Monday, June 1, 2015 Van Gogh and Dutch Resistance Museums

The tour of museums continued on Monday with the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and then after lunch, the Dutch Resistance Museum. Both were very good, although, I got way more absorbed and spent more time in the Resistance museum. In between, I went to the central terminal for the transportation system and think I am set for my train ride to the airport tomorrow.

And, my phone is back to loading pictures this morning. (I have my ticket for the Rijksmuseum for today, but am going to print my boarding pass before going out Tuesday morning.)

Here is the line outside the Van Gogh Museum at 10 AM. I had purchased my ticket ahead of time, which about a quarter of the people had. Our line was fast.

 

A cool façade on this building.

 Another cool building.

 I didn't know Onitsuka Tigers were made anymore--here is a whole shop!

 This was outside the Amsterdam University, so pranksters probably locked up this bike to the top of the light pole.

 Everyone uses English  as the language for communication (retail anyway).

 The piano has a sign on it "Play me" and someone was--this was in the train station.

 Cool ship as part of the ship museum.

 Haven't seen one like this since my days in Yugoslavia. This was a motorcycle on back. The ones in Skradin were often roto-tillers.

 Dutch Resistance: The museum was interesting in that it focused on adapting (more or less following the German rules), collaborating and embracing the occupiers to provide a better life, or outright resistance. The museum presented some of each. As time when on, more and more people moved to resistance, except the true believers of the benefits the Nazi's could provide.

 The burlap bags were to be purchased by the Jews being moved to a camp. And there was a notice of what items to pack.

This is a fake ID card and then below is the real one. The real one was stamped with a large J for Jew.

 These are slightly different numbers than presented at Kamp Westerbork, with greater detail.

 It really worked to put smuggled items in the bottom of the baby carriage.

 Students in the Netherlands researched Dutch prisoners. Their stories were recorded throughout this section of the museum.

 Private residence bike ramp.

Cool bridge that still works for ships to go through the canal.

 

 This should be from under the Rijksmuseum.

 Few from my hotel room. I am on the 5th floor.

Sunday, May 31, 2015 Anne Frank Museum and Heineken Experience

When I found out that the Anne Frank Museum ticket was a hard one to come by, I went on line (in early May) and saw that they were sold out online until mid July. Several people told me though if I went early or late in the day, I could get in. Left my hotel around 7:40 AM to be in line by 8:35 AM. Already there were about 150 people in front of me. The couple behind me did not have tickets either, so we stood in line having faith that we would be able to buy them. The museum opens at 9 AM and we got to the front door at just about 10 AM. We were able to get in and it was a good museum. (The boat captain was wrong (again)--it was worth the visit.) No pictures are allowed. In the past, someplace I had seen actors laying in an attic and had imagined that is how they spent their days. They actually had two floors and an attic, but there were eight of them in hiding for over 2 years. It was about five rooms. They were above a warehouse and those two workers downstairs did not know of them in hiding. There were four office workers who did know (and brought them in food). During the day, they would not move around (or as little as possible), run the water, flush the toilet, so the warehouse-men would not be tipped off. At night they could move around the business (it was her father's business). He was the only survivor and took until 1947 to find a publisher for her diary. The line was at least 3 hours long when I left.

After eating lunch (brown bagging it), I walked to the Heineken Experience. Having been on numerous brewery tours (some in grade school!), it was a nice tour, one almost carnival ride, and a lot of opportunities to see the marketing side of Heineken.

Locks on a gate over a bridge. I think couples do this--but will have to ask a local.

A monument to homosexuals killed during WWII.

 This is the end of the line for the Anne Frank Museum a little after 11 AM. It is a full block to the left, and then another 30 minutes wait to the doorway.

 These types of food vending machines are quite common. Hot food is behind the door--I had only seen these in the movies (I think a movie with Doris Day and Rock Hudson?).

 On the tour.

 You would peer in through the open doors of the tons and watch a short video of the brewing process at that stage.

 1912.

They said they have horses too. There should be a horse-drawn wagon rolling around town today. They don't do it on the weekends.

 You could only see the image in the beer bottles (the green) when you took a picture.

 Here you could learn how to tap a beer.

 My two beers. In the earlier sampling room, the guy handed me two smaller beers so I had my fill!

 Clean glasses and fresh beer! They talked about hops being the bitter component of beer, but never mentioned its preservative effect. I understood IPA (India Pale Ales) to be extra hoppy, so they could not spoil on their way from England to India.

 Another small car and concrete blocks that resembled Legos barricading the walkway and bike path.

Saturday, May 30, 2015, Amsterdam

Noorderpoort was going (Harry and Ralph) to pick up 15 South African students from Soweto. The students come for a cultural exchange. The best student in each school is awarded the trip for free, so there is great scholarly competition. Since the bus was going to the airport, Karen (who flew out Saturday night) and I rode along. Alycia's flight was too early in the day to take the bus, so Joke and family took her.

There is a house on the side of the road here (artwork) and exactly behind the line of the shades for the bus, is a ship on the smoke coming out of the chimney of the house. That is how far below sea level the road is.

 These are the elephants!

 Bunnies!

 

On Saturday, after getting dropped off at Schiphol Airport, Karen and I walked around downtown and took a canal tour on an open boat.

 This was an interesting bike-taxi.

 Another tiny car.

 This is a department store.

 

Friday, May 29, 2015 Groningen Ship Museum

Alycia, Joke, and I spent most of the day at the Scheepvaartmuseum of Groningen and shopping. It was a great collection of ship artifacts and information about the city of Groningen. At 5 PM we met friends from Nooderpoort and the city for drinks at the Stadtlander.

 The first section of the museum was devoted to the Canadian soldiers who liberated the city of Groningen. (Side note: I asked the boat captain of my canal tour on Saturday if there was a lot of damage when Amsterdam was liberated. She said no because a lot of rich Germans "owned" large parts of the city and they didn't want it destroyed--not sure if that is accurate or not.)

 The blue markings show the advance of the troops.

 Joke said that a lot of soldiers came back for the 50th anniversary of the liberation.

 Names of the fallen.

Another section of the museum was devoted to harvesting peat (used for heating).

 Alycia and Joke.

 Demonstration of how to make rope--it took a whole building.

 This section of the museum had all sorts of engines and pump. Three of which still worked and were demonstrated for us.

 I would like to find this anchor scuba diving!

 Joke thought it would be fun for us to have a McKrocket from McDonald's so we did (this place mat shows all the flavors of milkshakes).

 It was good.

 Didn't see how the yellow wall behind this wooden shoe replica bike interfered with the picture. But it was cute.

 This was a large chunk of cheese and an equally large slicer!

 We wrapped up our shopping day with a stopiewafel (two thin crispy waffles with a thin layer of honey in between).

 Karen, Joke, and Alycia. Not pictured, Bette.

 Judith, Jaap, Albert. Not pictured, Frank.