Blogs from Amsterdam Zuidoost, Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands, Europe

After a day of walking around Amsterdam city, it was time to spend half a day walking around the whole country. So off we went and drove to Maduradam, a large model park of Holland... that has been shrunken down in size. The detail on the models was pretty amazing and quite funny to see after you have actually been in the full size real versions of it. We acted like kids all day, wandering around Holland in a few hours.. well actually stomping around like giants. Made me want to run and jump onto one like the giants do on the movies. But i showed great restraint and didnt get kicked out of Holland on my second day. Afterwards we met up with another friend of mine, walked through a park (real sized) then headed ... read more

Not the best of nights with screaming laughter punuating the air throughout, finally sleeping we woke to heavy rain. We shouldn’t complain as this is the first real rain we have had on our travels to date but being British….we DO!! Woolly was all for staying in bed for the day but we wrapped ourselves up and set off to Amsterdam for a second time. The trams are so efficient and running every ten minutes makes it easy to get to everywhere you want to. Alighting in Dam Square (still no Dams to be seen) we took a couple of snaps before following the map to Anne Frank’s House. Woolly says – Jo made me stand in the rain for over half an hour in the queue for Anne Frank’s House. I could have stayed with ... read more

On our fourth night in berlin, we gathered up our meager belongings for our overnight train trip to amsterdam. We went to the train station around 11:45pm in anticipation of our 12:35pm train. The traiN Station itself was open air, so there was not a single warm place to wait. We ended up splurging on a 2euro bottle of diet coke so that we could sit in a cafe that was maybe 10 deg warmer than the freezing temperatures outside. Around 12:30 we wandered reluctantly our of our warm nook onto the platform, only to find that the train was delayed 15 min. instead of freezing on the platform, we took the escalator to the station where we could at least hide out from the bitter wind. There were others who followed our lead, inclouding one ... read more

As soon as you tell people that you’re are going to Amsterdam, they all know why. Trying to tell them that you’re going for the architecture, or to immerse yourself in Dutch, or pick tulips is just fruitless. We all know that you’re going for one reason and one reason only. Everything else is secondary – a pleasant after thought. So let’s be honest with ourselves fellow travellers, we go to Amsterdam to be able to smoke/eat weed in public and not have an overwhelming wave of panicked terror every time you hear a noise and automatically assume it’s a policeman. The Red Light District is Amsterdam’s main pulling factor; housing anything and everything that any adult’s wicked side could dream of. It’s the ultimate adult’s playground. Swap slides for brownies, swings for the half naked ... read more

4 days in the wonderful Dutch city of Amsterdam, just in time for NYE, but always in time for waffles beer and cheeseandclogs! This time of year is the best time to be in Amsterdam. Who said Paris was the city of lights? I say go where the Heineken flows, each turn reveals a brick lane of bicycles and flats you daydream of living in. Everywhere, the Dutch sensibility emanates. If only the weather didn't royally suck... First night in the dam we took a covered - heated! - boat cruise of the canals. Light and colors shone on the canals as we went under bridge after bridge. Drinks and laughs in and around the Bulldog followed, waffles were consumed. The next day we took one look at the Anne Frank house line and said "forget ... read more

Welcome to one of the greatest cities in the world. Amsterdam is a city to relax and to get crazy at the same time. There are nice museums to visit, many casinos to have fun, a red light district to say whooowhooooo and great roads to ride a bike... I was there for only three days on icy cold days of November in 2010 but I can say that nothing can stop you from having fun in this city. I stayed at a hostel and it was pretty comfortable. Buses and a tram is always at service to take you anywhere in the city but of course I recommend walking to explore it better. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum should be visited. Anne Frank House should be ... read more

I am feeling alternately elated and unsure. Am I crazy (please do not chorus YES!!)? Who am I fooling, this is the most ridiculous idea ever segues seamlessly into wow aren't I fantastic going on this big adventure and living large... The truth is that like almost all my decisions this was spur of the moment, reactionary, badly thought through etc etc etc but as I am too proud to admit error I chug along putting out the fires I started myself. And so i am commited to this trip by dint of my big mouth...Secret tip about big mouths...They act as goal setters... 6 more days to blast off and not only Houston is having a problem...How can I possibly get everything done...short answer: I won't. Can I live with that? Short answer: What's the ... read more