A Modest View of Amsterdam

Dutch poffertjes - they are basically pancake mixture
cooked in a metal cake pop. You have to try them!

In mid-March I went to Amsterdam with my mum for her birthday (hence the modest part) - this trip did not include any of the raucous stuff that normally comes to mind when you first think of Amsterdam. I'm not going to give you a day by day account, partly because I've forgotten a lot of it already and partly because we spent most of the 4 day trip in museums.

This post is going to be part 1 of 2 on trips abroad I've done in the last 6 weeks. I tried to do it all in one but it got way too long. The next post (which I'm planning to have ready for tomorrow) will be about my trip to Madrid last weekend to see Charlotte (a.k.a Sully), a close friend from university who is working out there at the moment. This was also a short trip but we did quite a lot so it definitely justifies having it's own post.

An 'English Breakfast' in Amsterdam..
Chips? Lettuce? 

I should also say that I'm using this is as an opportunity to share some of my photos. I feel like Facebook isn't the right place and with Instagram I would probably fill all my friends' feeds for the day which wouldn't be popular either.

Hopefully this will just be a short, informative read with lots of interesting pics to scroll through.

Canals

Look at all those waterways! That's a lot of bridges..

Well I'm probably going to look pretty stupid saying this but I did not know before I went that Amsterdam is a canal city. Once there I felt it was quite similar to Venice - bridges everywhere and not much traffic at all. Come to think of it I can't remember if there were any cars in Venice but there really aren't many in Amsterdam.

I don't think this city could be any more of a contrast to London. Instead of hustle and bustle with suits and hipsters at every corner, there streets are lined with cafés and bicycles of all kinds. For someone who can't ride a bicycle, I found this a little unnerving. That and the fact that no one seemed to wear a helmet. Amsterdam has cycle lanes built into its roads as well as a tram service that runs through the centre. The reduction in noise pollution as well as normal pollution is just unbelievable. The population difference between London (8.3 mil) to Amsterdam (779 K) obviously makes a big impact. I'm not sure if London could function without it's buses, cabs and cars - there wouldn't be enough Borris bikes for everyone to ride - but I'm just saying it was a really nice change. You could sit outside a café, relax and watch canal boats go past all day. 

The back of Bloemenmarkt (a flower market right in the city centre)

Museums

Outside the world famous Rijksmuseum
 by the iconic I amsterdam sign

I've got to say I was shocked by how many museums there are in Amsterdam. It's such a small city but they've certainly got tourist attractions covered. Perhaps it's because we were tourists but it definitely felt like a place to visit not to live. I actually lost count of how many museums we went in to but I think it was around 12 in total.

The Rijksmuseum is arguably the most famous museum in Amsterdam, even the building itself is outstanding. The British equivalent to this is probably the V & A museum (except it's not free). The museum is split into different periods of history and holds a fantastic number of Dutch artefacts from the Middle Ages to the present day. This is definitely one to look up before you go. You would never be able to see it all properly in one day so make sure you have a plan first. 

A massive academic library sits at one end of the museum

It reminds me of Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast'

Women (not children) in the late 17th and 18th century had these ornate dolls houses built as a declaration of their wealth.

Everyone says you have to see Anne Frank's House but in my opinion it was spoilt by the number of people viewing the exhibition. Everything felt like one massive queue. A queue to get in, a queue around the house and then almost a queue to get out. I'm a somewhat patience character (okay maybe not) but I think a good museum allows you to enjoy the exhibition in your own way and this one certainly didn't. If you're desperate to see it get there first thing (it opens at 9am). 

A highlight for me as a fan of art was the Van Gogh Museum. This was really quite amazing and told you so much more about his life and how he developed his style than the work in the National Gallery in London. Also the museum is hosted inside a really modern but plain building which emphasised the art rather than detracting from it. This is an absolute must for anyone visiting Amsterdam in my opinion. (I wasn't allowed to take pictures though..)

Oude Kerk 

It's hard to get a good picture when it's enclosed by so many buildings.

