Today was our last day in Amsterdam, and it began with seeing a museum called Our Lord in the Attic. This museum dates back to the 17th century when the Catholics were unable to practice their faith freely in Amsterdam and had to do so in secret. A wealthy Catholic named Jan Hartman bought the three adjacent houses, connected the attics, and turned them into a beautiful Catholic church that was hidden from the public. I learned that even though Catholics were not allowed to freely practice their faith, the locals were still tolerant of their religion. It was well known in Amsterdam that several of these hidden churches existed, but no one took action against them. We were taken through the entire museum by a guide, and the tour ended with seeing the church in the attic. I was amazed by how large it was, considering it was concealed within other houses. 

After this visit, I had the exciting opportunity to meet up with my cousin and his family who have been living in Amsterdam for the past three years. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch, where we were able to catch up and discuss what living in Amsterdam was like. What surprised me most was that he and his wife do not speak any Dutch, even though they have been living in Amsterdam for several years. I was aware that the Netherlands is a very English-friendly country, but I did not realize how common it is to not speak any Dutch. Getting to see my cousins after so many years apart was such a great experience, and I am glad that we were able to reconnect while I was on this trip.

Since it was our final day in Amsterdam, my friends and I decided that it was essential to see the Rijksmuseum, an art museum in the Netherlands full of works from famous artists like Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt. Although I am not a huge art person, I found it very interesting to look at all of the paintings from so many centuries ago. My favorite one was Vincent van Gogh’s Self-portrait. Following this visit, we took a short break before we were off to yet another museum.

Our day ended with a visit to the Anne Frank House, which was a more solemn yet deeply moving experience. Being able to walk through the halls and rooms full of artifacts and photographs truly enhanced my perspective of what it was like during this time period. After reading her book many years ago, this is something I have always wanted to experience first-hand. The museum is set up in a way where you listen to different audio clips as you walk through it, which tells the story of Anne Frank and her family when they were in hiding. This visit was extremely informative and left a profound impact on me, and I am glad that I was able to see the museum while in the Netherlands.