Land of bikes.

Backpacked up looking for a train.

After an early morning trip to the airport, we have made our way to Amsterdam.  The boys are definitely learning to read subway maps, as we used trains, metro, and trams today.  This was the first day we actually backpacked up as we did not have the use of a vehicle today. 

Outside the Anne Frank House.

It was a cold damp day as we made our way to the Anne Frank House.  As we entered the main concourse of the house, one women in her early 30's ran out of the area to vomit after seeing pictures of the Holocaust in the opening presentation.  This quickly put a new perspective of what the boys were about to witness.  The museum is very well laid out and a very powerful testament to the difficult times that people lived in, and in that apartment, eight people lived in continuous periods of silence.  Staying in our apartments, the boys with one game of cards would have given us all up in about 90 seconds.

Who knew zero celsius could be that cold?  Iceland was way warmer.  We went for a canal tour and self guided walking tour around downtown Amsterdam on Thursday.  The wind off the North Sea was not pleasant and resulted in some grumbling.  The canal tour was warm however, and the boys enjoyed the views of the city.  The architecture of the buildings being built into each other allows for interesting viewing.  Saw one family moving out of their house, which requires a truck with a winched ramp as stairways are too narrow to move items to street level.  We also enjoyed the advertising posted, but not sure what it meant.