Cycling through Straats and Grachts

So today we decided to venture out on bicycles and truly experience Amsterdam the way locals do. Straat means street in Dutch and Gracht means canal, in case you were curious :) (we rented bikes from "Mac bike" in liedseplein)  Did you know that there are 600,000 bikes in Amsterdam and 750,000 people!!!

We also learned that there are specific lanes for cyclists... So if you're a pedestrian, you better watch out! Clumsy me... Had several close calls. These special bike lanes were in a different type of brick then the pedestrian brick to identify the difference.

As you can imagine I was pretty excited to get on my bike and ride though the straats... It was so picturesque to take in the canals, the canal houses, boats, other cyclists, and the cold breeze... A little too cold at times. I was leading the way to "pancake bakery" (at 191 prinsengracht) which is down the street from anne frank house. This is my favorite crepe place in Amsterdam... I went there a few years back with Sahra and Meena....ladies it is still as yummy as ever... With the same gigantic sized crepes with banana and nutella for under 10 euros!!! and the narrow staircase leading upstairs... Each step is about 5" wide. So steep!

After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the Anne frank house, just a 3 minute walk away. I found the Anne frank museum to be a moving experience. This museum is unique as it is the actual hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her diary during the 2nd world war.  As we walked through each room, I felt transported back in time to world war 2, as a young girl living in such a small place with 8 others. The frank family and their close friends hid here for 25 months from the Nazis. During this time they did not go outside and helpers (who were risking their lives) would bring them food. During the day they could not move or make any noise to ensure that the workers in the warehouse below could not hear them. After an anonymous tip the 8 people and their helpers were arrested by the nazis and taken away. All but Anne's father met their deaths in the nazi concentration camps. Anne's father later obtained Anne's diary and had it published.

"I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young and know that i'm free" Anne Frank, December 24,  1943

Later  we headed to liedseplein for dinner at a cheap and yummy stir fry place called wok to walk. Its like a fastfood mongolie grill. I highly recommend this place!

Still feeling a bit jet lagged but I'm sure tomorrow will be better. We have reached London safe and sound and will be heading into the city tomorrow.

With love, 
Sophia and Nadeem