Our Perfect Day in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Good morning! We are en route to Bruges, Belgium and I thought this the perfect time to blog about our time in Amsterdam. I apologize for not writing last night, but it was very late and I was exhausted! 

We began our day with a morning canal cruise. It was an excellent way to become acquainted with Amsterdam. The weather was perfect - sunny and mid-70's.

After the cruise, we strolled through a flower market - the name is a bit deceiving as I was expecting something like the Parisian flower markets with loads of fresh cut flowers. This area sold some dried flowers, but mostly tulip bulbs. We were warned by our guide that many of the bulbs are of poor quality, so most of us skipped purchasing any.

Dried flowers at the Flower Market, Amsterdam

After that, we headed to the Van Gogh Museum, stopping to enjoy the gardens behind the Rijksmuseum. 

We were not permitted to take photographs, except for one area. 

Below you can see the Stendhal Syndrome box that was being exhibited at the Van Gogh Museum. Stendhal was a French historian and writer who, while visiting Florence became so overwhelmed by the sheer volume and beauty of the art that surrounded him that he got heart palpitations and felt faint and went temporarily crazy. The Stendhal Box was created so that if you begin to feel overstimulated by art, you can sit inside this box and find your zen place. True story.

Need a time out from art? Just sit in here...

After lunch, most of our group went on a bike tour of the city. Those of us who didn't feel comfortable on a bike did our own thing. Before you think we are crazy for turning down a bike tour of Amsterdam let me explain that there are literally more bicycles than people in Amsterdam. Bikers are EVERYWHERE and they WILL run you down. I was more afraid of the bicyclers than the cars (of which there are very few!) Those who did go said the tour was fantastic. All of the tour guides knew a great deal about the history of Amsterdam and were very entertaining to boot.

Our wonderful guide Myriam and I went on our own adventure. Myriam's grandfather is an Auschwitz survivor, so I found in her a kindred spirit in terms of her interest in the Holocaust. We made our way to the Dutch Resistance Museum. We set a world record in museum tours as the museum closed at 5:00 PM and we arrived at 4:40 PM. 

On our way back, I noticed some Stoppelsteins. A former student of mine who studied in Berlin last year told me about them - they are bronze markers built into the sidewalks that are meant to make you "stumble." Each Stoppelstein has the name of a Jewish person who were ousted from that residence and deported. These appear to be a family of a husband, wife, and sister, all of whom perished at either Auschwitz or Sobibor. 

Stoppelsteins in Amsterdam

At this point, Myriam and I decided that we were going to find the Holocaust Memorial. When we arrived at the park where the majority of the razzias (roundups) took place. 

There was a group of students surrounding the memorial and Myriam and I tried to subtly take photos. The memorial looks like shattered mirrors, meant to invite the viewer to reflect. At the end, a glass marker reads "Never Again/Auschwitz." And, as is common with many of the Holocaust memorials, there are ashes of the dead of Auschwitz buried beneath the memorial.

Holocaust Memorial, Amsterdam

Holocaust Memorial "Never Again/Auschwitz" - Amsterdam

We were about to leave, when a woman in the group stepped forward and began to sing in Hebrew. Myriam explained that it was the song that a rabbi sings at the burial of the dead. She said she was surprised because she had never heard a woman or a non-rabbi sing this song. As we listened, I did not understand the language, but there was no need. It was so hauntingly beautiful that it gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. 

We hadn't planned on going, but ended up at the right place and the right time - true serendipity.

After the bike ride, we went to dinner, and it was here that I lost something very dear to me. My voice. Yes, I am now unable to speak in anything above a whisper. Bill might be enjoying that a little more than he will admit! 

Now we are on our way to Bruges (and I won't get to post this until we are actually in Bruges, but a 3 hour bus ride is a great time to write!) I will try to post about Bruges tonight, but if not, don't worry - I will get it done tomorrow!

Everyone is doing very well - Myriam said it is one of the best groups of kids she has encountered. They are polite and friendly and follow the rules without any hassles. But I am sure that the fact that you have awesome kids does not surprise you!

À bientôt!