Last weekend, I got the chance to visit Amsterdam for 3 days. I'd never been before so I had no idea what to expect. I'd heard a lot of different things about it, but could never quite envision what it'd be like.
We stayed in a wonderful little air bnb in one of those gorgeous town houses on a canal, about a 5 minute walk from Rembrand Square or a 15 minute walk from the city centre. It was the perfect place for while we were there.. a huge bed, coffee machine, a wet room and netflix (perfect).
As soon as we arrived at Amsterdam at Central Station, we were both in need of some caffeine so we stopped off at Stock, a cute little coffee shop only a 2 minute walk from the station. They had delicious coffee, cakes and sandwiches. As soon as we arrived it was obvious to tell the most efficient way to get around was by bike, or tram. I literally had no idea how to cross the road without being trampled.
To travel, I wanted to be comfy so I wore a thin knit cream jumper from H&M, Khaki military trousers from H&M, ASOS belt, slip on Vans and a cord puffer jacket from Urban Outfitters. I've also rediscovered my M&S red fur shoulder bag, I got it for Christmas a couple of years ago and completely forgot I had it.
We went to the Moco Museum on Monday, a Banksy and Roy Lichtenstein exhibition was on which we pre booked online and it was actually really interesting. The museum itself was so pretty and it amazing to see some of their work in real life. The Moco Museum was really easy to get to, it was about a 10 minute walk from where we where staying, right next to the Van Gogh museum. After that, we got the tram into Dam Square and went to the Sex Museum. It was so dated and hilarious, but I'd say it's worth visiting for a laugh. Or even just to get that typical picture with the massive penis.
We also did a lot of shopping whilst we were there, the shopping just seemed so much better than London. It was probably because I couldn't really buy anything as I only had a small hand luggage suitcase. Whilst we were there I did pick up a dark grey beret in Topshop, I was looking for one for a while, I didn't know if it would suit me but as soon as I tried it on I knew i'd be wearing it a lot this winter. It was bloody freezing while we were there as well, so it did keep that extra bit warmer.
I wore my new beret with a t-shirt I picked up from Weekday that says 'emotional' on the front in red letters. I thought it was very apt as I cry at most things. I paired it with some vintage kick flares, my slips on vans and my lovely new Urban Outfitters jacket (which I'm completely besotted with by the way).
That evening we had a delicious meal at Cao. If you're into steak and generally good food then this is a must. It was probably the best steak i've ever eaten and the cocktails were also pretty impressive..
We also explored the area of Jordaan, the old working class district. It was so cute, with little vintage boutique, coffee shops and bars. We found the most incredible chocolate shop called Urban Cacao which is a must visit. The most delicious chocolate, and you can try each on before you buy. Incredible.
Later that evening we had a lovely italian meal and headed into the Red Light District. It was a very odd experience and to be honest, I didn't really know how to feel about it. I'd still 100% recommend going to check it out and experience it for yourself. We finished the evening with a drink in 'Freddy's', one of the recommendations when you google 'cocktail bars near me' and the cocktails looks v inviting. It was a gorgeous, art deco vibe bar but unfortunately the cocktails were about €25 each, so I stuck to a small glass of wine. Lol.
On our last day, we started with an amazing brunch at Blue Amsterdam. You get an amazing panoramic view of the city, I highly recommend. The food was so tasty, not a huge breakfast menu but the lunch choices were great. We also decided to try out a boat tour, going around the canals and learning about Amsterdam which we both really enjoyed.
Overall, I completely fell in love with the city and cannot wait to go back. It felt so chilled and relaxed (for obvious reasons) and it was amazing to go in November when it was starting to feel Christmassy. Also, don't forget to try Chocomel.
