Thank you Tonya Lawson for the tip about buying tickets for the Anne Frank House before we arrived in Amsterdam.  I acted on this tip immediately and purchased tickets several weeks ago so I could check that off my list, but in true Wychocki form I purchased the tickets prior to having the rest of our trip planned and it turned out that they would be for a day that we will now be in London. Luckily I was able to purchase another set of non-refundable tickets for a date when we would be in Amsterdam.  If you know of anyone headed this way that needs five tickets for June 15th send them my email.  It's on me.

It's been 30-years since I had read Ann Frank, The Diary of A Young Girl, but I remember how it moved me even then. I remember the book report vividly and even the pages of the sample diary that my Mom helped me 'burn' on our coil burner to make the pages look old.  I think I still have it.

Maddy has been reading of the Holocaust during our trip. Reading The Book Thief and seeing the movie in Buenos Aires, she also read most of Anne Frank until she lost the book somewhere in India. Izzy was brave enough to tour the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany with us. Ben is absorbing it all in his own unique way that he will show us when he is ready. We thought visiting the Anne Frank House would be a good culmination for this aspect of our trip.

As promised we were able to bypass the wrap-around the corner, down the block, long line and get right in. Worth two sets of tickets for me.  We signed up for the Family Discussion and Tour that promised a 30-minute overview and Q & A about the museum then the tour. The discussion left a bit to be desired as I was hoping for someone with a bit more passion about the subject but the tour of the office building and Secret Annex was extremely moving. 

The Secret Annex was left in the exact same condition as it was when Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam. They make sure to tell you this as people always ask why the museum is empty of furniture. He wanted everyone who entered to feel the solace and emptiness that he felt when he returned to his former home. They also do not allow photographs. They want people to see the house with their eyes and not through a lens.

As you walk through these rooms you can only imagine how eight peopled lived together for over two years in this cramped and dark space. Forced to give up their freedoms and dreams and create a new life indoors based on fear and anxiety. As adults we do amazing things to protect our families. As children we can do amazing things to adapt to new circumstances.

At one point in the tour there is a video running of Otto Frank talking about his experience when he first read the diary. He spoke of Anne's sharp tongue and her active opinions during her short life, but it wasn't until he read her diary that he learned about her passionate mind and her dreams. He even says something like, "You never really know who your children really are." Luckily Izzy was standing right next to me and showed me she was listening when she nudged me and raised her eyebrows. 

While Otto might be very right with his statement, I was just happy to see that Izzy was still paying attention.

- Suzanne

As planned, 5 1/2 of the final 7-weeks have been driving around Central and Western Europe in a mini-van. Overall, a great idea and one that has exempted us from airport security lines and the hassles and delays that go with them. On some of the longer stretches, when "wonders out of the window" didn't impress, the kids played on their devices while Suzanne and I took turns driving and listening to a 24-set lecture download on the history of Europe; 1750's - 1950's (we aren't finished yet, but I feel a lot smarter already!)

The map above is our driving trip, but doesn't include the two European stops we flew to - Greece and Sweden, nor the last two stops, London and Scotland. Out of the 22 countries we will have visited, 10 will be in Europe.

The road quality in Europe is really impressive (especially France - how do they create such perfectly smooth roads?) and the drivers are also astute and skilled. It is a pleasure to drive in "driving cultures". So it is with more than a little sadness than I pulled into Amsterdam as it is the last drop-off for the girls (who will fly to London), but Ben and I still have to return the minivan to Frankfurt (and fly from there). My sadness only lasted a few minutes as I was totally blown away by Amsterdam - holy smokes, why didn't I know this was such an over-the-top fun city! And then my joy turned to sheer fear as we missed a few turns and I had to navigate that beast through "Old Town" on street barely wide enough for our mirrors and through sunny, Sunday summer afternoon weather! I think the pedestrians were afraid of us - but we were afraid of the bikes!

Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bikes. Wow.

So far Europe has been relatable, understandable and educational. There are great differences, however, between "tourist" cities such as Paris and Venice (and Amsterdam) and "regular" cities like Frankfurt, Bruxelles and even The Hague (where we stopped for lunch). Both have their educational opportunities, and it was eye-opening to see both along the way; famous sites and everyday life.

