I've gotta go back - there wasn't enough time to see everything! (Sights/ Attractions in general)

Member Name: HeavenlyTwin

Product:	Sights/ Attractions in general
Date:	06/05/01 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A mix of old and new, Famous red light district is not what you'd expect, Something for everyone

Disadvantages: Watch out for cyclists - thye stop for no man!

The Anne Frank House, on the Prinsengracht, was the foremost in my mind, when I visited Amsterdam. The place I had wanted to visit for over thirty years. Ever since I had first read "The Diary of Anne Frank". It is hard to imagine this quiet canalside street, echoing with the clatter of jackboots on the cobblestones, and the harsh, guttural commands as Dutch Jews were herded from their homes and onto trucks bound for who knew where? The tree-lined street looks to have changed little in the fifty years since. Other than the constant lines of people waiting to pay homage to a young girl whose life was cut tragically short by one of the greatest crimes against humanity.

It was Otto Frank's wish that the house remain as it was after the Germans looted it, so the living quarters are empty save for a model on each floor which shows how it was furnished, and the pictures on what was Anne's bedroom wall. Despite waiting about 30 minutes in line, and the line of people being ever-constant, there was a silence as we all trudged through. Some quiet sobs. A respectful awe. At first, it seems quite spacious and then you begin to realise the number of people sharing this space, and you begin to see how cramped it actually was. And you ebgin to think of the way they had to live. not to be able to flush the toilet. Not to be able to open the windows for air in the Summer, or light a fire for warmth in the Winter. To be afraid to sneeze or cough. It is hard to imagine the fear that made people capable of living under those conditions.

And then to remember that Anne was one person of millions. Not just Jews, but Romany gypsies, the mentally ill, and any other deemed undesirable in that awful time. Had she lived, how great might her talent have become? And, taking hers as the story of just one, how can we ever begin to imagine the immense talents in all walks of life, that were lost forever during this period?

The Anne Frank House now ow
ns the building next door, which was being transformed into a museum when we were visiting. I believe this has to be a must-visit for anyone visiting Amsterdam. If nothing else, it truly makes you appreciate all that you have.

I had never been to Madame Tussaud's in London, so on our trip to Amsterdam, I was determined that I was going to visit the master waxworks. It was a brilliant foray into history and popular culture. We traipsed through a historical canalside scene, with small boats bobbing on the water. There we met people from the "golden age"of Amsterdam - the crippled beggar, Jewish scientist, the prostitute and the sailor to whom she is plying her wares. There is a moving panorama of Amsterdam, showing the city and the low-lying polders beyond, constantly turning and giving you a full view of Amsterdam, in miniature. And you can walk through the studio of Johannes Vermeer - the famous Dutch painter. Or see the inside of a local tavern, complete with drunks and jolly peasants. To the present day, and Holland's first astronaut, Wubbo Ockels as he was on his Challenger mission in 1985. From there, to the great (and just well-loved) people of our century - Nelson Mandela, Freddie Mercury of Queen, Mel Gibson, Benny Hill, to mention just a few.

It was well worth the visit. Almost centrally located at Dam20, it is easily found and accessible on foot or by tram from all parts of the city. The local telephone number is 020-622-99-49. There are discounts for groups, and the souvenir book is worth it's keepsake value. This is a place for adults and children. I recommend it as a place to go in Amsterdam.

Finally, if this is your first trip to Amsterdam, make it a top priority to take one of the daytime canalboat trips when you first get there. Some are large and seat maybe 50 people, others are smaller and take maybe 10 or 12, but they are an excellent overview of Amsterdam and it's history. Our guide gave us
a running commentary in three languages, about the history and culture of the city, and pointed out numerous places of interest and idiosyncrasies along the way. The trips are usually an hour to two hours long, and are a tranquil island in the hubbub of the hustle that is life in Amsterdam. We were enthralled by the different fascias of the buildings, marvelling at their age and ornate decorations in stone and wood. We learned why the houses are so tall and narrow, because the taxes were paid on the footage of the width. And we were also told that just because the front is old doe not mean the rest of the house is. When the foundations fail, the houses are rebuilt, but the front has to remain! Who'd have thought it? We enjoyed our daytime trip immensely, but for sheer beauty ...

We also took a candlelit cruise - ah, romance in this city of extremes. Champagne and hor dóevres, and a couple of candle bowls flickering at each table. We sailed the same maze of canals, but the buildings were aglow from within, the bridges ablaze with hundreds of coloured lights. It was magical. the same city as we'd passed through in the day, but looking magical in the dark night.

I'd advise couples to take both cruises, they are so different and give you a chance to see a different side of the city. Families with school age children would enjoy the daytime trip, as there was more to see. They are both well worth the money and offer excellent chances for photos to remember your holiday in Amsterdam, by.

I have to go back another time though - there was still so many places that I didn't get to see.

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