The flight across the big pond was unexceptional. No screaming babies. Little turbulence. Long. Uncomfortable seats. Couple of new movies. Very little sleep. We arrived in Amsterdam, took shuttle to hotel, took an hour nap, took shuttle back to airport to catch train into city central. From there walked to Anne Frank museum.
Museum is in actual building where Anne’s father conducted his business and hid his family. You walk up the steep, narrow wooden steps that were Anne’s source of exercise for two years. You read excerpts from her diary in the rooms where she wrote them. You see growth marks penciled on the walls beside pictures she pasted there. There is the ACTUAL diary. Very simple. Very powerful.
From there hiked across town to the Van Gogh museum. Not only were there over 200 original Van Goghs, but was surprised to see original Monet, de Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Suret, and Daubigny as well.
Amsterdam itself was (chilly but) delightful. Canals that form spokes of a wheel toward city center. Smells of daffodils, hemp, algae, tobacco, spices punctuate the air. Distinguished architecture soars skyward. We ate dinner in an alley restaurant with low/candle light dancing across marble slab floors and wainscoting with 100 layers of glossy white paint outlining plaster walls. The food was Mediterranean—flavorful but not too spicy.
That was Monday. Tuesday we were traveling 11 to 11. It is a LONG way from North Carolina to Dar es Salaam! Wednesday we let jet lag win and took it easy. Friday we ride a train to largest game preserve in Tanzania, Selous. We will be there on safari until Monday when we fly back to Dar. Here are pictures…will send more when we see animals!
No comments:
Post a Comment