The last time I had been to Amsterdam was a good 15 years ago. And I have to say, in 15 years, she hasn't changed much.
Just like Paris is huge, because France is huge. Amsterdam is small, because Holland is small.
Our first afternoon/evening we met up with Rosie who'd flown in from London, and drank beer and wandered the streets of the red light district. There really are pretty girls inside neon lit windows, on display in their underwear in the same way the French display their pastries and croissants. It's a bit weird, but also quite cool. You can't go to Amsterdam and then judge it by our prudish NZ standards, you just have to go with it. She's a crazy old town, but quite safe and lots of fun.
Yup, it's safe to say, Amsterdam is a party town.
But we did educational stuff too! We visited the Anne Frank museum which has changed a lot since the last time I saw it, which was when I was 14 on my first visit to Holland. Back then it was just an empty house with a glass case downstairs that held her diary and a few plaques on the wall as you wandered through. Now it's a fully interactive educational museum that aims to open people's eyes and ultimately end discrimination. Anne Frank would be proud.
Then after all that good, cultural, smart stuff, we decided to meet up with our old flatmate Bas (hi Bas) and go and get drunk.
So we ate no dinner and drank Heineken and talked the night away. It was grand. So the next day, sifty and hungover, we spent the afternoon in the park and wandered the street of pretty Amsterdam, away from the dodgy (but fun) red light part. She really is a very beautiful city.
We only had three short days in Amsterdam, and unlike Bruges, three days was definitely not enough, but have no fear Amsterdam, I'm sure we'll meet again.
I am a half blood after all.
