First Check-In

It is our fourth day in Amsterdam and we have done so much, but the time is going by very fast. Ten days seems like a long time, but it moves swiftly. Amsterdam is as wonderful and beautiful as I remember it being on my last short trip. Since it took me so long to get this blog together I'll just do a short synopsis of the days that have already passed.



Day One - Tuesday
We actually came in on Monday but all we did was get some dinner and then go to sleep. Oh, and I managed to leave my phone on the plane from San Francisco to Frankfurt so I lost my phone within the first 24 hours of travel. Lame, but really no biggie. I wouldn't be using it for much anyway and it's a little freeing.

On Tuesday we rented some bikes and explored around the city a bit, grabbing some basic groceries and such. Since not much happened I'll explain where we are staying. Our apartment is on the third floor (read fourth floor in American terms) that requires climbing three flights of very, very narrow, steep stairs. It is a traditional Amsterdam row house located on the Brouwersgracht (Brewers Canal). Since we are so high up we have a wonderful view in the livingy room of tree canopies, boats traveling on the canal, and the sound of bikes rumbling down the brick streets. The view from our bedroom is also beautiful! I'm not sure what those spires belong to but it is nice to look at.






Day Two - Wednesday
On Wednesday we visited the Amsterdam Historisch Museum and it was very interesting. It is basically a museum about the history of Amsterdam. It wasn't very well organized but you went through several rooms going through the timeline starting around the 1300s to the 21st century. Then we explored a little around the central area.



















Later that night we went to De Pijp, an area on the outer parts of Amsterdam. It's a beautiful area that's a little bit more like the neighborhoods. Lots of big houses and beautiful canals. We ate Middle Eastern food in a nice restaurant called Orontes that was delicious.























We wandered our way to the big bicycle parking garage by Centraal Station. Not only is the three story garage full, but there are thousands outside of the garage as well.


















And some cute kitties sleeping in a store window! There are cats everywhere here!






And the canal we are staying by including others in the area have lights. So pretty.












Day Three - Thursday
On this morning we managed to get locked out of our room. Mark went out of the room a little earlier than I did and he unlocked the door and left the keys in the inside lock. I then went downstairs and closed the door with the keys on the inside thinking (for some reason) that they were on the outside. We went to the offices of the shortstay place we booked through and they sent someone out who simply had to swipe a card through the latch to get it open. It wasn't a big deal really but I thought it would be because they say on the information sheet you get at check-in that the worst thing you can do is leave the key on the inside lock or they will have to take out the lock on the door.

Anyways, while they were breaking in to our apartment we went to the Anne Frank House. Of course we had to wait in line, but it is worth it to get to see the actual place that the family hid. It is sad that they were caught and so close to the end of the war. I can tell she would have been an amazing intellectual and as influential as she is now even though she's not alive. Her family seemed like such a successful, smart family and to think that people like that can be killed so easily is is a sad reminder that so many good people were lost.

Later in the day we biked out North to some neighborhood areas with some more modern architecture.























































We are technically at the end of our fourth day today but I am too tired to upload pictures and write about our trip to Haarlem. I will write about it later so look out for it!