Kamikaze Canuck

We’ve been hanging out in Holland for the past week and it’s been a perfect comedown from our slightly more stressful travels in Ghana.

Holland is know for windmills, “coffeeshops”, red light districts, tall people, wooden shoes, cheese, and of course – their prime minister (below)

We are both in love with Amsterdam.  The old, faded brick buildings, the fresh ocean air, the beautiful canals that divide the city and the picturesque stone bridges that cross them.

There is so much to see and do here that packing it all into a 6 night stay seems like an impossibility.  Nonetheless, we tried.

Fortunately for us, our friends Dane and Britney Zahara were passing through Amsterdam at the same time, allowing us the opportunity to spend a couple of days together.

Our first stop was the infamous Anne Frank House.

This is one of those touristy things that has to be done.  All of you should know the story of Anne Frank and if you don’t, buy the “Diary of Anne Frank” to learn it.  I don’t know how, but I thought that Anne actually made it through the war.  She didn’t.  They hid successfully for two years before someone ratted them out to the Nazis (they don’t know who to this day).  The Nazis raided the house and captured the whole family, who were then transported to concentration camps where they all eventually died (Anne died of Typhoid only one month before liberation) except the father; Otto Frank.  After the war, Otto was given Annes’ diary by the Dutch people who were assisting the Frank family in hiding.  Otto had it published and today it’s one of the best selling books of all-time.  Below is a picture of the secret hidden staircase that is concealed by a bookshelf.  It really was a brilliant hiding spot.

Next stop: the “House Of Bols“.   I would consider this one of the only “must do’s” for someone who is coming to see Amsterdam.  Lucas Bols was a Dutch distiller of alcohols who invented Genever (the precursor to gin).  Today, Bols alcohol is world famous and exports to every developed nation in the world.  The House of Bols is a fun, interactive experience that lets you get a little drunk while learning a bit about the history of the Bols brand and how they make their more than 300 flavours of liqueres.

Then Megan drug me out to some wine and cheese tasting night.

It was not our thing.  Way too woo-woo.   They give you a piece of paper to fill out as you’re eating the cheese so you can express your senses as you eat the cheese.

Instructor: What does the cheese smell like?

Me: Cheese.

Instructor:  What does it taste like?  Can you describe the taste?

Me: It tastes like cheese.

Instructor: What about the texture?

Me: It has the texture of cheese

That’s not to say others didn’t enjoy it.  I was surprised at the number of people in the room that were loving this wine and cheese tasting thing.  I guess I’m not cultured enough to enjoy the finer things in life.