Amsterdam -- Part 3

Sam is still awake this evening, so we'll see how much I get written before it's time to be 'mom' again.

Our third day in Amsterdam was another full day.  We started with the National Maritime Museum where we got to wander around a replica of the type of ships the Dutch East India Company actually sailed the seas in.  It was early enough in the morning that all the field trips of school children had yet to arrive so we had the ship mostly to ourselves.

Jerry and Sam at the helm

 It was fascinating to stand on the deck and actually see all the rigging.  Somehow, all the pictures I've ever seen in movies and books were unable to convey exactly how much rope it took to guide and control a ship.

Sam in a bunk bed in the ship

Me

Sam on deck.

The rest of the museum was amazing.  Their collection of antique globe sets were so interesting to compare to each other.  As more information about the world was gathered, the maps and such evolved to incorporate it.  Also, did you know that globes were originally produced in pairs?  Terrestrial (land and water) and Celestial (stars and planets).

After the Maritime Museum we decided ride the train to the lovely city of Haarlem, just 15 minutes outside of Amsterdam.  It was important to me to go there in order to visit the home and now museum of Corrie ten Boom.  I must say, the ten Boom house felt much more real than the Anne Frank house.  I have read Corrie's book about her family's experience during WWII, The Hiding Place, many times.  Each time I am again amazed and inspired by the faith of this family.  They truly did not fear what man could do because they knew they were on the Lord's side.  The museum is furnished as it would have been when the ten Booms lived there, which gives the whole place a feeling of being stopped in time.

Outside the dining room window with the Alpina Watch sign (it was the 'safe' sign to other underground workers).

Sam in the actual hiding place.

While we were waiting for the tour of the Ten Boom Museum, we wandered toward the city square a few blocks away with the idea that it would be neat to see the church where the ten Boom family often worshiped.  This is what we were greeted with:

St. Bavo's is one of the most incredible cathedrals I have ever seen.  It cost a few Euro to go inside, but it was so worth it because there we got to see all of this:

Mozart played this organ when he was 10 years old

It was huge!

 See how the paving stones on the floor are roughly the dimensions of a person's height and width?  And they have holes near one end?  That's so that they could easily pull them up and bury people in the church itself.

The main pulpit

The main structure of St. Bavo's is about 500 years old and took 200 years to complete.  Just for a moment, imagine what that actually means.  Imagine you are a stone mason working on this cathedral.  It was in the process of being built before you were born and it will continue for many more decades after you are dead.  Perhaps you will see the outer walls grow by a few feet in your lifetime.  Or imagine you are the architect who designed it, knowing that you have no hope of seeing it completed.  I just have to admire that dedication and faith.

We had dinner that night in Haarlem at a fantastic little restaurant, de Wandelaar.  I had a delicious meal, of which I forgot to take any pictures because I was too hungry.  If anyone's ever in Haarlem, I highly recommend de Wandelaar!  We liked them so much that we went back the next night for dinner, too.

Coming up next: flowers!