Anne Frank Huis

Hey! A great way to avoid the worst day (daylight savings day)(taking my sleep. Bad)(although I don’t really sleep any more, so would it matter?) is to come to Amsterdam a day or two before. We went from 6 hours ahead to 7 hours ahead, and now back to 6 hours ahead. Didn’t even notice it. I was pondering people in Florida for spring break (Hi Betsy!) and the beauty of that. Fly back today – gain an hour from Eastern to Central time, then lose it for worst day. Perfect. Next year, I am going to the east coast for before worst day. You can all come along.

There are a lot of places to eat in Central Amsterdam. We pretty much just needed to think of what we wanted to eat and find a place. Instead we sort of wandered, waiting to be inspired. We finally picked a crepe/panini/tosti place. I am always worried about paying, because we have gotten no euro and are depending entirely on being able to tap our phones on a credit card thing and having a blue check mark appear. Keith told me early on in Wales that we couldn’t insert a credit card because then we would need a pin and we don’t have that kind (because the US is dumb. He didn’t say that, but I am adding that). We were waiting for our food to be cooked and I said I didn’t see a credit card tapper and he said if it was cash only it would say that. Agreed. I said but what about not putting in a credit card. Oh, no worries, we have that. What? It’s just never been tried, so he didn’t want me to try it and have it fail (I wouldn’t have liked that either, but I think I could have been able to process the facts…) So, food is done, cash only. Auggghhhhh. He asked the guy where the closest place he could get cash was and the guy pulled up a tapper from under the counter. Phew. It does cost a lot to do credit cards, so that made sense. We did take away (it costs more to eat in, and I am still pandemic-y about eating in, so take away is my choice). Keith said it would be great if a there was just a bench along the way where we could sit. I said I would be happy leaning against this brick wall right here, where absolutely no one was. So be it. We were munching along when a van pulled up and stopped. Two guys got out, opened the back, and unloaded a bench. We figured it was going in somewhere…but no. They plopped it down on the sidewalk. By the time they moved away, we were done eating, but we definitely went across and sat on the wished-for-and-appeared bench. Keith said he then wished for an ice cream shop to be on the next corner. And it was. Magical times!

I read all about the Anne Frank Huis on the website. You cannot take bags or backpacks or anything big inside because it is a small space and many people will be there. I am used to carrying my string backpack, usually with almost nothing in it, just because it leaves my hands free and if we pick anything up, I have a place. I thought I could wear it empty under my coat and they wouldn’t know. (Sneaky!) Then I thought, just go wild and put some stuff in your pockets and go. The cloakroom is closed (covid?)(they weren’t wearing masks inside, so how covid-y are they being?)(We wore masks because I’m not over it) and no one said anything about the people carrying giant bags and backpacks. Better to be safe than sorry. We signed up for an educational class about the Netherlands in WWII and the Frank family before the tour, because Keith thought he would like to learn before he went on the tour. He was impressed with everything the guide knew and said he learned a lot. He asked if I knew all that stuff. Yes.

I am very, very glad to have been able to take the tour. The annex is larger than I imagined, but still very small for 8 people for over 2 years. Photos were not allowed and that is good. None are needed (we will remember) and it was nice not having everyone clicking away. I think the thing that really got me was that the front of the building, where Otto Frank’s business was, looks right out onto a canal. The buildings here now were the buildings there then. I stood at the front windows (not where the families were hiding, but very near) and watched the bustle of people, the boats going by, and thought about people excluded from that for absolutely no good reason. It was right there.

The gift shop had the book in so many languages, but not in German. (The sign said it was not available at the moment.) It was the only language with such a sign. Curious.

We found so many places to use the restroom today. I know, you are very interested (I am lying). But I have traveled in Italy where apparently people do not use restrooms and that is very difficult. At Anne Frank Huis we could see the restroom through the glass front and asked if we could go in and use the restroom before the guide came to start our class (I figured if we zoomed off on the tour right after the class it would be two hours before we were done, so good to use the restroom first). We did not know it would be a big deal. The lady outside had to radio in and ask. She got the okay. We tried to go inside, but the lady at the door stopped us. First lady had to come and clear us. Guide inside escorted us to the restroom, which was a single stall. She waited while we used it and escorted us back out. Huuuuh. Turns out there are two stalls right at the beginning of the tour, so we could have waited, but who knew? Shortly after we left there, we came to a public urinal. Not a thing I was previously familiar with. I didn’t realize my picture was so lame until now, so sorry. I told Keith to go use it and I would take his picture. He laughed a lot, and declined. He is not participating in Amsterdam very much.

We wandered all around until dinner time. Keith said he wanted a burger or pancakes (Dutch or American). I said pancakes. We were on the hunt. We stopped and read the menu for Wok to Walk and I was sold. Happily, so was Keith. It was a build your own stir fry type deal and sooooo good. The chili paste on the table was fantastic and I had lots. Hot? Yes. Tasty? YES.

Food energized me and we walked and walked and walked. Keith doesn’t know where to look when we are in the red light district. I spontaneously said I wanted some ice cream and I think Keith almost passed out. I am never the one saying ice cream. I had American cookie ice cream. They said it was cookies and cream, although Oreo was separately listed. Mmmm. I ate it. It was delicious. It was not Oreo at all. Keith thought it was drumstick-y. I said no, something else. Can you guess? It’s pretty obvious. We looked in the case as we left (not visible when ordering) and it had chocolate chip cookies in it. We’re dumb.

We wanted to go on a canal tour in the dark, but couldn’t find one still open. (We saw boats going, but couldn’t find where they launched.) We took pictures of a (young) couple and they returned the favor, then we chatted. He was from Kuwait, but his parents live in The Hague (he was born there)(they have returned from Kuwait), and he lives in Tokyo. She is from Madrid, but lives in Tokyo (they met there). He and Keith tried to connect via Facebook (Khaled’s idea), but there were hundreds of him, and then hundreds of Keith, and they couldn’t figure it out. He wanted to help us plan our eventual trip to Japan. She and I were chatting about coming back from covid while the men were failing. What a delightful experience (except for the failing part)(since he suggested FB to connect, I didn’t just ask for his email. I thought that he would suggest it if he was willing). Talking to strangers again! Oh, how I have missed it (and didn’t even realize it!). I ended up taking a bunch of pictures of some buildings reflecting in a canal. It was sooooo beautiful and none of the pictures do it justice. Wish you were here to see it.