Having only visited Amsterdam a handful of times throughout my life I realise that the older you get, the more there is to enjoy.
As a child, Amsterdam wasn't a city that I would tell people I had really enjoyed. Maybe it's because my family and I visited at the wrong time of the year, when all the tourist attractions were near enough shut by five pm. Maybe because we spent that day on a boat for four hours riding down a canal sweating and my parents refused to take me to Madame Tussauds as it was 'overpriced'
I remember clearly walking through alleyways in search of a place to stop and eat, whilst women who were scantily clad stood in windows and winked at my poor dad. Not that my brother an I understood at the time who these women were or what they did. Yet for the rest of the trip my young brother referred to them as "Booby Ladies"
The next time I visited I had a clearer understanding of the city and it's culture. I could appreciate my time there to a fuller extent. As soon as you take your first step in the city you are sucked into the hustle and bustle. Bikes rule the roads (and the pavements- be careful) on the cobbled streets as well a the busier areas. You can take fantastic trips along the canal and see each tourist attraction by boat ride, as well as relaxing in the surprising warmth of the summer.
It's wonderful in summer, sitting in the shade of a local cafe whilst drinking a cool glass of lemonade, watching as people take in the beauty around them. The tall and thin buildings which often lean against one another cast shadows on the cobbles below, as the sun peeks through the trees. I watched as couple rode bikes over small bridges and families ate melting ice cream as the gazed through shop windows. At night shops are illuminated by twinkling lights and the streets are constantly filled with the voices of people on pub crawls and late evening meals.
In the Autumn the trees which line the coals turn crisp shades of brown and orange, there is a cooler breeze which sometimes makes you wrap your coat around you that little bit tighter. Yet the sun still shines brightly over Amsterdam through the colder months, as layers of frost and snow covers the ground and the lemonade turns to hot chocolate. It would be any photographers dream to capture the culture of this city within a photo.
My experience in Amsterdam is exactly as I've described here.
Mia-Lauren
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