We arrived in Amsterdam, on our first double decker train, in the afternoon so went for a late lunch and planned out our next few days. Near our hostel was the Museumplein, a large grassed area with several museums surrounding it. There were also large 3D letters spelling 'I Amsterdam' (see pic) which we made the most of for a photo opportunity!

Monday was our first full day so after a big breakfast we rented some bikes and headed to Vondelpark for a cycle. It was a really lovely day so we stopped near the lake for a rest/sunbathe and an ice cream. We then just cycled around the city which was quite daunting at times as there are so many bikes all over the place as well as scooters, luckily no injuries! Once we'd returned the bikes we got some food and relaxed in the park in the sun. Amsterdam is definitely a very picturesque city which we all took advantage of, especially Ollie with his iPad, looking like a proper tourist!! In the evening we went out for a few drinks and then to the Red Light District which is very much a tourist attraction and quite weird but an eye-opener, if you can call it that!!

Tuesday morning we headed to Anne Frank's house, stopping for toasties and pancakes on the way. We'd already booked tickets to the museum so went straight in, avoiding the huge queues. It was really interesting and a very good museum which we all enjoyed. Afterwards we stubbled across a nice square which had a little fun fair and live music playing, so sat in the sun taking in the atmosphere. Next we decided to head to the 'Erotic Museum' in the Red Light District which was quite amusing and a little odd! After getting a bit lost (Amsterdam is very confusing to get around with all the canals and tiny streets!) we found a nice place for dinner and a drink before heading back to the hostel.

Ollie left early on Wednesday morning after a bit of a panic with the alarm not going off, but he made it with plenty of time spare to catch his flight. Was nice to have him there for part of our travels. That day Abi and I decided to have a more chilled day so just wandered round the shops and cafes. We went to a nice restaurant near our hostel for dinner and had an early night.

We checked out on Thursday morning, got a nice big english breakfast from a cafe by the canal then made our way to the station.

Brussels here we come!