Frets, canals and a dairy that held collars of Nazis - Euro Trip 10



we can view seven bridges from this viewpiont
On Friday R and I planned to visit Venice, but something came up at his work and we had to cancel the trip. Miss smiley asked me whether we could meet up for a city tour and I was more than happy to join her.

We took the boat cruise that went through beautiful canals of Amsterdam city. Schipol Airport of Amsterdam is 4 meters below sea level, so it’s not surprising to learn that the central station behind us is standing on 6000 stilts. Amsterdam name is derived from the Amstel dam, a dam in the river "Amstel".

The Nemo science center
This ship like building is called Nemo museum, its one of the big science center in The Netherlands for kids. The ship next to it is replica of historical ship “Amsterdam” that sunk in North Sea during 17th century.

The Dutch are the world experts on keeping up with back the water and flood, In fact after Katrina US turned to Dutch for help, to rebuilt New Orleans. Here people actually live in boats. These boats have address, gas, telephone and electric connection.

Dutch wall to wall buildings are iconic
Those days the city was densely populated and renting apartment was costly compared to living in boat, plus fishermen and businessmen went around with goods in their boats for trading. So they altered their boats and started living in it. Now you can rent a boat house to stay, ironically its way costlier than renting a hotel room.

Westerkerk church tower
TheWesterkerk ("western church") is a Protestant church from 16th century. It has the highest church tower in Amsterdam.

Dutch people are obsessed with cycles, I was told every Dutch man has at least 2 cycles (Kudos!), walk in the road you are sure to spot many (young and old) riding bicycles. Each road has a cycle line, and it’s advised not to walk on it.

cycles everywhere
Then we came across the world famous Anne Frank’s museum. Anne Frank is a 13 year old Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family, during Nazis occupation of Netherlands. They lived in small secret attic in her father’s office building from 1942-44(Anna museum). Her father’s friends and colleagues helped them with food and necessities.

Image courtesy google, the one I took wasnt good.
While in hiding she regularly wrote, about the political developments, about her life in confinement and her feelings as a growing girl (on the dairy which her father gifted on her 13th birthday just before they went into hiding). She wanted to become a journalist and be useful to many people, even to the ones she never met in her lifetime.

On August 1944 the family got arrested, separated and sent to concentration camps. After going through a great deal of suffering (some of her friends were gassed to death), Anne died of typhus, an epidemic that killed 17K prisoners. Among 107,000 Jews deported from Netherlands only 5,000 survived. Her father was the only survivor of her family.

Anna Frank, an innocence lost.Image courtesy google
He returned to Amsterdam after the war to find that her diary saved by his friend. Imagine the trauma he would have undergone reading the most intimate thoughts of her. He published her diary, which later got translated into many languages and it became one of the most widely read books. Anna frank became face of countless people who suffered just as she did in the Holocaust. Read here for the moving excerpt from her dairy.

After the boat trip, miss smiley and I had the delicious frets with Mayo sauce. Then we walked around doing funny poses until R joined me for shopping and dinner.

When she got them fed , I got them fled

When she held, I smelled


and when she just posed, I accidently licked!

After she left, I shopped!

I am wearing the red one today, they are actually cheaper than you think ;)
The next country is for next week, have a great weekend =)

Comments

first! will read post and come
sri said…
frets for u :)
interesting account of the Dutch living in boats and how they have gas connection and the likes..
Anne Frank - must have been thrilling to go that museum na, I have read the book so many times, makes me want to go..
waiting for more tales from ur Euro trip.. amazing how you remember ever little detail.. u have a happy weekend too..
Anonymous said…
Anne frank,I read her book recently.Cannot imagine to think of it. Stories like hers are reminders to be grateful about a secured living!

The Nemo science centre looks great!Pic 1 is awesome!! :)

And that was good info about the ships and the Dutch's boathouses.

Mudiyala,Sri, mudiyala! When she held, you smelled?When she posed, you licked??:P
gils said…
//When she held, you smelled?When she posed, you licked//

nalla vela..kammetoda fotovum poata!! ilaati..aaha oohoo besh besh :D
gils said…
//After she left, I shopped!
//

cha..ithu semma twistaadicihi..naan nenachen..nee panna silmishathukaga antha shoevalaa nalla saathinanga polanu :D
Aarti said…
Awesome post... had a good laugh reading all the she held, i smelled.... :D

I love Anne Frank's diary, read it couple of times, cant imagine what she must have gone thru...tough life...

and err, where are the red shoes? u aint holding them up.. put up photo........ :D
Aarti said…
Posted this comment 1st, dint happen..so reposting!!

