Make like a tourist - Part Een

Hello friends!  So I have not been as frequent with my blogs as I originally promised, but it's with good reason.  I've been very fortunate to have visitors (fellow expats) to Amsterdam for the past three weekends! 

One of my favorite things about the move so far is the expat community in Europe.  Until I made the big move over here, I had no idea just how different life would be, how emotionally taxing in some ways, but also how exciting!  Other expats understand what you're going through and since we're all far away from the friends and family we've always known, we're very open to new friendships and bonding over the moving experience.  Granted, this is just my perception of things, but so far I've met some wonderful people in this community!

I've had American visitors from Munich, Brussels, Zurich, and England and hope to visit all of their homes in the next year and a half - one of the definite pluses of this community.  I'm also excited that I'm moving into my permanent apartment this week and should have a proper place for guests within another month - friends from home, take note!

Along with the visitors came great excuses to be a tourist in my new home and check out all of the beautiful history Amsterdam has to offer.  Here are some of my favorite tourist spots thus far...

You're looking at the absolutely gorgeous Rijksmuseum.  It's filled with Dutch art of all kinds from Rembrandt's The Night Watch and Vermeer's The Kitchen Maid, to historic weaponry, to breathtaking pottery and jewelry, to children's dollhouses (which are huge and ornate and I really wanted to play with it!).  The museum is under renovation until possibly 2013 but it's highlights are still available for viewing and it's definitely worth a visit in my book.

Anne Frank - courtesy of www.annefrank.org

After visiting the Anne Frank house/museum, I truly believe that it's a must-see for anyone that comes to visit.  Her story is heartbreaking and fascinating, and the museum has done a great job of using Anne's own words (she was an AMAZING writer for a 13-14 yr old) and the words of her helpers and Father to describe what her life was like in hiding and the horror of the Holocaust.  It's extremely hard to believe this happened in the lifetime of my grandparents.  At the museum, you will literally be in the house where Anne and her family and friends hid during the war and were eventually discovered and removed by the Nazi's.  You can see the bookshelf covering the entrance to the annex, the blackout curtains that were kept down all day every day, and even the photos of celebrities that Anne glued to her wall - it's a touching must-see to say the least.

I've decided that none of the pictures I have of canals do them justice.  They are my absolute favorite part about the city.  And biking over a canal - priceless!  This is the Blauwburgwal Canal - a great photo spot close to the Anne Frank Huis - I'm working on my Dutch :)

Vincent Van Gogh - from www.vangoghmusem.nl

I didn't take a photo of the Van Gogh museum because the outside is just boring while Van Gogh's work will fascinate you for hours!  I would definitely spring for the audio tour at this museum so you can hear all the interesting details about his life.  Did you know he was only an artist for 10 years?  And he produced roughly 2,000 pieces during that time?  Incredible!  I've always enjoyed art museums, but my appreciation for it has gone way up since I moved here.

There are visiting expat friends coming to Amsterdam again this weekend so more tourist spots, including some less well known ones, to come!  Also, expect a post on Dutch food soon... pancakes, cheese, and bread - yummm!