Wanderlust: Amsterdam.

Hello there interwebbers,

This weekend I travelled to Amsterdam for a little city break for my boyfriend and I, we had purchased the flights in November, so we were really looking forward to going! And, we're just back after a fun-filled weekend, and I can sincerely say, Amsterdam did not disappoint!

Day One: Friday. 

Our flight left Cork Airport at 6a.m., after such a early start we were glad to check-in to Citizen M Amsterdam City, and what a cool hotel! From the self-service check-in, to the iPad that controls everything from the 'mood lighting' to the black-out blinds, this was the most interactive and cool hotel I have ever stayed in. Though, the rooms are quite small, they are perfect for a couple when on a short break.. Only if your not a nervous pee-er though, as there is no separate bathroom, rather the toilet is encapsuled by a circular sliding door in the middle of the room, as is the shower! Definitely not for those who are bit on the shy side.. haha. The HUGE bed goes from wall to wall, and has the comfiest duvet and pillow - ideal after an early start! There is a massive flat screen tv on the wall over the bed, which too is controlled by the iPad. There is a selection of free movies (in English!), and English t.v. channels. The iPad also controls the temperature, the alarm clock, and the curtains.. It really is a cool novelty for the weekend :) The hotel is also a perfect location, it is about a 10 minute tram ride from Dam Square, and only 7 minutes from Schiphol airport - which is very handy!

On our first day, we did a bit of shopping (which I will share with ye in another post during the week!), and just strolled through the winding cobblestone streets and various markets, including the floating flower market which was beautiful! We went for dinner in the Lobby resteraunt in Hotel V Nesplein, just off Dam Square. We were really looking forward to this meal after reading some glowing reviews on Tripadvisor, however we were sadly disappointed.. Though the service, and atmosphere was brilliant, the food left a lot to be desired for these two foodies! After dinner, we took a stroll down the Red Light District, and were surprised by how safe the area felt with hundreds of stag and hen do's, couples and even families walking down the street, when in Amsterdam it is definitely worth visiting for a stroll, as it is an area unique to Amsterdam, although quite surreal! We then had a few cocktails in the hotel lobby, before hitting the hay!

Drinks in front of the stove in The Lobby! 

Day Two: Saturday. 

Day two started off pretty much the same as day one: raining! That didn't dampen our spirits though, we started our day visiting the Rijksmuseum and the iconic Iamsterdam sign.

Visiting the IAmsterdam sign and the Rijksmuseum.

We set off the day having lunch in the Hard Rock Cafe (a bit of a tradition of ours!) - you haven't lived unless you've had their chicken nachos and an Electric Blues cocktail <3

Hurricane & Electric Blues Cocktail in Hard Rock Cafe. 

We then went on a beautiful 75 minute canal tour around Amsterdam with the Blue Boat Canal Cruise company.. For only 14 euro each we were treated to the beautiful sights of Amsterdam, and given plenty of interesting information (and photo opportunities!) on our cruise around Amsterdam's beautiful canals. This was by far one of my favourite moments of our trip and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Amsterdam!

Me on the Canal Tour around Amsterdam!

We then visited the Body Worlds: Happiness Project in the city centre, which is an exhibit that houses real human Plasticine bodies that were donated to science., it deals with themes such as nutrition, disease, life, death, exercise, and of course since it's in Amsterdam - sexual activity! Though the information provided could be considered as basic biology, the exhibits themselves speak more than that. However, I wouldn't recommend this to those who are sensitive or have a weak stomach as some of the exhibits, though interesting, are quite disgusting and at times upsetting! For your 18euro ticket, you get about 2 hours in the exhibit, which is well worth the money.. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to post as pictures were not allowed!

Day Three: Sunday. 

Our last day in Amsterdam brought us some sunshine! The city looked even more beautiful when the sun was shining. We started by visiting the Ann Frank museum, and I would definitely recommend buying tickets online before visiting, as that allows you to fast-track the queue, which was roughly about 100-150 people long when we arrived, and were definitely relieved to be able to skip the queue since it was quite cold outside. The tickets were only 9euro online, and this bought you about 2 hours of a tour around the Ann Frank house and museum. Having read and watched Ann Frank's Diary as a child, this was one thing I was adamant about visiting from the start, and it was truly an eye-opening experience. Again, photos were not allowed! 

We were sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam after our fun-filled weekend but hopefully it won't be long until we're back again! Are any of you travelling to Amsterdam soon? Please comment and let me know what you plan to do - or if you have any questions on what I did! In the next few weeks, our wanderlust is bringing us to Copenhagen and I'm already excited for our next trip. Have any of you been to Copenhagen? What would you recommend? Thanks for reading :)

Love, 

Becca. 

xox