Amsterdam. July 9

Another late start today in Amsterdam, AKA please let us live in this beautiful city now-ville. Just another reminder of how much we are loving this place. It was a very chilly 16 degrees today, something we hadn't experienced since the Ol' UK days, and gave Ash a chance to wear her new blue coat, good purchase Ash, totally worth hauling a winter caught for another 4 months. Anyway, we were told yesterday that the Rijk museum gets crazy busy so we should pre book tickets and even then prepare to wait. Also we had planned to go in the busy time slot, but we are on holidays so who cares right? We got our tickets, and headed over at 1pm ish, taking in the lovely scenery as we headed in. This is where we were confused. We weren't sure if because only two weeks ago we were battling intense crowds at the Louvre in Paris and had a different expectation of "busy", but we actually just walked straight into the museum, and didn't queue for a second.
Inside we saw many works, including the very best, that are included in classical art memes (please look up).

Rijk Museum

We pulled a 180 m8

Vermeer

ASH FOUND A STATUE OF FAVRE

We tried to avoid screaming children, no luck

Check them baby abs

After exploring for a few hours we found a cafe for lunch and both devoured burgers and coffee, enjoying it immensely. On the way to the cafe we'd seen a 'create your own magnum' store, and we'd previously missed out on this prime opportunity at the pop up one in Emporium Melbourne, so we jumped at the chance to do it. It was the best. The actual best. We both, classic us, picked the same flavours. We had: dark chocolate coating, freeze dried raspberry (best bit), these chocolate balls and hazelnut crunchy stuff. INCREDIBLE. We died and then came back to life and died more and lived again. Vvvvvvvvvvv good.

Yes Elise, they have many bikes

Beauty, Gazelle

Ash meeting a horse

Boat gardens

Note: cold weather, jackets needed

Them blooms

YAAAAASSSS

At this point it was 5pm ish and we were told yesterday on our walking tour that the Anne Frank house was really worth a visit, even though the queues to get in were borderline outrageous (but not Louvre outrageous). 5pm was apparently a good time to go so we headed over and joined the queue. We waited for maybe close to 1.5 hrs and it was at best a little brisk, mostly very cold. But halfway through our wait we hit the treasured spot where you get wifi and sun. It was the best part. The house/museum itself was well worth the wait and it was obvious why there are such queues. It was interesting enough to be in the premises where Anne, her family and a couple of associates hid from the Nazi regime, but there was a lot of very informative facts and stories within the house. Not only that, but the house was kept in he original form mostly, except emptied by request of Otto Frank, to serve as a reminder of the emptiness left behind by the loss of so many people. At the end there was also a room with her originals within it, which she kept many many journals full of her thoughts and observations. After this insightful visit, we went back to our place, via an Italian takeout at our train station for delicious pasta, and defrosted/watched 'Awkward' all night. PS Netflix doesn't want to work here (Internet is awful) so we had to give OITNB a miss for a bit, so sad, but Ash hooked Elise on Awkward so all is well in relaxland.

Anne Frank house line

EVERYONE THESE ARE STROOPWAFELS, THE BEST INVENTION EVA. (wafer waffels sandwiched with CARAMEL syrup)

Love,
A&E