Today was Amsterdam. We almost missed our train. You know those scenes in movies where the people are running through the airport (or in our case, the train station) to get there in time? That was us this morning. We made it to the metro in plenty of time, but the first metro was late. Then, the second metro stopped in the middle of it's route, with no explanation. ?? So we finally got to Gare du Nord (the big train station) and RAN to our Thayls train to Amsterdam. And we made it!
We all LOVED Amsterdam. It is a crazy city, but so beautiful. We seen thousands of bikes. Thousands. They have entire parking garages just for bikes. That is the main mode of transportation for people. We stayed out of their way, because they don't stop, especially for tourists.
The first thing we did was go to Anne Frank's house where she hid with her family for 3 years. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside, but here is the outside:
It was amazing, because so many of the rooms are still in tact just the way they were when the family hid, the creeking floors, the dark walls and room darkening curtains, etc. The pictures she hung on her wall were still there. We seen the place where her dad had marked the heights of her and her sister. And of course, the actual diary.
Then we took a canal bus tour of the city. The houses and architecture are so beautiful and different from anything I've seen...
The rest of our day was spent walking around the beautiful city.
Men in kilts:
While we were on the platform to head back home, we heard the announcement that our trian from Amsterdam to Paris had been cancelled, so we had to get on another one and switch trains in Rotterdam (also in the Netherlands). It ended up being all right though. We met a group of high school boys from Italy and one of them was sitting with us and he wanted to practice his English, so the train ride went fast from Amsterdam to Brussels (where all of the kids got off). It was interesting.
I'm off to bed now - it's after midnight. Megan and Amy are in bed already and waiting for me to shut the light out.
More tomorrow!
Dad says he would have liked to have seen you running for the train, it reminds him of the car chase in the French Connection. Uncle steve says he didn't know they have boat busses there, it looks a lot like Venice. Grandma didn't run for a train today but she did walk around the block which is seven tenth's of a mile.
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