Amsterdam

Before I visited Amsterdam all of what I knew about it amounted to legalized weed, the red light district, Anne Frank's house, and the Van Gogh museum. I had few expectations and was armed with the knowledge that it's small enough to walk everywhere and full of canals.

This trip was different in that we weren't rushing around trying to see all the tourist attractions plus get a taste of the real culture. We read and wrote in cafes, sat along canals, people watched, and ventured outside of the city.

I was really excited for the Van Gogh Museum and would have gone to Amsterdam for just that. Van Gogh has been my favorite artist for quite some time and I was excited about getting to know him and his art better. I enjoyed the museum and looking through his life through the years and  along the way discovered some things about my interests as well. There are many of Van gogh's paintings that did not move me, particularly his earlier work before he started playing with bold colors. All in all I was impressed and happy to be to have experienced that.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city. The canals and hundreds of small bridges coupled with the gabled architecture make for an amazing historic feel. The red light district, restaurants, an shops somehow manage to intermingle without taking away from the feel of the city. The bicycles add the beauty and uniqueness of the city. We were extremely lucky to have had perfect weather for the whole 5 days!

The atmosphere of the city was like a breath of fresh air. Tthe laid back atmosphere of everyone walking down the street is infectious. It was really nice to sit in a cafe and someone asks about the book that you're reading or seeing people help each other out in the street.. it was incredibly refreshing after the fast-paced and sometimes cold vibrations of London.

Riding a dutch bike was fun despite the fact that it seemed to weigh as much as a car. We cycled along the seaside and explored two dutch villages- Marken and Monnickendam and was a really great day.

One of the most memorable days will be the last day. We took a train to Zaanse Schanse to explore the village and see the windmills. The houses and windmills were beautiful and felt so Dutch and I was really happy to have experienced that. If you're going to Amsterdam I think a visit to Zaanse Shanse cannot be missed.!

We got many beautiful pictures throughout the trip! I believe this one pretty much sums up what was great about this trip :)