Amsterdam Birthday Trip

It's been nearly a week since I returned from my birthday trip to Amsterdam so thought it was about time I actually put the photos up!  I'm going to be honest and say that it wasn't the best birthday trip I've ever had but it had some great moments and definitely turned out alright in the end. 

It was a long day driving and by the time we arrived my temper was fraying somewhat. I kind of felt like I'd pretty much spent my entire birthday in a car (and the landscape was pretty boring and samey the whole way) so wasn't feeling that chipper. I loved chatting with my friend, but if someone ever says "hey, do you fancy driving to Holland?" say "hell no, let's get the plane"!

I'd been to Amsterdam once before when I was around 29 and we did a lot of the touristy things then (Red Light District, Flower Market etc) and the place is quite pretty to look at. My friend had never been but has travelled all over the world and is very easy to get along with. I'm not sure many people would have been able to stand me for 3 days actually so I was very lucky to be with her. I'm very picky and particular (read a total pain in the arse)

The ferry trip over was great as I love being on boats and it was a beautiful sunny day. It was  a very long trip and the Air BnB place was really sweet when we arrived. It was small but had everything we needed as well as a Nespresso machine (I'd never had one). It was in a great part of town and was very cosy. We then went out for some food, drank some birthday Prosecco then went to bed.

The first day was a mixed bag - It was freezing and I'd forgotten my gloves and hat, it was raining, the food everywhere was awful but we did find an ace little bar with grapefruit G&T's, my friend lent me her gloves, the cafe on the corner from us was just lovely and we went to the Van Gogh Museum.

There were bikes everywhere and it was really hard not to get hit by a car, a tram or a bike - especially as they drive on the right so you're always looking the wrong way! I loved these kiddie trough bikes.

And these large red clogs...

Saturday (our last day) was 100% better and we went on a fantastic little boat trip around the canals and out into the port. It was fascinating and great fun.

The guide told us that all the houses have these hooks above them to lift furniture up into the house as they're so narrow (they're narrow as they used to be taxed on floor space) and that some of the houses were built leaning forward to counteract the weight. If you look at the photo below you can actually see a couple of the houses sticking out at the top.

At the end of the day we met up with two friends of hers who lived there. They were appalled that we had eaten such shitty food during our trip (Holland is not known for its cuisine) and took us to a fantastic little place around the corner from our flat where I had one of the best meals ever. It was a really nice way to end to the trip and I liked her friends immensely. 

I don't think I'll be going back to Amsterdam again, but overall the trip was 'an experience'. I loved spending time with my friend and am eternally grateful for her patience (I would have killed me). I definitely won't be spending any more birthdays in a car or eating any more calamari in Holland though. You never know what you're going to get when you go away, but the experience is what matters.