We stayed in a mixture of apartments and hotels and ate and drank the local delicacies as much as possible. The french sure love their fried potatoes! Thankfully red wine, beer, pizza and ice cream are the universal staples globally (except for India perhaps) for when the kids are cranky and not in the mood to explore local fares.

Parking the van has been challenging because of the low-ceilinged garages, but so far no dings or scratches. I am hoping to make it back to Germany that way! And have my last liter of Germany beer and Schnitzel.

Then off to London to play tourist, buy gifts and have some Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding...and British Gin. Then Scotch and Haggis in Scotland...then home to the U.S. to have a hot dog (no ketchup, cheese or mayonnaise please) and a Budweiser. And then a detox for a week as we need to stop all of this traveling and eating!!!

- Mike

P.S. Some of the most fun we have had on the road have been our "gas station picnics" as the gas/food stops on the European highways are pretty nice. Suzanne makes sandwiches and we eat on picnic benches amongst grass and trees. Not too expense, quick and everyone gets a treat. (Like the coffee in Italy!)

P.S.S. And speaking of excess...Amsterdam is one crazy city. Image New Orleans and Las Vegas combined, but with less laws, and set in a boating city from 1250's. The Old Town area is pot shops, beer bars, hookers and party boats going up-and-down canals all day and night. It's like the world's largest (oldest?) Spring Break college town. And the Red Light district...what's up with that? Is it a weird coincidence that the city flag for Amsterdam is "XXX"?

From Wikipedia:
The flag of Amsterdam is the official flag for Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. The current design of the flag depicts three Saint Andrew's Crosses and is based on the escutcheon in the coat of arms of Amsterdam. The flag was adopted on February 5, 1975

Nice title, Dad.

- Izzy

Before I get started, some European Union trivia questions:
- How many stars are on the E.U. flag?
- What do they represent?
- In what year was the flag introduced and adopted?
(Answers at the bottom)

We thoughtfully added Bruxelles to our European driving list as it contain several of the European Union offices, and we wanted the (entire) family to get a better understanding of this critical organization. Locals have told us to avoid Bruxelles and go to Bruges instead, but we kept it on the list because at this point we are more interested in learning something new, rather then seeing more old buildings! :) Plus, we eventually got to see plenty anyways (see below).

And with the E.U. Parliament elections last month, plus all of the turmoil with the E.U. between Ukraine and the U.S., Germany and Russia, etc.. we have been living the European political scene 'live and in real-time' these last 4-weeks.

We started the day at the European Parliament "Parlimentarium" museum and learned about the history of the E.U. and how the three (3) governing bodies work, and how each elects or appoints it's members. We even bought a few things in the gift shop! :)

Next it was off to "Mini Europe", an outdoor garden/park with 450 recreations of the most famous buildings and structures in the countries of the E.U. The placards gave some facts about population and year entering the E.U., etc., so it dovetailed nicely with the earlier lesson. And, we saw many building we have already visited, or will still yet see (Amsterdam, England and Scotland are the last stops).

The highlights we learned about the E.U.:
- The E.U was founded in 1951 with six charter country members. It was an offshoot of two other previous organizations: European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC).

- It currently has 28 members, with the most notably missing being Switzerland and Norway. Switzerland is not joining (I believe) as to keep it's secret banking industry away from prying eyes of other countries. Norway...? Perhaps as it doesn't want to mix its culture with the movement of other immigrants in their 'pristine' society? Please, discuss...

- The E.U is made up of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Union Central Bank, the Court of Auditors, and European Parliament, which members are elected every five years by the EU citizens directly

- The main thrust of the E.U. is not just monetary unification, but much more importantly, standardization of trade practices, rules, taxation and laws

- The E.U. "Monetary Union" is a separate sub-set of countries that use the Euro dollar, and it has only 18 of the 28 members participating with the common currency and central bank

- With a combined population of over 500 million inhabitants (larger than the U.S.), or 7.3% of the world population, the E.U. in 2012 generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of 16.584 trillion US dollars, constituting approximately 23% of global GDP. With lower-than-global-average birth rates however, these percentages are predicted to fall in the future

All-in-all, I am very glad we stopped and saw first-hand the what's, why's and how's of the E.U. I think even some of this information seeped in to the kid's (subconsciousness) heads. We quizzed them later in day (just to be an annoying parents!).

