Amsterdam, Day 2

We woke up early on our second day in Amsterdam with the intention of renting bikes and riding around like a local while exploring the city.

Miss Delia gets ready for her first bike ride in Amsterdam.

 Josef and Super Nel are bundled up and ready for a bike ride.

Most of the bikes in Amsterdam have this seat in the front so you can carry a passanger or place your bag/packages on it. 

Ala almost falls off her bike but catches herself just in time. 

Everyone rides in a line-sometimes we'd almost crash into each other if someone hit the brakes suddenly but no one sustained any injuries. 

Riding on a bike in this country gives you a feeling like no other. You're excited, happy and a little scared all at the same time. This might be my favorite activity of the city. The hardest part is trying to find a place to lock your bike because the bike racks are usually taken! There are more bikes than people in this town. Also, another thing I like is that bicycles have a dedicated bike lane with their own stop and go lights. 

We visited the Anne Frank House and Museum in the morning. This was one of my "must see" items on the list. The history and the story of the hidden family that lived above the wharehouse while trying to avoid the Nazi's made this day emotional. You can't help but feel something inside when you watch the video of Anne's Father saying that when he first read his daughters diary he felt that even though he was close to Anne he felt like he never truly knew her. I found it sad to know that Anne Frank had a dream of becoming a famous writer one day. She edited her diary and rewrote the entries hoping to have it published after the war. Her diary is now one of the most read literary works in the world. I just wish she had lived to see her dream come true. 

Rianna, Mel, Ala, Freddy and Darius outside the Anne Frank House. 




 
The line was around the corner and down the block! The average wait time was 3 hours just to buy a ticket! We purchased our tickets online and for a $1 online fee you can walk right into the museum. 

Hard to imagine that a family of 8 lived in this space while hiding for so long. 

There's so much history here. I can't get enough of it. 

Standing on the canal. 


 
It is our honeymoon....

In the afternoon we boarded a boat to take a canal cruise around Amsterdam. However, we ended up falling asleep on board during the tour. We thought maybe it was because we were tired, but when I spoke to Jose later that evening he said they fell asleep onboard too. Maybe it was the rocking motion of the boat that made us pass out. 


On board the canal cruise before we fall asleep. 
 
Maybe it was the warm sun coming through the windows that made us sleepy.