DAY 3: Tuesday, March 11, Canal Tour & Pilgrimage to Anne Frank House

AMSTERDAM

I'm happy to report that I'm recovering from jet lag. Today, I had two activities on the schedule. One was a success, and the other, not so much. I still count the day as a win. 

I didn't expect to enjoy the canal cruise as much as I did, but it was great. Pure Boats, the tour company, specializes in small groups. I give them my whole-hearted endorsement. It was fun to watch the skipper, Benjamin, navigate the canals. In this picture, it looks as if he steered without watching, but he always seemed to be aware of when it was safe to take his eyes off the water. Operators maintain radio contact with each other to keep from colliding. I'm in favor of that.

All the passengers were Americans. Two sisters from Atlanta, a family of five (one is hiding behind a flower arrangement) from Houston, and me. The sisters said their mother would be pleased with the picture I took of them. It did turn out well.

You can see seven bridges from this vantage.

Along our route, we saw one of the narrowest houses in Amsterdam, barely wider than the front door.

After the tour, I had lunch at Cafe Van Zuylen. In his guidebook, Rick Steves recommends the apple pie. It was good and allowed me to use my extremely limited Dutch. I told the server, "Dat was heerlijk." That was delicious. I had to practice in my head several times beforehand. My lips may have been moving. I like to think she was pleased that I made the effort.

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I reserved a tour slot at the Anne Frank House & Museum weeks ago. Sadly, the visit didn't go as planned. My wonky hip gave me away. The manager saw me limping in and assigned a babysitter to ensure my safety. I could not convince him that I'd be okay on my own. As it turned out, he was right. Although I saw the front part of the building, I could not get to the secret annex. The stairs are at the steepest angle possible, closer to that of a ladder. I released the babysitter guy--who was polite but surely bored stiff--picked up my things from coat check, and left. I'll pay my respects from a distance.

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Before and after the Anne Frank debacle, I walked around. Here are some random shots.

       

A cool statue of Multatuli, a 19th century Dutch author (I had to look him up.)

I always enjoy a well-placed griffin.

TOMORROW: The Van Gogh and Stedelijk Museums