Rainy Amsterdam

My plan was to wake up and be at the Anne Frank house at the 9 am opening. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep much again and I was exhausted. I did manage to walk over the western canal rings and get to the house by 10:45 am where there was an hour wait to get in. All the online tickets had been sold out for weeks, but I was hoping that the fact it was Monday and raining, the queue wouldn't be so bad. The museum is impressive with what they have been able to recreate and explain in order to raise awareness for tolerance. You're not able to take any photos in order to preserve the memorabilia, so here's a photo collage of the queue, the exterior, and a model of the house:

Just up the block is The Pancake Bakery which is supposed to have the best Dutch pancakes. After my museum visit, I had a cappuccino and the Autumn Special which included Belgian chocolate flakes, whipped cream, pears, cinnamon ice cream, and cherry compote. It was very sweet and I could not finish it all. A photo below:

Afterwards I walked eastward and through the Red Light District. Amsterdam is known for legalized prostitution, and this is where women stand in the windows in their lingerie underneath red neon lights. It's one of the oldest and historically poshest neighborhood in Amsterdam where wealthy merchants used to live - it was once known as the Velvet Canal. To be honest, it was a little weird as many of the women just looked bored or were talking on their cell phones, with men walking around high and in and out of the coffee shops. Supposedly, this is one of the safest neighborhoods due to the abundance of security cameras and police - you're not allowed to take any photos either. 

Ironically, I walked through the neighborhood in looking for a church! In the center of the Red Light District, there was the Our Lord in the Attic Church which was a hidden church when Catholic worship was banned by the Dutch Protestants. The church is in the attic of a merchant's canal house built back in the 1600s. My guidebook and TripAdvisor said this was very unique. Here's a collage of the church including a view from the galleries:

I then walked along the canals to the Flower Market. I wish I was here when it was Spring to see all the tulips in the countryside, but alas, I'm here in November. The stalls had lots of flowers and seeds, including hemp seeds. Some photos below:

I then walked down to Magere Brug, translated as Skinny Bridge, which crosses the Amstel and is the most famous of the 60 drawbridges in Amsterdam. Apparently it's been in a number of movies. To me it seemed a bit ordinary - you decide:

On my way back to the city center, I stopped in the Hermitage, which is an extension of the St. Petersburg museum. To be honest, I was tired of museums, but my back and feet were aching and I didn't want to pay to rest in a cafe or bar and The Hermitage is included in my Museum Card. I rested on a bench and then walked through their "Dining with Tsars" exhibition which showcased the elaborate dining pieces and china of the Russian royalty as pictured below:

For dinner, I ended up at Savini, an Italian restaurant. To be honest, it was difficult to find decent restaurants on the street - there are so many Argentine steak restaurants for some reason! I ordered spaghetti with seafood in a spicy tomato sauce and a glass of chianti, shown below: 

I had hoped to rent a bicycle today from my hotel to be one with the locals, but it rained all day. The locals bike everywhere - while texting, walking dogs, and making calls! You definitely have to have enough gumption to ride the streets as the folks are pretty fearless and quick while maneuvering between the cars and trams. 

I also thought to go on a canal cruise, but the tour operator advised it would be tough to see and the windows would be foggy without wipers. I did manage to squeeze in a few picturesque canal photos in the morning when it rained less. You can see the locks, canal houseboats, and canal boats:

So I'm officially done with the Netherlands portion of my trip. For having purchased an almost 60€ Museum Card, by my estimate, I saw almost 120€ worth of museums / attractions. Off to Belgium tomorrow!