Amsterdam - Day 2
9:12 AM
Today we decided to be more organized then the day before. While it was fun to just get "lost" in Amsterdam, I still really wanted to see the Anne Frank House and also the Rijksmuseum. Madame Tussard's Wax Museum was also on my list, but Owen has something against Wax Museums. Whenever we've been somewhere that there has been a Wax Museum, Owen has always balked at going in. I'm not sure if they freak him out or he just finds the whole thing silly. Either way, I've yet to get him to go in one with me.
Due to the HUGE line up to get into The Anne Frank House the day before, we decided to set the alarm for 7.30, eat a quick breakfast, and get there before it opened at 9am. Other ppl obviously had the same idea, so when we arrived at about 8.45am, there was a line up, but only about 20ish ppl, not 100+ that there was the day before. So we decided to stand in line and see just how long it would take.
Not long after it opened (5 mins?) we got in. The line actually moved really quickly! Unfortunately, Natasha decided to be the devil child, so neither of us got much out of the whole museum bc she was running around room to room screeching and laughing. I've spoke to people that have been there before and they say how emotional the museum makes them feel, but for us, nada. You really need to be able to listen to the video at the start and read the notes about each item on the wall and in display cases. It was a bit disappointing to spend €7.50 each on tickets to see something that you get rushed through and do not have any opportunity to enjoy and take in.
After we leave we decide to forge ahead and visit the Rijkmuseum, even though we could have a repeat. It's funny she has never acted like that before so I'm not sure what got into her.
After a very long walk to the Rijkmuseum (€10 each, kids under 3 free), we went in, expecting it to be a disaster but overall, Natasha was really good. A small difference at this museum was I was able to take my stroller all the way through, so she was in that for the most part. I really enjoyed the Museum. I'm going to sound like a real dork, but it's the first "real" museum I've ever been in. It's pretty amazing to see Rembrant's and the like up close.
After the Rijkmuseum I would have loved to have taken a Canel tour, but they did not look very stroller friendly and we figured once we were on the boat, Natasha would want to run around, so instead we walked around to another part of Amsterdam we had not visited the previous day before finding a place to eat.
While I enjoyed Amsterdam (Loved the streets, how close everything is, the architecture), I hated the number of smokers and there lack of concern about where they smoked. We could be at an outdoor cafe eating and someone would stop right at our table, light up, and smoke right in our faces until they were done and move on. Even more disgusting is that they do not have public ashtrays, they just toss the butts on the ground, so the sidewalks are littered with butts. Another couple at the B&B we are staying in laughed about it as well, saying that they have one in their mouth and another up their nose ready to light up with the other one is done.
They had just come from Nice and the guy said he was afraid to sit on the beaches for fear of getting butts in his swim trunks. :P
Due to the HUGE line up to get into The Anne Frank House the day before, we decided to set the alarm for 7.30, eat a quick breakfast, and get there before it opened at 9am. Other ppl obviously had the same idea, so when we arrived at about 8.45am, there was a line up, but only about 20ish ppl, not 100+ that there was the day before. So we decided to stand in line and see just how long it would take.
Not long after it opened (5 mins?) we got in. The line actually moved really quickly! Unfortunately, Natasha decided to be the devil child, so neither of us got much out of the whole museum bc she was running around room to room screeching and laughing. I've spoke to people that have been there before and they say how emotional the museum makes them feel, but for us, nada. You really need to be able to listen to the video at the start and read the notes about each item on the wall and in display cases. It was a bit disappointing to spend €7.50 each on tickets to see something that you get rushed through and do not have any opportunity to enjoy and take in.
After we leave we decide to forge ahead and visit the Rijkmuseum, even though we could have a repeat. It's funny she has never acted like that before so I'm not sure what got into her.
After a very long walk to the Rijkmuseum (€10 each, kids under 3 free), we went in, expecting it to be a disaster but overall, Natasha was really good. A small difference at this museum was I was able to take my stroller all the way through, so she was in that for the most part. I really enjoyed the Museum. I'm going to sound like a real dork, but it's the first "real" museum I've ever been in. It's pretty amazing to see Rembrant's and the like up close.
After the Rijkmuseum I would have loved to have taken a Canel tour, but they did not look very stroller friendly and we figured once we were on the boat, Natasha would want to run around, so instead we walked around to another part of Amsterdam we had not visited the previous day before finding a place to eat.
While I enjoyed Amsterdam (Loved the streets, how close everything is, the architecture), I hated the number of smokers and there lack of concern about where they smoked. We could be at an outdoor cafe eating and someone would stop right at our table, light up, and smoke right in our faces until they were done and move on. Even more disgusting is that they do not have public ashtrays, they just toss the butts on the ground, so the sidewalks are littered with butts. Another couple at the B&B we are staying in laughed about it as well, saying that they have one in their mouth and another up their nose ready to light up with the other one is done.
They had just come from Nice and the guy said he was afraid to sit on the beaches for fear of getting butts in his swim trunks. :P
