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The steady overnight drizzle had subsided, but rain stubbornly clung to the clouds, threatening to pour if we ventured out unprepared. So, with good foresight, today became a museum day. Two of the best museums in the city lay within blocks of our hotel: the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.

A nice day to catch both.

We started at the Van Gogh Museum…which as you might expect, houses the most complete collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world, plus works by his influential artists and contemporaries.. The Van Gogh floor is arranged chronologically, which allows the uninitiated to watch Van Gogh evolve. Van Gogh made a deliberate decision to become a painter…and was largely self taught. He went from novice to master in about ten years (!!!) before he shot himself in 1890. In the short period, he made over 800 paintings and over 1000 drawings.

Ate a quick lunch in the museum cafe. Did some window shopping on cute Spiegalstraat.

On to the Rijksmuseum, which is only partially open due to renovations. Still, the condensed sample of the collection is impressive (and plenty for an afternoon). Selections of art reflect Dutch history specifically during the period of the country’s golden age (the 1600s) when it was a maritime and economic super power. Primary focus is on the Dutch Masters…Rembrandt, Vermeer, Steen. The most popular highlight is Rembrant’s famous Nightwatch.

When we emerged from the Rijksmusem, the sun was just past setting, leaving behind pink-tinged clouds against a pale blue-ish sky. Inspired, we took a long evening walk through the nearby Vondel Park. As the sunlight quickly faded, a moist fog formed…blending the park’s dense mix of paths, trees, grass, and duck ponds. The park was silent except for the whiz of bike tires on the wet paths, and the crunch of joggers’ footsteps. We stumbled onto a twisting knot garden in the low mist.

Amsterdam seems to crave (or think its international visitors crave) Argentinian steakhouses…they are everywhere…you can’t throw a wooden shoe without hitting one. So we caved and chose one that looked tiny and friendly… the simply named ‘Ocho’. Beef raised on las Pampas.

Drinks after dinner. Ironically, just before midnight, Jeff’s favorite song mix played…Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’…wrapping up a day that threatened rain, but never committed to it.

The time changed today in Europe, so we got to fall back with a welcome bonus hour. After another simple breakfast, we decided to take advantage of a hint of blue through the persistent clouds…I swear, I saw shadows for a minute. The Sunday morning streets were nearly vacant, which added to an already pleasant walk. The quiet streets also lulled us into believing that the line at the Anne Frank House would be short…it was twice as long as before. Sigh…look at the pretty trees 🙂

Instead, we veered south to see the famous flower market, which was more bulbs than flowers at this time of year. Every tulip known to man, and even some “starter cannibus”…only in Amsterdam. From there, we found the nearby Willet-Holthuysen Museum…a historic 17th century Amsterdam canal house. This a small, easy museum, but its restored rooms are beautiful.

Grabbed a quick bite of so-so Mediterranean food at the Cafe Noona…and then on to the train station to book our Tuesday tickets to Paris. Along the way, merged into a throng of protesters marching loudly for something…not sure what, but we quickly separated ways. The train station was packed, but we figured out the system and made reservations on the Thalys train with the help of the kind woman at Desk #13.

More lovely canals, but any hint of sun or blue skies was gone for the day…rain was on the way…you could smell it.

One more try for good ole Anne Frank…success…only a 15min wait. We toured this famous and touching landmark…the hidden rooms where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and the Pels family of four lived in total secrecy for over two years beginning in 1942. The rooms were cramped and warm…surely the claustrophobic feel they gave to their residents. The Frank and Pels families were eventually betrayed and deported by the Nazis to Auschwitz, where Anne Frank died shortly before the camp was liberated. In all, the tour was a sobering experience narrated by the words of a child’s diary.

On our way back to the hotel, shopped at several Royal Delft stores. Delft is that classic blue and white ceramic…immediately identifiable, and quintessentially Dutch. We picked up a couple of handpainted examples…including a Christmas tree ornament and beautiful vase.

A light drizzle joined us on our walk.

