Day 5 - Amsterdam

After a week of sunny and only occasionally sprinkly weather, storm clouds rolled in last night and we went to bed with lightning brightening our ceilings and thunder booming through the pounding of the rain. We thought for sure our Amsterdam bike tour would be canceled this morning, but we hear that if the Dutch waited for good weather, they'd never go outside. Alycia said she'd watch Sophie and Stone all day, so Erik, Lindsay, Lucy and I set out in the rain on the bus to Amsterdam Central Station to meet Ed, Elayne and Erik's cousin Jessica (she's about 8 years younger than us and was born and raised in OC near Erik). Jessica moved to Amsterdam "for a few months" and ended up marrying a Dutch man and has now been here for 5 years. She was an incredible guide - and it was so fun to see her!!

There are separate, official bike lanes designated by red brick. Many Netherlanders don't own cars because it is so convenient to get everywhere by bike! They are very confident in those bike lanes and their bike skills - we have seen thousands of bikers and not even one single helmet. The bike rental place didn't even have them. Today we saw a mother biking fast through heavy traffic with an infant in a baby carrier on her chest, and we often see teenagers biking two or three to a seat, dangling off the end. I was a little nervous about Lindsay and Lucy but they did great.

It was windy and freezing cold (it's still August, right?? We didn't bring any warm stuff with us but the Clarkes lent the girls coats) but the rain let up so Jessica led us to some fascinating places to explain history and culture. I was absolutely exhilerated - learning about history, flying down the streets with my family in the fresh air, surrounded by more architectural and natural beauty than my eyes could take in. I felt like my heart was bursting.

After a quick ham and cheese sandwich at a local bakery, we met Jessica's husband Edgar at the famous Rijks museum. I had bought children's books about Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer, so we were all really excited to see the original works that we had studied. Erik has a Pavlovian fight or flight response to Art Museums because of the childhood trauma of being dragged through them too frequently as a young boy, ;) so he stayed on his bike and explored the city while we went inside for a couple of hours. Here are Elayne and Lucy taking in Rembrandt's self portrait.

We listened to the absolute best audio tour I have ever heard - I always think they're interesting but they can be so dry sometimes. This one was very personal and conversational and brought the Art to life in a way that was accessible to both the adults and to Lindsay and Lucy. Here Lindsay and I are experimenting with different points of view - Rembrandt painted the table to be viewed from below, as it was originally hung high up on a wall.

Ever since Opa affectionately told Lucy that she reminded him of a Vermeer painting (Opa is quite a painter himself), Lucy has had a fascination with Vermeer. This is a famous painting that I loved even more seeing it in person. We learned about the incredible skill that was required for the artists to mix their own paints - the paint used in the woman's skirt was pigmented with genuine crushed lapis lazuli.

After the Rijks museum we grabbed a quick falafel. It was at this point that Lucy's bike tire slipped on the wet street, hit the curb, and she tipped over. I heard the crash behind me and skidded to a stop with my heart in my throat.... to see her jump up, hop back on and take off again. I was so proud! Next we headed to the Anne Frank house. I had been here once before with my parents - we stopped in Belgium and Amsterdam on our way home from Israel when they came to pick me up after my Semester Abroad there when I was 20 - and I had always wanted to return. Lindsay just read the original Diary of A Young Girl last month and Lucy read a description of the war and Anne Frank story, so they were very interested. It was just as I anticipated - terribly, terribly sad. I cried as I do every time I read or talk or think about it. This is a picture of us outside the house - the building in the background is the church from which Anne could hear the church bells from captivity in the secret annexe.

This is us at the end of our tour. We took a taxi to the Clarkes,' made tacos, and now the kids are snuggled on the couch in their jammies watching Spy Kids. We're being weaned gradually off of American comforts - they've seen and heard a lot of new and amazing things but they're still surrounded by friends in an American-feeling house and have eaten pizza, ice cream and tacos, and almost everyone can speak English to them. Tomorrow night we leave for Spain and I'm not sure I'm ready for the final rip away from "home." Spain is going to be hot and very, very different - wish me luck!!