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Tuesday 6 February 2018

AMSTERDAM: WITH YOU

"I wanna travel the world with you. 
Go to every city, take pictures and be happy."
- Anonymous


December was an amazing time... because my dreams came true. I've never been so far across the globe before. It truly puts into perspective that the world has so much to offer, so much more to experience. That's why travelling is so therapeutic. For those with broken hearts from whatever cause... travelling makes your life seem small, and your problems and heartaches insignificant. That is not to say I travelled with a broken heart in the beginning, no, I travelled with an open heart ready to let the world's wonders change me, with my love strongly by my side.  

5 weeks of completely new experiences, of vastly different cultures, architecture, food and people. It was such a spectacular indulgence in the utter beauty of this world we live in. 5 weeks, 9 countries, 10 cities: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium), Florence (Italy), Rome (Italy), Vatican City, Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic), Berlin (Germany) and Denmark (Copenhagen). I always told myself after I graduated law I would travel through Europe. And here I was... doing as I had said. I am my actions, not my words. So set your heart on something and move forth. Whether you move forward or backwards in life (or in your bank account), just move, because it is always better than being comfortable in the stagnant. 1 step backwards, 3 steps forward is better than being stuck at 0. 


It is an impossible task to squeeze 5 weeks worth of wonder into one single blogpost so I'm going to split this into a few more posts. Posting a little more frequently than once a month. Back to fortnightly posts for now just so I can share this content while it's still fresh and relevant. And here we shall begin with the first city (country) I landed in: Amsterdam (Netherlands). 


We descended upon the Netherlands on my 23rd birthday. The first half of this significant (yet not so significant) day was spent throwing up in planes (sorry not sorry) and tirelessly travelling from Perth to Doha then finally to Amsterdam. Our accommodation was actually in a small town outside Amsterdam, in Bussum. Day 1 already proved to me that the Dutch people are amazing, friendly people (and also super attractive!! No wonder Victoria's Secret has so many Dutch/South African models). By our last day (3rd day) I could finally gather my thoughts to express what I had been so amazed with all this time. Amsterdam was like a child's drawing come to life. The thin narrow homes with pointy roofs and pretty windows were simple and beautiful, like it was straight out of a child's imagination. But most of all, the wonky slanted buildings (caused by the movement of swampy foundation) made it all feel like a child's young hand struggling to draw a straight line on paper: a 3 year old drawing hundreds of wonky tall houses. Amsterdam was quirky and hip. There is simply no place quite like Amsterdam.


The canals was the epitome of Amsterdam. Seeing those with my very own eyes was what allowed it all to sink it. I'm no longer in Australia, I am in Europe. All those times seeing canals and bikes on photographs and computer screens finally came to life, and indeed it was a beautiful sight to behold. It was the moment when I went: 'Wow, I am in Amsterdam... I am half way across the world. And I am in Amsterdam...". However, we stumbled upon Bussum, a small town outside of Amsterdam by pure money-saving chance. Accommodation there was a lot cheaper and nicer in quality. At the time of booking, I didn't actually know it was a whole new town outside of Amsterdam. I thought it was only a suburb away from the city. That's the thing about Europe you see. A small trainstop away is a whole new town, or even better, a whole new country. In the Netherlands the must try is snert (split pea soup)! The most delicious thing on a cold freezing dark morning. It was a highlight of my trip chilling inside at Trev's Seop two mornings in a row with a hot bowl of snert in my hands.


After Amsterdam I've visited many places that were reminiscent of previous places, but none was quite the same as Amsterdam, nothing quite as quirky. Some highlights? The crazy stuff of course! The fact that the drunk people play games and throw bikes and small cars into the canals at night after a few too many drinks, that boats roam around with giant claws the next day picking these up from the waters, the red light districts with women soliciting themselves in red lit windows (literally 'red light' district, the big mumma area of the red light districts where bigger women who are mothers solicit, the fact that there is a childcare right next door for their children. Yeah, so definitely the crazy stuff about Amsterdam were the highlights because they left me wowwing at how 'open' Amsterdam was about everything. One thing I would have hoped to have done was to have spent more time wandering around Amsterdam, through their alleyways and further away from their centre. And well here it goes, the remaining elements of this post are going to be photos. Feast your eyes on this wonderland.


2 comments:

  1. Great trip and beautiful pictures from a very nice town ;) Can't wait to see and read your next posts!

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    1. Thank you dear!! I appreciate your support! You have a very lovely blog too! Keep it up :)

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