On Tuesday we boarded the Thalys train early in the morning with an eye on spending the day in Amsterdam. Luckily as holders of a Eurail Flexi Pass, it was extremely easy to take a quick day trip to the famous canal city of the Netherlands. It was my first visit to Amsterdam and what struck me most was how picturesque and quintessentially European it is in real life. Walking through the city with church bells ringing and canal boats drifting past was a scene out of a novel but we were the main characters.
Amsterdam would be beautiful to see in the winter I’m sure!
I was in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago for one day and was disappointed that the forecast called for, and delivered, rain for most of the day. Then, I discovered something unexpected. I LOVE Amsterdam in the rain. It’s always charming but took on a different kind of charm in the rain. And, no, my revelation was not space cake or otherwise coffee shop inspired. :)
Ha, well I can relate. It’s rained all week, wherever we go. It’s not so bad though
Amsterdam has to be one of the best places to visit in Europe, and especially I would imagine for non-European visitors. Also it is so much safer than before, even its notorious seedy area is well-contained and non-threatening. When I first visited when Inter-railing in 1988 it was a really rough place to be, I have seen it get better and better over the six times I have been there since, most recently last summer with my wife and 8-year old daughter who loved it. It’s a city with something for everyone, and the changes in progress now are all good if you ask me. I have an article on this aspect of Amsterdam here for those who are interested: http://grownuptravelguide.com/amsterdam-coffee-shop-crack-down-and-red-light-restrictions-great
To visit Amsterdam is one of my lifetime wishes.. Great one.