Victoria's Voyage

I idly watched tiny droplets of moisture licking at the plane’s wings as cotton wool clouds and sparkling sunbeams made way for a sea of green and grey, followed by a seemingly-endless taxi along the runway and a painless passage through Immigration. Almost as soon as we’d left the UK, I was here, in Amsterdam for a springtime mini break. A far shorter journey than my last flight home from Botswana last September, that’s for sure, a fact of which I am certainly grateful for. The grey skies above did nothing to dull my spirit as I muddled through navigation of the train system and took a final, deep breath of true city air.

I was hit instantly with the lingering aroma of marijuana, coupled with street music and a relentless stream of bicycles. Weaving through tiny streets the constant bang bang bang of my suitcase wheels on the cobbles grew more comforting than annoying. There were small restaurants, bars and shops lining the entirety of the canals, a buzzing hive of activity. Finally, after a few wrong turns, I could see the sign for my hostel just up ahead, and it was time for my adventures in the Netherlands to really kick into gear.

I had a little time to kill after checking in, and so resolved to simply head out on foot without a map and see where it might take me. I ended up down a major shopping street, but resisted the urge to pop my head in the large Primark I passed! Scattered amongst the regular clothes, shoes and cosmetics retailers were a surprisingly number of brightly-coloured sweet shops and several stores dedicated to the humble rubber duck in all its costumed glory. I continued walking, stopping for a brief moment to simply sit and bask in the newly appeared sun in Dam Square before circling back round by the canals to the hostel for a much needed drink and a spot of grub – a burger, of course.

All that was left on today’s agenda was a delightfully floral themed canal cruise on the gorgeous ‘Flower Boat’, an experience well worth the €20 I spent on it – even if from my position at the back of the vessel I could barely hear a thing the guide was saying. What I did catch is that the houses lining the canals are so tall because they only charge for land area, with no vertical limits, making it cheaper to build up rather than out, and that Amsterdam is the original home of booking.com, founded here in 1996.

We also learned of Warren the Flowerbike Man, who started decorating bikes with flowers to act as waymarkers for his wife Michelle who had a tendency to lose her way due to her epilepsy. We saw one such cycle en-route – a beautiful purple colour.

Time sure flies when you’re on the canals…

An early night now beckons, ready for a full day trip out of the city tomorrow, but not before a last cheeky drink or two in Belushi’s downstairs. Amsterdam, I am so ready for you again! ❤️