Amsterdam, Netherlands

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I stayed in Amsterdam! My first impression of the city was that it had great architecture and nice lights. I liked the busy-ness of the city as I walked out of the train station -it was a big contrast to being in Bruges. My opinions about the city quickly changed as I got a little lost looking for my hostel. It was 10pm and I accidentally went down some streets that were full of drunks and stoners who creeped me out. When I got to my hostel, it only got worse! My hostel reminded me of a crack house and was full of sketchy people and.. mould. But I stuck it out for the two nights and ended up meeting a really nice australian girl!

The morning after I arrived, I went on a walking tour and getting to see the city in the daylight was amazing. The canals, bikes, trees, houses, and shops are absolutely beautiful. Once I got used to the different sides of Amsterdam, I realized I really did like the city as whole, even the slightly shocking Red Light District. It just adds that weird edge to the city and makes it that much more interesting and dynamic. I went on a Red Light walking tour with my new australian friend and got to learn a lot about the district. If you're looking for good and mostly free (+ tip) walking tours in a new city, Sandeman's is the way to go! They have tours in London, Edinburg, Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Hambourg, Prague, Paris, Madrid, Jerusalem, and Copenhagen (with a few more cities on the way). My time in Amsterdam felt very short even though I was there for 2 nights but I did manage to see quite a bit.

Here, have some photos!

The oldest house in Amsterdam. It's located in the Bagunhof- a small neighbourhood for single women over 30 with a waiting list of 10+ years.

Inside the Bagunhof courtyard.

See how the houses on the right side lean inwards? There are hooks/pullies at the tops of all the houses so that people can hoist furniture into the windows because the staircases are too narrow to carry it up. The houses lean forwards so that if the furniture drops for some reason, it wont break windows or damage the house!

The mini I amsterdam sign at the Amsterdam Museum.

The canals are beautiful!

The center house is Anne Frank's house. It is now a museum!

The view from the public library. It's free to get in and the view can't be beat! Thanks to Tom, my tour guide, for the tip! In the spring/summer season, theres an outdoor patio that's attached to the cafe. 

Just me jumping in Dam Square.

THE sign! (not me infront of it). Walked half an hour across town to see this baby. Worth it!