My old Dutch

I'm freshly back from Amsterdam and I want to hop straight back - it was sensational and I had such a good time. The city in unfairly maligned for it's seedier reputation - coffee houses and the red light district, but it's actually a beautiful place for a break. I even want to go back and live there.

The canal streets are beautiful; all quaint leaning houses, pavement cafes and ambling cyclists and are perfect for strolling. It has all the ambiance and romance of Paris, but quiet, calm and safe and all of the bridges are lit up with fairy lights at night.

The thing that stands out most for me, and defines Amsterdam as a tourist is windows and voyeurism. Although this is typified by the shop fronts of the RLD, for me it's more about the wide, open windows of the elegant canal houses and the beautiful Dutch interiors contained within - this is life on show. I looked in every fancy book shop on town and couldn't find a single book about Amsterdam apartment interiors - maybe it's my calling to write one!

One of my highlights was the 'Brown Cafes' (not to be confused with the Coffee Shops!) which is the closest I have ever found on the continent to the traditional British pub.

We stayed in a beautiful apartment overlooking the Prinsengracht split over 3 stories with some of the steepest stairs I've ever seen or climbed up and the view was sensational. This time we were on the other side of the windows, either standing on the balcony or watching the world go by from the comfort of the sofa, and some of the photos below are of the view. The Prinsengracht is the border between the Grachtengortel West and the Jordaan, both beautiful areas; far enough away from the tourist traps and Irish theme pubs but studded with fantastic shops and restaurants.

I tried not to be too snap happy when I was away, since the main aim was to spend time with friends, but  the below are a collection of pics from our all-too-short trip.