- Mike

Trivia Answers:
- There are 12 stars in the E.U. flag
- Their pattern represent the "unity" that a closed circle provides. The number 12 signifies nothing at all!
- The flag was introduced in 1955 by the Council of Europe. It was adopted in 1983 by the E.U. Parliament and in 1985 all E.U. members agreed that it would be their official symbol of membership and flown with their native flag

P.S. For the first time on our trip (which is about 90% complete), pictures disappeared off of our camera - so the 50-60 shots I took at the E.U. Parliamentarium were mysteriously erased (and we nothing to show for the morning tour). Or were they...? I think Putin's army of Russian cyber-criminals know that we like Obama and they were remotely erased...!

P.S.S. Bruxelles is a crazy mixture of culture being about 1/3 French, 1/3 Dutch and 1/3 German in it heritage, but right now, also about 1/3 African/Moroccan Muslims as well. We had some Belgium beer and their famous french "Mussels in Brussels"...who knew that was a thing? Maybe we'll get some chocolate or waffles on our way out of town.

Off to The Netherlands!

There are actually two different lock bridges. The one showed in the picture above is the smaller one by Notre Dame. We saw the bigger one on the way to the Louvre. Dad told me that there are so many locks on the bridges that its actually weighing the bridges down! There are police watching the bridges to make sure no one puts a lock on the bridge. Dad and I were wondering why only certain bridges have locks on them, but then we walked down the street and realized that the designs of the bridges are different, so some of the them can't have locks.

This has got to be the MOST BORING POST I HAVE EVER WRITTEN. It's like I'm turning into my parents. UGH!!! (No offense, Mom and Dad) But, I am so happy we are almost done with this trip! Two weeks! YAY!!! I did see that Emma, Cat, Lauren and a bunch of my other friends went and saw The Fault in Our Stars. I loved that book, but I really wanted to see that movie the day it came out. I got a little sad that I didn't get to go the see it with my friends. The funny thing is that in the ebook, Hazel and Gus go to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten (or whatever his last name is), the author of An Imperial Affiliation, to find out what happened to the main character. I'm going to Amsterdam tomorrow! So, I do get to do something related to the movie. But on this trip I watched the Step Up series and Mom told me that the newest one is coming out in July 25, so maybe I can get my friends or Rachel or someone to watch the older movies and go see the new one with me.

My friend gave me a dairy for my birthday, and I have been using it, but only for writing down the things I want to do when I get back. Things like:

• Go golfing with Rachel, Uncle Red Dawg and Dad
• Go to Chipotle
• Get paper books (the books I have are on the Kindle app on my iPad)
• Watch The Fault in Our Stars
• Spent time AWAY from my Family!

Something I'm afraid that I'm going to forget peoples names and forget friend I need to buy gifts for, and I really don't people to feel bad that I forgot them!

So now that my extended family and my friends parents have gotten a little on my "personal side", I'll let Dad or Mom tell a bit on the last two-weeks of the trip!

The Louvre.

The pinnacle of all art museums on planet. You know it's big when they want to build a version in the UAE. We knew it was big before that, but for the kids, it seemed to make a difference. We ventured out for a full day of FFF (forced family fun) and our legs and feet suffered for it. But, it was worth it. 

In case you are coming to Paris, the Louvre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  We saved it for a beautiful sunny day and I was really looking forward to sharing this experience with our kids. Mike and I had been there about 16 years ago and he keeps telling them that we got into the museum via the back door by accident. In reality we went in the back gate via the courtyard which looks like the back door because it's not marked very well. For some reason the girls love this story. "Mom and Dad snuck into the Louvre." This is not true, but no one wants to believe my version. Oh well.;) (Mike says it is absolutely true or I was SO IN LOVE that it was like a fairy tale).

