Amsterdam

Amsterdam
October 2018

Myself, my boyfriend Ryan and best friend Cam, visited Amsterdam for 2 nights. We travelled by ferry from Newcastle through P&O ferries, we spent a night on the ferry going, 2 nights in a hotel then a night on the ferry back home as we found it much cheaper than flying as it cost under £200 each with the hotel included. 

The ferry going was great, we chose to book tea at the on board restaurant buffet style, as we weren't sure what else there was, we loooove food so the buffet sounded perfect. Once we found our room we went to explore the ship, obviously took the obligatory top deck photo, Titanic style and we found massaging chairs on one deck spent like €10 on them - heaven.
We were lucky that we booked our tea on board as the only other options for food was a cafe, duty free sweeties and crisps or Nachos from the bar, which we still ate. Sea sickness was to a minimum, no tablets needed.

We paid for a transfer from the ferry to the city centre it only took about 20-30 minutes to drop us off at Amsterdam Central which was perfect as we had to get a train to our hotel. We bought a travel card that enabled us to get on any trams, trains, metro and bus, for 3 days the pass was around €26 which was perfect. We got the train to Sloterjijk and the hotel was right next to the station the hotel  MEININGER City West was so nice! Our room had a bunk bed and two single beds as well as separate rooms for the shower and toilet it really was one of the nicest and reasonably priced hotels I've been too.


We headed back to the city centre trains are every 5 minutes or so, our first stop was the Van Gogh museum and it was fully booked I was heartbroken I'm a massive Dr Who and any Whovian has a soft spot for Mr Gogh so we after that disappointment we headed to around the city just exploring for a little while looking in shops and getting our bearings for next day. On the way back we saw a sex museum showing about how and what a prostitute lives like. 

Day 2.

We bought a hop on hop off bus ticket and strategically mapped our day out. First stop was 
Corner Bakery, on a friends recommendation all I can say is YUM!


We walked to the Albert Cuyp market to settle our stomachs or in our heads to walk off the thousands of calories we just consumed. Albert Cuyp is one of the biggest markets I've been to it goes on for miles, there's hundreds of stalls ranging from food, gifts, shoes, perfumes and tulips millions of tulips. We bought some souvenirs and a pair of bright yellow clog slippers.
 Just had to be done.  


On our way back to the city centre we walked through some canals and not on purpose we ended up
at the Red Light District. Women in all the windows, you can't help but look at them and as soon as you make eye contact you look away, sort of embarrassed. We were curious about the sex shows but weren't going to pay the price, one place called Peep Show were advertising live sex shows for €2 so of course we went in and seen booths with TVs monitors and paper towels for the lonely males who 
like to whack one out. Then in the middle was a cylinder styled booth we thought it was going to be more TVs monitors but nope! There was a couple going round and round on a podium having nooky! 

It only last about a 20 seconds, not the man, the actual seeing of them as the booth was timed.


As the Van Gogh museum was fully booked earlier I pre booked us online a time slot into the Ice Bar, I expected everything to be made of ice. 
We received 3 drink tokens, one for the bar before you go into the actual ice bar and 2 for when you do go in. When it was your time slot they rang the bell and a Jack Sparrowesc pirate came out and led you into the Ice bar they provided gloves and jacket before you enter. 
I personally was disappointed.
There was a tiny bar in the corner, a pirate wheel ship and a bench for you to sit on that was it, a massive industrial freezer with a bar. The 2 drinks allowed you have either a shot of sambucca, coconut vodka or a pint of Heineken.



Day 3.

Our last day, before I went my mam showed me a swing that went over the top of the building, so like I did with the ice bar I booked us a time slot the night before.
We got the train from our hotel to the central station then the ferry from there over to the A'dam Lookout. Once there we waited in the queue for our photos took as if we were hanging on the side of the building then worked our way up to the swing, with Ryan being our photographer. I love heights,
Cam doesn't so I was so proud of her for going on, it went over quite quick but you got to see Amsterdam in a different way 180 panoramic views of the city, it was beautiful.



When that was over we headed back to the city centre for our transfer back to the ferry home.
The ferry home was a nightmare, we didn't have any food this time as we ate before we got on but I was completely ill. There is a cinema on board so we decided to watch the new Mr Bean film, worst decision ever. I already felt sick but the cinema was on a lower deck meaning you could feel every wave, no wonder there was a side cabinet full of sick bags luckily I didn't need one but it felt awful me and the film. The best ting about the boat home was duty free and the sunset probably one of the best I've seen.



Safe travels! 

4 comments

  1. Sounds like a lovely trip, shame you were so ill on the way home though! Glad you enjoyed the duty free. The sunset photo looks lovely x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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  2. This sounds like such a wonderful trip. I've ways wanted to visit Amsterdam and this has just fuelled by wanderlust further. I love the idea of that swing!

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    1. Thank you it was! You should definitely give it a go.

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