Wednesday 1/1/20 (Amsterdam)

Bitterly cold New Years Day in Zaandam. But our visit to Zaanse Schans was an excellent one. The clog makers and cheese makers was very interesting with demonstrations, high quality photo ops, and samples. Did you know a wooden clog can be made in less then 10 minutes? And it was freaking hilarious when he slapped his own (enormous) wooden clog up on the railing for us to compare to the children’s clog he had just made. And the windmills were extremely picturesque. Unfortunately only one was open and it was not turning.

Pro tips:
Factor in the windchill when dressing for ZS; there’s a reason they built windmills there on the river…
To minimize crowds, visit the windmills first then the shops. Also go as early as you can stomach.
Get there via the 391 bus instead of the train – much closer to the shops. Runs every 15 minutes.

We also visited the Anne Frank House. Initially I was not that interested to go here (I am ashamed to say) yet the guided tour puts you right in her family’s shoes. It takes you thru each level of the old, creaky house and really brings home just how difficult it must have been to remain completely silent in the hidden rooms. First you notice how loud the upstairs walkers are then you notice how every step you take creaks. And the Franks’ surprise that even after the Allies had landed in Europe, the Gestapo were still able to take the Franks away to the concentration camps – heartbreaking. I could not finish listening to the excellent audio tour as it was so upsetting. Recommended.

Pro tip: tickets can only be booked online. The entrance shows what tickets they are currently accepting so you know when to queue up.