I have a few museum tips that I like to offer up:

1. If there is a line to get in, just get in the membership line and join the museum. It's a win-win for everyone. Tax deduction, shorter line, warm fuzzy for supporting the arts.

2. Visit the gift shop first and find a book/poster/card of a piece featured in the museum that you (and your kids) want to look for to keep their attention.  You will NEVER view or absorb the entire museum in one visit, so don't even try.

3. This is not a tip, but a suggestion to museum administrators. Start pumping oxygen into your spaces like they do in Vegas.  See what happens to attendance. (This is not an issue for the Louvre)

Lucky for us the line was quick moving and within 20 minutes we were inside and ready to head off to see the Mona Lisa.  Quick stop to grab our fancy Nintendo 3DS Guides. The educational opportunity that this little gadget can offer is immense.  Maddy and I took advantage and I was really looking forward to some quiet time with my device.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I will rent the audio guide at any and all museums just to have a valid reason to tune out the whining.

First stop, the Mona Lisa. 

We were not the only ones with this idea. About 10 minutes into our tour this became and 'Let's get in, see the thing, and get out' adventure. See image below.

We must have hit at a peak time because this was crazy.  I didn't even get close enough to enjoy it, but luckily for my Nintendo 3DS I learned that it was considered a very large piece for it's day. A 20" x 30" painting on wood was large for this day and an amazing feat. I could even zoom in for detail on my device. Almost like being there.

Overall, it was a quick visit. We spent about 2-hours weaving our way around the crowds, absorbing what we could from the audio guide and being mindful that we were actually in the Louvre. Maybe my expectations were too high for the kids, but I'm hoping that we made a small deposit in their cultural accounts that will yield greater results in the long term.

-Suzanne


P.S. I'm going alone next time. 


And then after the Louvre, we walked to:
- The Paris City Jardin
- The Champs Elysees
- The Arch de Triumph
- The Tower of Mr. Effiel

Our dogs were barking, but it was Paris on Steroids. Yes!

- Mike

As our first apartment in Paris was near the Île Saint-Louis, we naturally headed over to this most stunning (and visited) acreage on the planet to see the post-card stands, flower shops and, of course, Quasimodo and Esmeralda.

Not much to say except the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris is still as stunning and architecturally interesting outside as we remembered, but this time we decided to go inside (not sure why we skipped last time?). The kids complained about another church tour, and Suzanne said, "Fine, we're going in with or without you".  They decided to sit this one out on a bench in the plaza...or not.

Suzanne takes the snap and drops back in the pocket, waits for her receivers to get down field and then heaves it with every parenting muscle she's got - her long throw down field works as they panicked when we got to the door and came racing to join us to go inside.

Touchdown.

Did they enjoy it and get something out of it? I am not sure as they raced through while I lingered and took photos. Suzanne waited for me though! :) It was crowded, but still felt special and intimate. The space behind the alter is especially amazing as are the historical displays. Beautiful cathedral, amazing statues and inspiring paintings. They were the heavenly extra point.

- Mike

P.S. In 2010 it was discovered by a British historian that the cathedral had at one time a disfigured/hunchedback stone carver who may have been known to the author Victor Hugo and been his inspiration for the character of the famous French novel. From Wikipedia:

In August 2010 Adrian Glew, a Tate archivist, announced evidence for a real-life Quasimodo, a "humpbacked [stone] carver" who worked at Notre Dame during the 1820s.[2] The evidence is contained in the memoirs of Henry Sibson, a 19th-century British sculptor who worked at Notre Dame at around the same time Hugo wrote the novel.[2] Sibson describes a humpbacked stonemason working there: "He was the carver under the Government sculptor whose name I forget as I had no interaction with him, all that I know is that he was humpbacked and he did not like to mix with carvers."[2] Because Victor Hugo had close links with the restoration of the cathedral it is likely he was aware of the unnamed "humpbacked carver" nicknamed "Le Bossu" (French for "The Hunchback"), who oversaw "Monsieur Trajin".[2] Adrian Glew also uncovered that both the hunchback and Hugo were living in the same town of Saint Germain-des-Pres in 1833, and in early drafts of Les Misérables, Hugo named the main character "Jean Trajin" (the same name as the unnamed hunchback carver's employee), but later changed it to "Jean Valjean".[2]

The first 3 things you think of when Paris comes to mind is 1. Eiffel Tower 2. Fashion 3. Baking.

