A whirlwind trip through Amsterdam

It's been almost a week here since our visitors have left and the apartment is back to the quiet sounds of Kev and I. It sure was nice having some great friends in town for two weeks. I had two friends from University here for nine days and Kev had a childhood buddy visiting for 13 days! The trips overlapped a little bit so we were able to go as a big group to Amsterdam for a night (minus Kev of course). I had expected a 4 hour drive which turned into almost 6 hours due to lots of construction and the fact that I don't drive as fast on the autobahn as Kev does!

These are the signs in the construction areas showing us how many kilometers are left. Too funny!

Since we only had one night and the daytime hours on Monday to be in Amsterdam, we truly made the most of it. We kept Sunday night low-key and stayed out just late enough to see Amsterdam's red-light district after dark. The red-light district (entertainment and prostitution district) is truly a sight to see as it is considered one of the biggest and best in Europe. 

Taking photos is prohibited, but thanks to Google, you can see what we saw!

We were up early on Monday morning, ready to get some coffee, breakfast and start our day. This trip was my second to Amsterdam because Kev and I went after the season last year. That turned out to be quite the blessing because I was able to oversee the maps for us pretty well. For anyone that knows me, this is quite the accomplishment as I still get lost in my small hometown after living there for over 20 years. Amsterdam is also full of canals and slightly confusing to navigate! Because there are so many canals and small streets, bikes are one of the most common ways to get around. They have their own lane in many areas so we had to make sure we always were looking around while walking. No one wants to get run over by a speeding bike! I'm not kidding, they won't stop for you.

The bike lane!

One of the main squares of Amsterdam 

These canals are everywhere!

We stayed in a hostel (although the place called itself a hotel) for the first time ever. Lucky for us, we were reassured that although there were six beds in the room, we were the only 4 going to be staying there. Good thing too, I did not sign up to sleep and leave my belongings in a room and with people I don't know!

4 of the 6 beds in our room

We had two goals in mind for the day: the Anne Frank House and the Heineken Brewery. By the time we got to the Anne Frank House shortly after opening, there was already a line out the door. It didn't take long to enter though. When Kev and I came the first time to Amsterdam, we didn't do any tours, just wandered around and saw the city. That was really great, but I am so glad that I got to go to the Anne Frank House this time around. This "museum" is located in the actual building that Anne Frank and her family hid in for two years. The "Secret Annex" is kept unfurnished but there was a room with models so we could see what the hiding place looked like while they were there. Her bedroom wall is kept the same and it was complete with the original photos that Anne hung to make it feel a little more like home. It is quite an eerie and emotional feeling to walk through the house. I can't imagine what it would have been like, hiding for the sake of your life and not even being able to open blinds let alone step outside over that long of time. Photos were prohibited here as well, so I only took some outside.

Memorial outside Anne Frank House

Anne Frank House today

Anne Frank House in the 40s

From there we walked through the center of the city over to the Heineken Brewery. I have been to the Coors Brewery in Colorado and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis before, but this was by far the best, most interactive one I have seen. From learning about the beer brewing process and being a beer bottle in the simulated ride, to learning the correct way to drink a Heineken, the Heineken Experience was exactly as it's name implies, an experience!

Everywhere Heineken is served!

Making some beer! ;-)

Alyssa testing her pouring ability

Congratulations! A pouring Master

Enjoying some samples

Graham and I then drove back to Hamburg and left the girls in Amsterdam so they could catch a flight to Rome the next day! Stay tuned, I'll write again soon about our experience at Hamburg's Hofbräuhaus! Tschüss!