Loved reading the history behind Amsterdam and all those ships.. and its wonderful they are into walking and cycles.. so much better for the air!!
Aarti said…
Gils- Srikku theriyum... naama ellam enna yosipomunu.. athaan commentoda photo pottutaru....
gils said…
//Srikku theriyum... naama ellam enna yosipomunu.. athaan commentoda photo pottutaru....//

ROTFL :D
Smiley! the name exactly suits her!
sri said…
@gils

//nalla vela..kammetoda fotovum poata!! ilaati..aaha oohoo besh besh :D
//

ROFTL, i expected such comments esp from u. Lets see what our brahm vam is going to say :)

@Aarti
Did you see the one I am holding up in left hand :) its bit darker than red and checked :)

Yes the one thing I admired most is thier concern for environment, using the windmills, cycles and paper bags, Hats off to the responsible citizens

@Savi

Yes savi, thats why my cousin R said not to go to Musuem, he cried and got so down when he visited it seems.

@AJCL
Thanks , actually I just click photos of the name of the places and monuments, and get as much story as possible, for rest of the exact detials google is there na :)
sri said…
@ Aruna

Thats right :)
Aarti said…
Hmmm.. went back , zoomed into that pic and tried to find the red.. couldnt spot it.. etho u telling, me believing... :D

@Gils..hehe.. :)
G3 said…
//These boats have address, gas, telephone and electric connection.//

Wow.. That sounds great :D Appo indha veedu movable asseta :P
G3 said…
//I am wearing the red one today, they are actually cheaper than you think ;) //

Neenga kaila vechirukkara 2 shoelayumae red colour kaanumae :P
bittersweet said…
the pigeons and the ice cream cone you were holding are too cute for words!!

I wonder why those boats are more expensive than hotel rooms, I mean it 's not that spacious.
Vidya said…
I love these pictures and the stories that go with them!
Vidya said…
I would absolutely love to live in a boat! Can you imagine waking up to the gentle rocking of the boat, "bumping" into the neighbor!:D
Pixie said…
Lovely Pics! :)

The Anne Frank museum - wow
I've always wanted to visit it at east once :)
Very informative as well.
Swaram said…
Westerkerk church tower - I luveddddddddd the pic :)

Me luvss cycles too though I hv only one :P

I so want to visit Anne Frank Museum - That dairy makes u laugh with her, cry with her :( She hs poured her heart out!
R-ambam said…
/// G3 :These boats have address, gas, telephone and electric connection.//

Wow.. That sounds great :D Appo indha veedu movable asseta :P///

G3 ,kalakreenga poanga
R-ambam said…
Nice photos again :)

TR style la kelambureenga nnu paatha... saettai thaane vaenaangrathu ..
sri said…
@ AArti / G3

I think I need glasses :) you are right its not red :) I somehow percieved it has red , dumb me :)

@ Mybittersweetkoreanlife

The boats have become expensive because it has become something like a attraction, like thing to do while in amsterdam and they have all the facilitie and on demand.

@ Vidya, Thanks!
Nope thats too much for me, I would probably throw up waking in a boat :)

@Pixie

Welcome here! :) Thanks for your comments , Glad you liked it.

@Swaram
You are right, I can see how powerful her words are. Owing a cycle is good, you can just take it for a ride, it would be awesome rejuvenating thing to do.

@G3 / Rambam
haha movable asset thaan :) , epdinga epdi ellam yosikaranga, boatla room pottu yosipaangalo
Karthik said…
kalakkals.. as usual.. :)

nan konjam (?) late. niraiya post inimel than padikkanum.. :(
sri said…
welcome karthik

take ur time bro :)
Annam said…
என்னல நடக்குது ??????
Annam said…
vatsuuu :))ஹ்ம்ம்ம் நடக்கட்டும் நடக்கட்டும்:))))
Annam said…
நல்ல காலம் போட்டோ புடிச்சு போட்டேள்.....அதனால தப்பிச்சேள்:))))))))
Annam said…
30 30 30 30 30 30 30 :D
Annam said…
Anne Frank is a 13 year old Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family, during Nazis occupation of ////////////////////////

இது என்ன படம் பார்த்து கதை சொல்லுறது மாதிரி போய்கிட்டு இருக்கு:))))
Annam said…
vats said ROFTL, i expected such comments esp from gilsu .//////////////

கரீட்டு:)
Annam said…
///////////Lets see what our brahm vam is going to say :)

////////////////////

ஏன் இல்ல ஏன்னு கேக்குறேன்????
Annam said…
oru vazhiya travela mudichuttela inimel recipe cheya aarambichu irupel thaana:)
Annam said…
adutha postla kummiya continue pannuvom:)))))
sri said…
/oru vazhiya travela mudichuttela inimel recipe cheya aarambichu irupel thaana:)//

had a hearty laugh :) brahmin accent pottu kalakarel pongu

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