The Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House in the building in the center, partially hidden by the tree.
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We were able to make it to the Anne Frank House today. We walked almost 2 miles there but it was well worth it. The house on the outside is unimpressive and does not stand out from the other houses around it. You would never know the amazing piece of history contained inside without stepping in to see it for yourself. The house has been remodeled and part of it has been converted into a mini museum about, you guessed it, Anne Frank. However the area of the building where the Frank Family and their friends hid has remained much the way it was over 60 years ago. The walls have been restored, but they have still implimented pieces of the original wall containing momentos such as the photos Anne pasted in her room and the pencil marks used to record the growth of the kids while they were in hiding. We were able to see the bookcase that hid the entrance and climb through the small doorway and up the stairs into their hideaway.

Throughout the museum portion there were videos showing interviews with people who had helped the family survive during that time and the final video was an interview with Otto Frank, Anne's father. The whole experience was incredibly interesting and very touching. In a guest book, someone had written "If only Anne had held out for one more month, what would have become of her?" It gave us something to ponder as we left.

On our bike tour we passed a series of statues showing 3 human figures. 2 held their hands down, while one held their head high. 2 out of 3 Amsterdam citizens cooperated with the Nazi forces and turned in their Jewish friends, neighbors and colleages. This is a number most of Amsterdam is still ashamed of.

We walked the 2 miles back to our hotel, stopping at a market for sandwiches, fruit, chips, and drinks to eat for dinner. Delicious! While we ate it began to rain so we ended up staying inside for the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow it's off to the Van Gogh Museum-3 floors worth of his paintings and sketches! Jess can hardly wait! Then we'll have the rest of the days to whatever we feel like doing...GOSH!

Hope everyone's doing excellent! Miss you all!

Jessica and Christina