Amsterday — ALEXANDRA.MBK

A Rainy Day in Amsterdam. Sorry not sorry for the pun - I actually cannot help myself.

I was SO excited to go to Amsterdam with Matt. We both knew that it would be one of our first excursions because of its infamy. When I had visited Amsterdam with my Contiki tour in 2013, I remember anticipating a dirty, grungy city full of mischief and debauchery. I was pleasantly surprised that only half of that was true - Amsterdam is an absolutely beautiful city interspersed with canals, lush greenery, aggressive bicyclists, and gorgeous flowers. And also a lot of marijuana and prostitutes. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Still, its moniker as the “Venice of the North” is extremely fitting.

Unfortunately, plane tickets to Amsterdam were crazy expensive, so we had to take a 12-hour overnight bus. It was brutal, to say the very least, but we managed to get some sleep and arrived early Saturday morning. Thus far, we have had really good luck with AirBnB everywhere we’ve gone, but for some reason, the options in Amsterdam were a bit dubious and kinda sketchy (WEIRD, RIGHT?). Luckily, mama Ameeta is a goddess and put us up in a super swanky hotel with her points (see the crazy pictures). Thank you mom! I know you (and we) were relieved that we were staying somewhere reputable in Amsterdam 😂.

Moxy Amsterdam Houthavens (Click image to see more pics)

Immediately when we checked in, we had to rush out quickly and make the walking tour/canal cruise that we booked. The tour started in the Red Light District at the Old Church (yes, you read that right). The Old Church is surrounded by brothels, bars, and dispensaries, but it is the oldest building in Amsterdam and is at the center of the city. Outside the church is a statue named “Belle,” which serves to honor the prostitutes of the world. The statue roughly translates to, “Respect sex workers all over the world.” Though prostitution has only been legalized in Amsterdam since 2000, the brothels are tightly regulated with the intention of protecting the workers as much as possible. We were told that many of the women come from Eastern Europe, work for a few years, and make enough money to retire early in life and live the dream. It was oddly empowering.

The infamous “Belle” outside of Old Church

Views around Amsterdam (Old Church, Canals, and public urinals for men that Matt actually used hahaha) (Click image to see more pics)

There are also several cannabis dispensaries, referred to as “coffee shops” all over Amsterdam. They certainly do sell coffee at these shops, but that is not their prime merchandise. It is illegal to smoke outside in Amsterdam, so most of the coffee shops have smoking areas inside. I think most people are surprised that the pungent odor of marijuana is not smelled when walking around, and the majority of people respect this law. Now while prostitution, marijuana, and magic mushrooms are all perfectly kosher in Amsterdam, public drinking is absolutely not allowed and very strictly enforced. Matt and I laughed a lot at all of the signs warning people of drinking in public everywhere, but hey, you gotta draw the line somewhere, right?

(Click image to see more pics)

The next part of the tour focused on the history of Jews in Amsterdam, a facet of WWII history of which Matt and I were certainly unaware. By the end of the war, 3/4 of the Dutch Jews were murdered, with more than 100,000 Jews transported from the Netherlands primarily to Auschwitz and Sobibor extermination camps. The Netherlands suffered the greatest number of Jewish casualties in WWII. The statistics are sobering, to say the very least. The Netherlands suffered more than other countries because the German police had sole authority over the deportations, and of the 30,000 Jews in the Netherlands that tried to escape or go into hiding, 1/3 of them were betrayed or discovered.

We spent a little bit of time in the Jewish Historical Museum, which displays artifacts and artwork associated with Jewish history and culture in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, many of the cultural objects of Jews in the Netherlands were destroyed during WWII, but the memorial was beautiful and haunting. We also made friends with a super cute cat there. We also saw the Portuguese Synagogue, which was the largest synagogue in Europe when it was constructed in the 17th century. It still does not have electric lighting and is illuminated by candles. Finally, we took a walk through Wertheim Park, which is where the Auschwitz memorial was. The monument is made of broken glass and mirrors, which is supposed to symbolize that “heaven is no longer unbroken since Auschwitz.”

Walking around the beautiful Jewish Quarter

Sights in the Jewish Quarter (The Portuguese Synagogue + The Jewish Historical Museum) (Click image to see more pics)

Our walking tour officially ended after this, and we walked passed Zuiderkerk Church, which is a Protestant church in Amsterdam that inspired both Rembrandt and Monet. We also walked over innumerable canals on our way to our canal cruise. The city was constructed around the utilization of canals - three were used for residential development and one was used for defense, with many interconnecting waterways and bridges throughout. Unfortunately for us, our day in Amsterdam was SUPER rainy. On our way to the cruise, we were caught in a torrential downpour, but luckily, our canal cruise was covered, though the views were not as clear.

Canals + Canal Cruises + Houseboats (Click image for more pics)

Before our last excursion of the day, we enjoyed some amazing food from a beautiful restaurant called “Cafe in de Waag.” We both had delicious salmon dishes and ended up walking around the food markets and shops for dessert. Because of Amsterdam’s “extracurricular activities,” Amsterdam has some seriously amazing and decadent desserts, which we certainly demolished. It was gluttonous to say the very least.

Alllll the food (Click image for more pics)

Our day ended at the Anne Frank House, which is where the Frank family hid with the Van Pelt family and Fritz Pfeffer. The hiding place was located over Otto’s factory and company, which traded pectin, herbs, and spices. In May of 1940, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and laws and regulations impinging on the lives and rights of the Jews were imposed, including mandatory enforcement of Jews wearing the Star of David as an identifier. When Margot, Anne’s older sister, was called to report to a “labor camp” in Germany in July 1942, the Franks went into hiding in the annex Otto developed, along with the help of his colleagues, over the factory. During this period, Anne received a diary for her 13th birthday, and started documenting their daily life. Wanting to be a journalist and writer, she wrote short stories, novels, and everything that happened. The secret annex was discovered on August 4, 1944, and the Franks took the last train from the Netherlands to Auschwitz. Anne and Margot ultimately died from exhaustion at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and Edith, their mother, died at Auschwitz. Only Otto survived, and he ensured that Anne’s diary was introduced to the world and that the secret annex was reconstructed to exactly as it was so that people would not forget the atrocities suffered by the Jews in the Holocaust.

Anne Frank Memorial outside of the house (Pictures are not allowed inside)

I had been to the Anne Frank House on my previous visit, but it hit me in a completely different way this time. I read Anne Frank’s diary as a girl, and found her writing to be relatable and captivating. But seeing the actual place she hid and feeling the terror they must have felt constantly for two years was overwhelming. It was an extremely emotional experience. She kept a book of “beautiful sentences,” where she would write down all of her favorite quotes that she heard, and I have a similar journal of my favorite quotations from books I’ve read. It hit very close to home and it is truly a life-changing tribute.

Random sights around Amsterdam (Click image for more pics)

I am so glad to have shared Amsterdam with Matthew. Even though it is known for its mischief, Amsterdam is really a beautiful and thriving city with a dark history. I could not recommend it more, and I truly hope that this is not our last time in the incredible city.

Until next time,

Alexandra