EuroX Trip: Day 13

Just went to a few places in Amsterdam today.

The Rijksmusem is their main 'art' museum, which is filled with all sorts of interesting things from the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th Century, and a lot of interesting tidbits. For a change, there was a lot less religious artwork, which I was glad for (Louvre, I'm lookin at you). They had some fairly well known pictures around, like Rembrandt's The Night Watch. That is really the only one I know, mainly because it was parodied on the cover of the Discworld book Night Watch.

The Van Gogh museum ... the only thing I can say is that there was a rather cute girl at the audiotour counter. Otherwise, it was almost all about Van Gogh, and I was bored to tears in the place by the time I got to the bit where he goes crazy and cuts off his ear. Although there were some rather nice girls in there ... ;)

Anne Frank House, on the other hand, was very interesting, and very heavy. You could really feel the oppressive atmosphere in there, and feel a bit like how the Jews who were hiding in there for years before being found by the Nazis felt, being cooped up, virtually prisoners already. It was almost like a carnival ride, the way we went through all the rooms in the house, with presentations from surviving members of the plot, and excerpts from Anne Frank's diary put up on the walls around the house.

That was capped off by a quick visit to an area near the Red Light District. Lots of 'coffeeshops,' and sex stores around, which was rather amusing, including a place that called itself a 'Condomerie.'
Tomorrow, we head for Germany!