Yesterday I got really think about baking. Me and my dad went to a 2-hour baking class and I got to make a bunch of things. We made Eiffel Tower cookies, home-made hot chocolate, chocolate lollypops and... ME! ( Madeleine's ).

They were all really yummy and it was so much fun. If you are ever in Paris, check it out!

http://lacuisineparis.com/

-Madeline Marie

Where's Ben???? I don't ask for much from my kids these days. Just be nice to each other and your parents, spend more than 50% of your day in a good mood and don't complain about the food. Not much, really.  I did want something extra the other day and it was more than Ben could handle. 

I wanted a caricature of the kids on one of our stops. We've seen them a dozen times on this trip but I've never pressured them to stop.  I know my parents had them done of the three of us many years ago adn the format hasn't changed. (Stephanie will remember the year and location) The kids are at the perfect age to find it fun and the girls were very eager to sit for their portrait.  

VOILÀ, two out of three isn't bad. 

-Suzanne


Finally, 16-years later, Suzanne and I made it back to Paris, and it is just as beautiful as we remembered (and has just as much dog poopy, too). Only this time with our three beautiful kids - wow, what a concept! It was Izzy's pick on the trip-plan, so we are letting her help drive the tourist agenda.

So far we have wandered around and seen some great sites (most postings coming) and it has been a lot of fun. The kids really like it here and love the food (cheese, bread and pomme frites)! We like the wine, cheese and coffee - although we feel like we should start smoking (and each walk a small dog).

The girls even sat for a caricature street-drawing for their mom! Good sports them.

Plus, the apartment Suzanne found is amazing - a fun "party house" right in the middle of LGBT "boy's town" in Paris, so the restaurants and bars and stores are extra nice as is the apartment itself with hot tub, sauna, steam room and drop-down movie projector. We'd like to show you some shots but they might frighten some more impressionable kids - and some of the artwork is definitely NSFW/R-rated. But we're lovin' it though and feel lucky and spoiled to have found it.

Welcome to Gay Paree, indeed!

- Mike

P.S. One way Paris is definitely changing is in its racial diversity; there are many more African and Middle Eastern immigrant/citizens here now than 16-years ago. Wealth distribution and population shifts looking for work are driving this all over Europe. It feels more like NYC or London now.

Another Wychocki Fail occurred on our first day in Paris.  We tried to keep it easy for the kids and were just going to explore the neighborhood. We rented an apartment in the 3rd Arrondissement which we quickly learned is a bit of a 'Boys Town' of Paris. The girls love rainbows. The apartment turned out to be a 'sweet pad' with a hot tub, sauna and steam room in the basement. You get the idea. Sweet.

My only request on the first day was a quick stop at the Musee Picasso just a few blocks away. By noon we were out the door. A quick stop for chocolate & gelato and only one small argument and we found it. We also found that is was closed for renovations until later this summer.  Why, oh why, can't we use the internet for efficient things like researching museum hours and not useless cat videos? Why?

I was more than a bit disappointed because you see, one of my first dates with Mike was the indie film "Surviving Picasso". The artist holds a special place in my heart, not for his romantic skills, but for his art.

I was given another chance during our stop at the wax museum. It will have to do until we get to the Louvre.

-Suzanne

We thought it would be a fun way to do yet another museum tour without overwhelming the kids (we still have the Louvre to do) and also have some goofy fun - so what could be better than a wax museum in Europe? Well, it turns out a lot, as the quality was pretty tepid.

But who knew that we would run into Suzanne's old friend Pablo after not getting in to his museum?

The tour started with a lame lights and music show that had no point and no thrills, and immediately dumped you into a hall of famous French entertainers, of which we knew exactly...zero. Was this set up for international tourists?