The only bit of the notorious 'red light district' we did enter in to was to see the Oude Kerk (old church) situated annoyingly in the middle of it. This church is really quite bare and spectacular, and it's really interesting to see how the church has stood the test of time among the immorality surrounding it. If you're feeling brave enough it's definitely worth seeing and there is a really nice café attached (sounds like a spend a lot of time in cafés - who doesn't like tea and cake though?)

Canal Tours

One of the few places you can see 7 bridges all lined up

Finally, I'd definitely recommend doing a canal tour. We bought a pack which had this included and although the cheesy, Americanised audio guide was quite annoying it is definitely the best way to see all the sights and admire all the architecture Amsterdam has to offer.

One last tip, if you're going to go all out with the museums like us, get an I Amsterdam card - the discount is really worth it. 

If you're interested in knowing more about Amsterdam get in touch in the comments section below.

Look out for my 'Escapades in Madrid' post coming next. 

How To Survive In London

Great, the only picture I have of

me at work is eating a burrito..

Firstly, apologies for the length of time since my last post. March was so busy for me with family birthdays, a trip to Amsterdam (I've got a post to follow about this trip), loads of extra work etc. etc. This post has been in the planning stages for quite some time so hopefully you all will like it.

I've been living in London for five and a half months now (can you believe it?) and I think I am finally starting to get the hang of it. It sounds like a really long time to get used to living somewhere but for someone who has lived in the countryside for 21 years of her life, London is quite a big change!

So I thought I would create a 'How To Guide' for living in London. I used the word 'survive' because sometimes it can feel like a real jungle.

Food comes second

Although there are loads of amazing places to eat in London, there aren't many cheap ones. My work backs onto Leather Lane which hosts the most eclectic mix of food stalls and shops. There's falafel shacks, burritos shops, special cheese toasties stalls, juice carts, massive salad stops, pretty much everything you could want to eat. But I rarely let myself 'eat from the street' because in London, everything is on a budget!

Most offices these days have a communal kitchen (I'm yet to find anyone who doesn't have one) with a kettle and a microwave. If you're clever you can easily save £30 a week by bringing in your own food, whether it's leftovers, a can of soup or a home-made ham sandwich. It might not be that exciting but it saves you money to spend on all the other tempting things to do in London.

The nightmare that is the tube at rush hour 

The tube is one thing that you really cannot prepare yourself for. Even if you catch a jam-packed bus every now and then, it's nothing like catching the tube at rush hour everyday. In my first month or so I used to work an extra hour each day just to avoid it.

You'll soon learn that there is absolutely no such thing as personal space on the tube. In fact I could tell you quite a few stories about my escapades on the tube but I might save that for another post (let me know if you're interested).

Never fear though, there are a couple of tips which can make catching the tube not that bad:

Firstly, make sure you take your coat off, and your backpack (tube etiquette for you there), before you get on because it is always super hot and you don't want to turn up to work sweating like you've just run all the way there.

Try to learn which side the doors open. If you're going to be on for a couple of stops, you want to be on the opposite side to where the doors open because there's always more space that side. The most space is down the aisles between the seats but then you have to hold on and if you're short like me, that's not ideal.

The amazing Frozen Oyster wallet I was
 given for Christmas (best present ever!)

Remember where the exist are on the platforms. This can take a while, but if it's your daily commute it's worth it. Getting into the carriage the right distance along can save quite a bit of time if you're in a rush to get to work. Platforms in central London are quite busy at rush hour.

Keep your oyster card/contactless debit card in one of those wallets. Everyone hates the guy who gets to the front of the queue then holds everyone up while they mess about looking for their card. If you're going to use it every day you want to keep it safe anyway.

Pace yourself - seriously!

Going out for drinks in London is entirely different to student drinking or a pint in the local pub. For a start, it's at least double the cost. Like food, it's hard to find an alcoholic drink that costs less than £5. Even soft drinks are expensive.

Cocktails, cocktails and more cocktails.. Seems to be all everyone
wants to drink in London! 

