam's open-air fun. In the streets, canals, parks and everywhere in between, the city will be bursting with orange and Amsterdammers, and tourists, are starting to enjoy the biggest street party of the year and the stores are filled with tacky orange hats, boas, wigs, shirts, etc. From this lively setting we set off to the Holocaust Memorial, back by the Portuguese Synagogue (thank God for the tram pass). I had thought it was some outside statue that we should have seen after the Synagogue but with Malka feeling ill yesterday and the weather so uncooperative we didnt. It turns out that the memorial actually is housed in what was, in the past, a theatre called Hollandse Schouwburg. It was to this building that the Jews were rounded up, some for hours, and others for weeks, to be deported to concentration camps. An obelisk now occupies the former place of the stage, and the theatre seats have made way for a courtyard. The portal of the Schouwburg provides access to a memorial chapel where an eternal flame burns in commemoration of every Dutch Jewish victim of the Second World War; their family names are engraved on the memorial wall. There was a video in English describing what it was like for the Jews of that time and with interviews from some of the survivors. We ended up spending more time there than expected and by the time we were on the train at Central Station headed towards Zaanse Schans it was 1:23.

Zaanse Schans is roughly 15 minutes outside of Amsterdam and our round trip tkts only cost 6.50 per person (again, they were never checked!) We got off the train at Koog- Zaanse and then had to walk approximately 10 minutes to this living museum. This is a tiny windmill village on the River Zaan with miniscule green and white wooden houses, mills, foot bridges and canals (more like streams) dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. People actually still live here but there are also exhibits: an old bakery where we bought waffles, an old spice mill where we bought Specula (spice cookie), a cheese making demo where we tasted lots of yummy cheeses, an old grocery, antique shop, etc. We had a really nice time and great photo ops but the wind was actually WHIPPING and my ears were aching. We spent a good few hours there but were back in Amsterdam a little before 5:00. Marina headed back to the hotel to write her blog and Malka and I went in search of a cheese shop we passed yesterday so we could bring home cheese (yeah, I know I could have bought it in the village) and also to pick up more Droste chocolate for chocolate lovers back in New York! We had a nice stroll in what was the nicest weather weve had to date (and that we will have); warm, sunny and no wind (at least for that hour).

We returned to the room where I packed for tomorrow and then went out for dinner. We were going to go to the nice Italian place next door but a stag party, complete with the bachelor dressed and face painted as a pink bunny entered right before us so we thought that would not be the ideal spot for a quiet last meal in Amsterdam. We continued down to Rembrandtplein to another Italian eatery, had a pleasant dinner and now, as I write my final words, it is 10:20 and we best get ready for an early wake-up as tomorrow well be airport bound by 7:30.

Holland Highs (no pun intended) and in no particular order!

Lovely sun-drenched room at the Albus!Radiant heated bathroom floor.Unlimited supply of licorice gummies in the lobby that I ate by the fist- full and the amazing coffee machine!

Bell towers and carrions chiming every hour.

Fresh morning air as I went on my 8:00 solo walk to Hema to buy breakfast.

Courteous drivers who STOP for pedestrians. There are NO stop signs!

The muffled rumble of the trams, the ringing of their bells.

Stroopwafels, poffertjes , chocoladebroodjes, waffels with melted Nutella!

Van Gogh Museum and the unexpected Felix Valloton exhibit.

The Dutch humor and extremely friendly and helpful people we met all of whom speak English.

The rehearsal we came upon in Nieuwe Kerk in Leiden.Seeing bikers using hand signals. (Do you even remember learning those?!)

The millions of bicycles and especially the little kid carriers in front (usually a wooden box but the photo I got was a more upscale model!)

Bicycle parking lots.

The walkability of Amsterdam and the amazing public transportation.

The honor system on the trains (not to be taken advantage of)

The punctuality and cleanliness of the railroad.

Being able to visit the Portuguese Synagogue after finding it closed on our first attempt. Worth going back for!

Going back to my old neighborhood (even if its a bit different now).

Bustling Red Light District: Malkas fav even when she got the stare of death from a prostitute when she tried to take a photo!

OH! Cant forget about those cute, blond Dutch boys that Malka constantly talked about!

Having the girls get along!

The LowsHaving Malka feeling sick for a day or two Paying 50-60 cents for ketchup even at McDonalds!

Pay toilets; but when you gotta go you gotta go! But guys can go in the street!

Having to look out for cyclists on their own paths (which we often mistakenly found ourselves in the middle of) in addition to watching for cars when crossing the street. The rancid air outside of the coffee shops.

The bipolar weather which changes minute by minute but always excited us in the morning with bright sun!

Horrible music piped into our hallway and the smell outside the elevator.

The thought of parking by a canal.

Marina having the map ripped out of her hand by some drunken idiot.

The Rowdy stag parties on Friday & Saturday nights.

The near three-hour frigid wait to get into Anne Franks house. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

8 days in HollandTotal $Air & Hotel $5250.89Holland Passes 267 euros = $368.73+9.95 bank charge (euro at $1.38)Hotel tax 66 euro =Day to day expenses 716.76 euro

Day 1Food 49.60

Day 2Food 41.2Misc 1

Day 3Food 55.6VG Museum souvenirs 6.95Rembrandt Huis 8

Day 4Food 55.15Anne Frank House 18Hat & gloves17Souvenirs 6.60

Day 5Food 31.75Leiden train 53.10Windmill 10Church 2

Day 6Food 40.70Shopping7Delft Factory 18Escher Museum 18.351 hr tram DH 924 hr tram Amst 22.50

Day 7Food 44.5Flea Mkt 36Kilo Shop 40.50Gift for Pepe9.90Choc. & flag 9.91

Day 8Food 43.5Nieuwe Kerk5Trains to Zaanse Schans & airport (tomorrow) 30More chocolate 9.95Cheese & carrot cake 16