Dinner was the very popular Ristorante Saturnino, which we had passed each night…always with a long waiting list. Figuring that consistent crowds can’t be wrong, we had made a reservation earlier in the day. Definitely worth the trip…our pasta dishes were right out of Italy. Two excellent Italian restaurants in a row…literally too, since Saturnino and Romana (from last night) are next door to each other.

By the end of dinner, the drizzle was a bit more persistent. After drinks, the drizzle was heavy. Reluctantly, the umbrella came out.

A comfy bed and tightly drawn shades conspired to create a late rise. Our only true motivation this morning was not missing our complimentary continental breakfast. I had extra oranges (Clemintines…my favorite) and OJ to try and ward off an oncoming, achy cold. At least the cappuccino perked up my mood.

A pleasant mid-fifties today, but we wisely decided to start the day with a quick stop at the Berghen boutique across the street, where Jeff picked me out a colorful striped scarf…perfect to keep the occasional chilly breezes off my neck.

Today was a walking day. We wove in and out of narrow streets and canal-ways…vaguely making our way towards Dam Square. The square isn’t notable really…lots of people and a couple of gray landmark-ish buildings…but really just a stop on the way to somewhere else.

We grabbed lunch at a minuscule eatery–‘t Stuisje–with 6 tables. Portions were also tiny…but good quality. We agreed that my “authentic Dutch meatball” was worth seeking out again.

Wandered towards the Anne Frank House. Even at 4pm, the lines were way too long…so we wandered off into the nearby Jordaan neighborhood…chock full of charming buildings and canals. Passed by the yummy Rainarai restaurant, with fresh, doughy pizza-like dishes in the window. Sat outside by a canal eating spicy slices of tuna+olive and mushroom+tomato.

Returned to the Anne Frank House. Seems that everyone tried the “lets come back later” trick. We left again to return on a non-weekend day.

The late afternoon sun actually peeked through for the first time in several days. Gave the yellow-leafed trees along the canals a slight, but dramatic boost.

A quick pause at the hotel to freshen and kick our feet up. With dusk upon us, we decided to take a longer-than-expected walk to the infamous Red Light District for a peek. The area is MUCH larger than we expected, with dozens of streets and alleys crawling with customers and curious tourists…and what an odd tourist trap indeed. So odd to walk by window upon window where women thump on the glass to get attention, like puppies in a pound vying for adoption. Our conclusion: somewhere between bizarre and sad, with a tinge of ick. (Yes…we left the Red Light District for dinner…somehow the falafel stands don’t have as much appeal with live shows going on next door…double ick.)

Dinner was hearty Italian at the simply named Ristorante Romana. The food was excellent…an early tip-off was the heavyset Italian patriarch and his two sons working the kitchen. Jeff had a wonderful tagalini bolognese, and I had an oven-baked tortellini bolognese al forno. Finished the meal with espresso on the house, and a cheery arivaderci.

After dinner drinks with a pre-Halloween flair. A quiet walk home. A hot shower to ease tired muscles. An Advil and Airborne for the lingering cold symptoms.

We said our morning goodbyes to Keegan, Mia and Adam until we return next weekend. Julie drove us into Mainz to catch our 11:02am Die Bahn train from the central station (Mainz Hbf). Grabbed two cheesy bread treats from the station for a snack: Jeff’s in pizza form, mine resembling a pig-in-a-blaket. Thirty minutes via regional train to Frankfurt Flughafen, where we had a rushed ten minutes to locate the long distance trains. At Gleis Fern 6, boarded a sleek high-speed ICE train to Amsterdam Centraal. In between, we stopped in Köln (with its famous cathedral), Düsseldorf, Arnhem (our first stop in the Netherlands) and Utrecht. Dry bacon and egg sandwiches on the train. The conductor in our car had spikey bleached blond hair tipped in cotton candy blue.

Spotted our first windmill as we crossed the border into the Netherlands. Freitag became Vrijdag. Buildings and billboards switched their Internet addresses from .DE to .NL in the blink of an eye…the modern border crossing.

