The Anne Frank House
When I went to Amsterdam, I almost missed out on a gem of a museum known as the Anne Frank House. My friend Alejandro highly recommended it and told me I would have regrets for not going. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t take his advice? So, I looked up where it was at and headed out to it the next day. Personally, it was a success, but you can be the judge.
I always make it a point to read up on where I am going. I want to know when the busy times are and if I should expect to pay any type of admission fee. Luckily, I found everything on the house’s website. Also, I like to look to see what else is in the area. I can always grab a meal or hit multiple points of interest. The one down side to this though is I did not pay for internet outside of the US. I memorized the city centre of Amsterdam the best I could and off I went.
A House with a Queue
I was keen on making it to the Anne Frank House bright an early. I knew I wouldn’t have a long wait if I was one of the first people in line. However, I got a little lost as I took a wrong turn down one of the canals. Afterwards, I sadly realized there are signs from the city center directing you towards the house. As this is very frustrating, I still enjoyed myself. It gave me a chance to explore more of the city. Once I arrived at the museum 45 minutes later than expected, I was greeted by a very long line. Luckily, I brought snacks! I don’t think I would have survived without them.
Standing in line for about 2 hours in the freezing rain and wind could definitely put a damper on anyone’s day. You could say I was definitely committed to the cause. I did make a new friend from Italy though. He only spoke Italian, but I think we both understood the only way we could get through this line was with each other. We had each other’s six in the foxhole. For the sake of argument, I am going to call him Luca. It’s a solid Italian name, and he looked like a Luca anyways. We used each other to help brace from the elements like a couple of penguins. Needless to say, we got through that line then parted ways. Mainly because though Luca had to grab an audio translator. The tour is primarily in English.
The Grand Tour
Once in the house, you walk through the bottom of what seems like a normal house. The layout is very Dutch and looks like it did during WWII. The museum really did a fantastic job! Eventually, I made my way to the stairs. This is where the fun really begins. Dutch stairs are known to be extremely steep, but the Anne Frank House took it to a whole other level. These stairs had to be steep in order to hide the hidden rooms above the first three floors. I usually think of castles and James Bond when it comes to hidden passageways. The house gave me that sort of feel. The architecture behind creating the living space is really impressive.
Throughout the museum, there are different artifacts and recordings in English of Anne Frank’s writings. It is a very surreal experience. I like to try and put myself in the Franks’ shoes. Having to live in secret for so long to fight for your life puts your own life in perspective. The little things tend not to bother you as much, if any at all. As you make your way through the museum, all you have to do is follow the flow of traffic and it puts you in the gift shop and cafe. All in all, I would highly recommend it to everyone as my friend Alejandro recommended it to me.
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