It got better though, as it went through the required Hall of Torture (which unfortunately these things really happened all across Europe and France for centuries) and then showcasing all of the French monarchies complete with some history lessons. And then ended with international celebrities and what looks to be the latest installment, and that is of Lady Gaga!

Overall, the quality was very inconsistent with some being really like-like and others really cheesy. The facial reconstructions we saw in Sweden at the Vasa Museum were much, much more life-like and those must have been very expensive and hard to do.

Overall? We'd give it a B- and look forward to comparing it to Madam Tussauds in London!

- Mike

As planned, on our way driving from Bordeaux to Paris, we stopped at the famous Lascaux cave in southern France, where in 1940, four teenaged boys were lead to this discovery by their eager dog who found the small cave opening on a limestone hill. Once inside, they discovered cave drawings from over 15,000 - 20,000 years ago. It had been sealed almost airtight and perfectly preserved from the elements (including a clay water-barrier) for that long. Imagine their surprise!

Well, we didn't see that actual cave, but an exact replica of that cave (Lascaux II) as the original was closed after only twenty years of human visitation, which was causing green disease (algae spores) and white disease (calcification) on the original drawings. A portion of the cave was built as an exact replica in size, scale and adornments, and that alone took almost 20 years to complete. It was re-opened to the public in 1983.

Before going to the cave, however, we prepped ourselves at the Centre of Prehistoric Art at Le Thot, France, just 20 minutes away. It was a live-animal preserve so one could see the original species (the ones that still exist) that the cave dwellers drew, as well as a museum with recreations of the cave walls in smaller scale, and a digital presentation where the five types of extinct animals mixed with the audience in a live action blend.

The types of animals typically drawn were:
- Wooly Mammoths
- Wooly Rino's
- Bison
- Bears
- Deer/Elk
- Horses
- Bulls

So did we see a bear in the cave? Not this time, as these caves specialized in bulls and horses with a few gazelle's thrown in. Bears and Mammoths were in other caves throughout Southern France and Spain. We saw "the hall of bulls" and it was very impressive.

Two other interesting facts; even though reindeer were a primary source of food and skins, none were drawn in these caves, and also that there were many "group symbols" and signs possibly depicting early tribal markings. Some even speculate that a few could be celestial markings (?).

Three other cool take-aways for me were; 1. While we had flood lights, the original cave artist did it in complete darkness using small, flickering flames created with animal fat. That must have been crazy dark and very hard to do, 2. The drawing actually take the three dimensionality of the wall contours into consideration - so bulges, crevices and rock edges are aesthetically worked into the actual details of the drawings (very cool), 3. In many, many places, drawings were placed on top of each other, so there were both dominant and hidden drawings on top of each other. Once the guides taught you how to see the multiple layers, you began to search out more, and it was a lot of added fun - like a puzzle in fact.

The kids were just a little bored, but I think it was the perfect 2 1/2 hour-hour "field trip". Check, box.

- Mike


P.S. OK kids, Paleolithic Quiz Time!?! Which of the hominids actually painted the walls at Lascaux? (Creationist don't answer because we are talking pre-6,000 years ago): A. Homo Erectus? B., Cro Magnon? or C. Neanderthal? Answer - I don't know because I couldn't read the placards in French! And even 30-minutes of web research couldn't find the exact answer. I am thinking possibly Cro-Magnon, which was a form of "early man found" (Home Sapiens) specifically in this region of France. Both the Neanderthal and Homo Erectus had died off by this time. But then again, it could have been many different hoards of people since France is the currently the most visited (tourist) country on the planet - and historically everyone from the Greeks to the Romans to the Nazi's wanted it as their own. I could see prehistoric man fighting for this rich and lush soil just like at any other time.

P.S.S. After our visit, Suzanne correctly remembered that there was a traveling exhibit of the "Drawings of Lascaux Caves" at the Field Museum in Chicago last year with these exact same reproductions of art work!?! :D Think of the money we could have saved!

P.S.S.S. And speaking of Bears, driving into Paris, we ran directly into '4-day weekend/holiday' traffic coming back from the southern countryside into the city!?! :(   It was a bear and added at least another two hours in the van, so it was a loooooong drive day.