Arrived into Amsterdam Centraal in late afternoon. Two taxi drivers staged a colorful battle of words over us. The victorious alpha cabbie zipped skilfully through the narrow streets…dodging bicycles, street cars, and throngs of rush-hour pedestrians.

Checked into Hotel Patou, a hip boutique hotel on trendy P.C. Hoofsraat. Sleek minimalist styling with two large windows overlooking old-world rooftops. The hotel just opened recently, with a few kinks to work out…Jeff fixed the bathroom window shade…maybe we’ll get a discount.

Before dinner, we took a short “orientation walk”…taking random turns down “oh, that looks nice” streets. Nearly run down by silent bicycles coming at you from every direction. The only warning is a deceptively innocent bell signaling imminent collision. Still, the Dutch dedication to bikes is clear and admirable…I had heard about the prevalence of bicycles, but I really had no idea. Forty percent of travel in central Amsterdam is by bike!

Dinner was at a random restaurant–named “the 5th“–that lured us in with its scrumptious dishes, modern-meets-old-world decor…and vodka menu. Jeff ordered a truffle, mushroom, and artichoke risotto. I had a perfectly cooked French-style steak with a rich Hollandaise sauce. Cappucinos substituted for desert.

We closed our long day with 2-for-1 Heinekens at SOHO…a happening bar with pulsing dance music in a pub setting. The walk home was serene…calm canals, the constant whir of bicycles, and the inevitable ‘ching ching‘ when what you thought was a quiet sidewalk turns out to be yet another bike lane.

Arose early today…our last full day in Germany. The skies were even more densely overcast, but no rain developed…just an occasional patch of fog in the passing valleys.

Our first stop…and castle du jour…was the enchanting Burg Eltz…tucked away in a hidden valley formed by a small tributary (the Eltz) of the Mosel River near the town of Moselkern. Burg Eltz is an iconic castle painted white and red, perched on a gray rocky formation in the center of the forested valley. The Eltz family began building on the site over 1000 years ago, and the family still owns and occupies the castle as they have for over 33 generations.

The castle was constructed beginning in 1157, and is actually three adjoining homes within the castle walls. The structures seem to climb on top of each other…one room connecting to another like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle. Another all-German tour, and lot of fellow tourists…so the interiors felt cramped. Still, the well-preserved features and several-hundred-year old furnishings make this is a gem…and worth the twisting, often confusing drive and the steep walk from the parking lot. (With a hungry Keegan and heavy Mia in tow…we elected to pay for a return shuttle.)

After all the walking, lunch was an urgent must, lest we have a Keegan meltdown on our hands. We headed for the quintessential medieval town of Cochem on the Mosel River, a central point for visitors to the Mosel Valley. We unknowingly entered enticing Zom Stueffje right at 2pm and had to rush to order before the kitchen shut down. Wonderful schnitzels for all.

After lunch, we wandered through the twisting streets and spotted swans along the Mosel. Keegan spotted a riverside playground to burn off a burst of excess lunchtime energy.

By 4pm, it was time to start the winding road home. We passed through several scenic towns, and stopped for a quick walk through the tiny gem of Beilstein, with ubiquitous grapevine-covered buildings and simple church perched with a sweeping view of the Valley.

The drive home was fairly uneventful with a few missed turns and a construction-caused stau. As pilot and navigator, Julie and Jeff ribbed each other in true sister-and-brother fashion with each bump or u-turn. At one point, Keegan trumped the comical banter with the deadpan “Momma, how about you just pay attention to driving.” Quite the sarcastic zinger from a five-year-old. 🙂

Brother-in-law Adam was finally able to join us for dinner tonight at one of their favorites…an Argentinian steakhouse (Maredo) in central Mainz. We walked off grilled meats and apfelstrudel with nighttime views of the huge cathedral…Dom su Mainz…and peeks into the dimly lit windows of the Guttenberg Museum.