Final leg of the trip in Amsterdam. Train ride and hotel went smoothly but we were hungry so got a quick bite across from the Rembranthuis

After some wandering

we found our way to the WWII Dutch Resistance Museum.

Great place to go if you want to be both proud and inspired and depressed at the same time.

It contained propaganda from both sides

Photos of hiding people and equipment:

and relayed the horror and tragedy that occurred during the Holocaust highlighting the brave acts of many to try to save lives as well as the stories of those who acquiesced and for the most part, regretted it.

It left an impact and if you're in Amsterdam I highly recommend it, particularly give the direction of things with the Republicans in the United States these days.

Dinner after that was a real treat. Batya and I got dinner with my old student Artem.

Artem graduated Stuy in I think 2000 and I was marginally in touch but hadn't seen him since the early part of this century. When I announced to my alumni community that I was heading to the Netherlands and asking for recs, Artem chimed in and we coordinated. Such a treat to reconnect with a former student in person. To be able to see him doing well in life so many years later.

We got dinner at Entrepot and it was one of the best meals I've had in years.

That was it for day 1.

Day 2 started with another Sandeman tour. Got an overview of the city and learned some interesting things. One stood out. We learned about these Stumbling Stones

placed in front of houses

memorializing victims of the Holocaust.

We also stopped by the former home of the Dutch West India Company

and talked about Dutch colonial times including New Amsterdam. It was cool that our guide was into the Amsterdam/New Amsterdam thing and was currently reading "The Island at the Center of the World" and had it in his bag.

After that lunch at a pancake restaurant recommended by Artem. It was in a repurposed carousel.

Next up the Rijksmuseum. Many amazing artworks including The Night Watch but here is a less famous one.

All I can say is amazing place. Also props to the designers on the wooden floors - much easier on the feet than stone.

As a final treat we saw De Grachtenrace Amsterdam - a rowing race in the canals. We wanted to catcht it but didn't know exactly where or when it was running - just the day. We saw around 20 boats race by right after we left the museum

Batya and I did this type of rowing and racing withe the Village Community Boathouse out of pier 40 when she was at Stuy.

That was it for our first couple of days in Amsterdam with a lot more to come.