casacollins

Photos: 1. Wynne sketching in Rijks Museum of Dutch masters
2. Lydia and Reed (and Me) "posing" by a canal
3. Bicycle parking garage near the train station--5 levels jam packed with bikes! Very euro!
4. Collinses arrive in Amsterdam train station!
5. House boats along the canals






We loved Amsterdam! We were there for 2 days and enjoyed every minute! We went on a boat tour of the canals. Walked all along the streets. Ate a typical Dutch dinner which was suspiciously close to the English stew. We went to three museums (Rijks, Van Gogh and Anne Frank's secret apartment). We took the tram around the city and just had a great time. Interestingly, marajuana and prostitution are legal and actually tolerated in Amsterdam so that made for some interesting conversations as we strolled along the quaint brick streets beside the canals and "coffeeshops". Mark asked a policeman for directions to the the Anne Frank museum. His response was, "Do you want the scenic route or would you like to see prostitues?"

The canals were really nice. They were lined with houseboats and even a houseboat museum! Sidewalks along the canals provided for some wonderful views and great scenic walking. The buildings all over Amsterdam are about 3 windows wide and 3 or 4 stories tall. They're right next to each other (as space is an issue there too). The Rijks Museum had all sorts of Dutch masters including Rembrandt and Vermeer which was really exciting. It seems that war and battles were a big theme for those fellas. Reed loved all the paintings will all the guys getting ready to battle. The Van Gogh museum was 4 floors chock full of his work and that of some of his friends. Really cool, but tricky to spend "quality" time there with three hungry kiddies. So a little hot chocolate and a waffle and we're off to Anne Frank's secret hideaway. Seeing the Anne Frank place in person was very emotional and a really important experience for all of us.

Between Germany and Amsterdam our family got more education than we expected. Conversations about everything from Nazis to drugs and architecture to painters. The different kinds of transportation used by people in Germany, Amsterdam, Geneva and Spain are so interesting. Who would've thought we could give up our mini-van for bicycles, horses, boats, trams, etc?

Okay, today is Christmas eve and the Emrichs are here visiting for two fun-filled weeks! Everyone is thrilled to be together (at least we are!) and we have fun things planned for the days ahead.

Christmas season here really is just beginning now and climaxes on January 5th-Epiphany for a special gift exchange on the feast of the Three Kings. It's neat that the 12 days of Christmas here begin with Christmas itself and not the marketing calendars of major merchandisers! There will be processions and festivals all over the cities so be sure to check later on and you'll be able to see what we see!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas to everyone! We're far away, but we're thinking of you all and how lucky we are to have you in our lives.