Amster-damn!

Image from National Geographic Travel

   
    Amsterdam is one of those must see cities in Europe and for people my age (early/mid twenties) it is often a go to destination for it's well-known relaxed policies on certain recreational activities - you all know what I'm talking about, I don't need to be specific. Amsterdam is so close to Kent that it is around the same price as driving up to a British city for a night out and so a lot of friends have visited the Netherlands as a more cultural alternative to the UK. I, on the other hand, have never been and now that I work a 'real' job and am not occupied by serving drinks or advising the public on which perfume to buy at the weekend, I finally have the time to experience it.
So let's have a look at what I would do in The Dam...

    The first thing I would do is hire a bike and take a trip down some of the scenic routes to get a glimpse of the famous tulip fields and Zaanse Schans windmills because, well why not?
The candlelight canal cruise also tickles my fancy because it appeals to my romantic side but Amsterdam isn't someone I would bundle in to the romantic getaway category of travel destinations. All the sawm, I have a thing for lights, and water so this would the ideal wind down after a long days cycling.
    I'll be completely blunt, I find it strange when people talk about antics in the red light district not because I'm a prude but there's just something about it that I find a bit seedy? Maybe it's just me, but seeing as it's a massively famous aspect of the city (Lonely Planet even run a Red Light District Tour!) it would be crazy not to at least have a look. I'll try anything (okay, not anything) once so I'd have to have a walk through the darker side of The Dam just so I could say that I had.
    Being the typical tourist that I am, I would need to visit the Museumplein not so I can visit the museums but so I could take a photo of the IAmsterdam sign that's situated outside it.
Amsterdam isn't necessarily one of those cities that offers hundreds of things I would like to do but I see it as somewhere I would love to go for a weekend away from Folkestone to just relax in Vondelpark or on the canal, go out for drinks and then, well relax some more.