Five days in beautiful Amsterdam is truly something to be cherished. And particularly so when its in spring and that magnificent blue sky reflects onto the mirrors of the canals. There is something to be said for a city that has almost completely abandoned the motor vehicle for feet and bicycles. While there is still some traffic to contend with, the historic city of Amsterdam is really a pedestrian and cyclist's dream. So many wonderful little streets and alleyways to explore and all lined cheek by jowl with fabulous and quirky architecture. You sometimes wonder how these buildings have stayed standing but I suspect the fact that they all support each other helps. Methinks if you pulled one of the jenga tiles down....they'd all come crumbling down.
What I particularly love about this city is how easy it is to meander and get lost amongst the cafes and funky little shops, yet not really be too far from your starting point.
While there are aspects of Amsterdam that don't necessarily appeal to me, such as the dope and weed smoking culture, or the ridiculous and sometimes obnoxious groups of bucks and hens on their 'last mad fling' parties, those grungy bits just add to the character of the place.
The real appeal is in its art, architecture, canals, people and its wonderful little cafes. A visit here isn't complete without visiting some of the fantastic galleries and museums, or enjoying some pastries and coffee on a busy little corner bordered by a canal.