Money's not the only reason you should pace yourself though. Heading straight from work to the bar can be a  dangerously long session. Even if you finish late on Friday at 6:30pm, if you're planning to go on to a club that's a solid 5.5 hours drinking! Probably longer than you had in mind at the start of the night..

It's important also if you're heading straight from work to grab something to eat first. You'll most likely be heading home on your own at the end of the night unless you've made other plans or stay at a friends, so you need to be capable of looking after yourself.

Take everything free you can get your hands on

Piccadilly Circus shot by me on my first week in London.

Granted there are a lot of different expenses to consider in London but there's also a lot of free things as well. Perhaps the best thing about catching the tube is the amount of free weekly literature you get offered - from the Metro every morning and the Evening Standard to Time Out magazine, InStyle and Sport.

There are also loads of free events and things to do, such as sightseeing. Just because you live in London doesn't mean you can't act like a tourist as well. A trip to see the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye or Trafalgar Square can be just as interesting as paying a hefty amount to see the crown jewels in the Tower of London. So do some research (probably by reading Time Out magazine or looking on their website) and find something free to do instead.

An antidote to feeling like a small fish in a HUGE pond

It's quite easy to feel insignificant in a big city like London, especially if you come from a small town like me. There are so many people buzzing around you with their own problems, priorities and interests. You can catch the same tube at the same times everyday and never see the same people. That's just how it is. But there are actually quite a few positives to this. If you do something stupid (normally getting on or off the tube) it really doesn't matter because you'll never see those people again anyway. If you want to lip-sync to your favourite Jessie J song on the tube who cares. There is so much diversity in London that it gives you have the freedom to do whatever you want, wear whatever you and act however you want (within reason). So although at first it's a little intimidating, London's actually quite empowering!

Hopefully I've covered a lot of the main issues you might face living in London. Most of all, make sure you enjoy it because otherwise you might as well live somewhere that's cheaper with fresher air!

What Is It With All These Beards?

This might sound like the most random topic for a blog post ever but I felt like I just had to say something.

Why has everyone gone crazy about beards? Beards used to be for tramps and old men. The only person who used to be able to rock a beard was Dumbledore but now it seems like everyone's bloody got one. Maybe it's because I work in the creative industry but I feel like it's hard to go a day without seeing 10 guys with beards. Not short beards like Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp sometimes have - I mean more than a few week's stubble. I mean proper full-on beards. And since when does having a beard make you a hipster? And what's even worse, do girls actually find these beards attractive?





I know I'm probably being a bit harsh but personally I just don't like them. When I see what could be a decent-looking guy with a really long beard it just makes me think of The Twits by Roald Dahl.




For anyone who had a deprived childhood and didn't have this read to them it's about this really gross old couple who played mean tricks on one another. But Mr Twit had this really gross long beard and I remember a particular section where it described him getting food stuck in there:

Having spoken to a friend who has one of these beards this is actually a real problem! Apparently rice and milk are quite hard to get out. I mean can you imagine walking around with your dinner stuck to your face for hours? Maybe even days? I certainly can't. Although thank god a sweaty beard is apparently not all that common in winter.

I think men use beards to express their masculinity. If you can grow a proper beard, you're a proper man. Wikipedia (the font of all true knowledge) says that in Ancient Egypt the men of highest rank grew beards and in the Middle Ages holding someone else's beard was a serious offence that had to be righted in a duel. Nowadays there seems to be a lot more beard-loving between men with compliments and admiration flowing freely between men with beards and men without. 

It's only recently that they have really started to get on my nerves though. And I've been thinking, how much longer is this trends going to go on for? More inside knowledge from my experienced bearded-friend tells me that they actually take quite a bit of maintenance with trimming and even brushing! I know you can get beard oil and a whole load of other products for it. Perhaps it's like a male version of concealer? You could hide a whole host of skin issues in one of them.

But if you ask me, a beard just suggests you are lazy and/or unhygienic. I read an article posted on the BBC website a year ago which said that once we hit a 'beard peak' they will become less attractive because too many people will have them; they will no longer be a rarity. Hopefully the summer the trend will be driven out as people start to get too hot because I'm not sure I could cope with sweaty beards on the tube!