“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” ― Bill Bryson
“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” ― Bill Bryson
I caught an overnight train from Berlin to Amsterdam. In the morning, I woke up, collected my backpack and walked out of Amsterdam Centraal into most beautiful scene of bicycles travelling in all directions. To my right, I saw a bike parking complex (much like a car park). I had never seen anything like this before in my life.
On that first trip, I spent a few days seeing the sites of Amsterdam before travelling north to Groningen, where some friends of friends were living. I immediately fell in love with The Netherlands.
I've since returned to Amsterdam many times to visit friends (and my favourite apple pie cafes), and each time I'm become even more enamoured by this city of canals. From the stunning narrow buildings, delicious cuisine (you can't not try poffertjes) to the world classed art galleries (in Amsterdam and The Hague) and the wonderfully welcoming people, travelling in The Netherlands is a must!
In life, there are some truly stand-out moments that you never forget. Gay Pride in Amsterdam was one of those moments.
Amsterdam. It conjures many thoughts when first uttered, most of them shrouded by thick clouds of smoke and gleaming red lights. But when you travel Amsterdam without looking for the cliches, you find much more to this enchanting city than the stereotype first reveals.
People travel for all sorts of reasons. Some people travel to see historic architecture, to taste foreign cuisines, to set their eyes on timelessness artworks. And some travel for flowers.
A frantic adventure, an epic conclusion. Alls well that ends well. Thank god.
The harrowing tale of one individual rising up against the odds and her eventual success. I call this story: ‘How I loved, lost and retrieved my friend’s bikes from the Fietsdepot while gallivanting in Amsterdam’
