The Netherlands

We just got back from a long weekend in the Netherlands and had a great time! It was an easy 6 hour drive to our hotel, and then once we were there, we took the train everywhere (thank goodness for the great public transportation system in Europe!) Amsterdam was first on the Agenda, with my primary goal to visit the Ann Frank House. Bailey and I had read her Diary, Camden read the graphic novel, and Bryan had watched the movie, so we were all prepared for the tour. It is really a heartbreaking experience, but like Otto Frank (her father) said, one that needs to be told. It is amazing to think that 8 people lived in that tiny space for over 2 years and nobody knew (except for those helping them).

We loved meandering around the Canals (surprisingly, there are more canals in Amsterdam than in Venice). It was a little nerve wracking in some areas because, you take different turns on different streets, and you never know what you might see - with the kids that was definitely not a good thing. My initial impression of the city was great, and then by the end of our day, it got quite tainted. It was neat though.

The next day, we went to Harlem, which is an absolutely adorable city - OUR HANDS DOWN FAVORITE! It is actually the namesake for the Harlem in New York, but of course nothing like it. In many ways it reminded us of Bamberg, except the architecture was quite different. The city farmers market was bustling, and bikers and walkers were everywhere. It is a great place to walk around. They had a park that the kids enjoyed as well. Perhaps the highlight was the Corrie Ten Boom House. Corrie Ten Boom's family were devout Christians during WWII, and hid Jews in their home (risking their own lives to save those of others). The family was found out and sent to a concentration camp, and Corrie was the only one who lived to tell thier story. The family home is now a museum, and guided tours are given. The kids were even allowed to climb into the small space in Corrie's bedroom where their was a fake wall created in order to hide. (see the photo of Mia) It was neat to see the different perspectives in Ann Frank's story, and Corrie Ten Booms - both very moving! Definitely an educational field trip :-)

*The photo of Bailey is by the bookshelf that hid the secret annex