We spent three days on a visit to Holland/Amsterdam. We left early on a Friday (June 21, 2002) morning to catch the ferry to Calais, France.  From Calais, we drove up through Belgium to Holland and into Amsterdam. On Friday night we walked through the famed red light district. That place has a life of its own. I had heard the stories, but was shocked to see it for myself. 

Saturday morning we visited the Anne Frank house. It was an extremely interesting experience. The house has gone unchanged since the family was betrayed and turned over to the Nazis in 1944. At that time, the original furniture was removed by the Germans, but the walls still have the postcards and movie star photos that Anne glued to her walls nearly 60 years ago. Pencil lines marking their height growth during the 25 months of hiding can still be seen on the walls. It is very surreal to enter the secret annex through the hidden entrance behind a bookcase and image eight people living in the confined space for over two years, unable to move during the day for fear of being heard. Anne’s original diary is also on display. 

After leaving the Anne Frank house, we visited the Heineken Brewery. There were two bars along the tour where you could enjoy freshly brewed Heineken beer. There was supposed to be a limit of three per person, but they seemed to ignore that rule. 

After Heineken, we stopped by for a short visit to the Hard Rock Café before heading out to the small fishing village of Volendam. On the way to Volendam, we stopped at a cheese factory and sampled some wonderful Holland cheese. We also saw a demonstration on how they make wooden shoes (both the old way and the new way). The shoemaker, who spoke with a very heavy accent, was kind enough to give Dale a special gift. He personalized an unfinished wooden shoe and gave it to him as a token of his visit to Holland. 

Sunday we began our journey back to the UK, but made several stops along the way. Our first stop was in Delft, the one city in Holland where they make the famous blue ceramics. We got to see a demonstration on how the different items are made from start to finish. We also received tips on spotting a fake. After Delft we made our way back through Belgium and made a pit stop at a chocolate factory to stock up on Belgium chocolates. 

Population: 15,981,472 (July 2001 est.)

Area  (comparative): slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey