A Dutch love affair part I

A Dutch love affair... part I

I am in love with Amsterdam. Really & truly. The compact city is so pretty in spring. Its numerous canals form concentric circles around the city centre with names like Prince's canal, Gentlemen's Canal, so that every few hundred metres u walk, u come across beautiful waterways like this.  

Hmmm I must say that dutch guys are also a charming lot. Met quite a few of them on the streets and although french guys still take the cake in the flirting department, the dutch can hold their own too!

I check out Bloemenmarkt, which is the most famous flower market along the Singel canal.. Here u can find tulips in every color, bulbs to bring home, basically a garden lover's paradise.

And look what i found: your very own marijuana starter kit hee. Now i know that Amsterdam is a city where authorities seem to be tolerant towards drugs but this? Not only that, you can actually see cannabis plants being grown in cafes and shops hehe!

The whole afternoon was spent walking around the city and visiting the famous Van Gogh museum... on one of the little side streets, i find a little piece of Belgium!!!

Big fat homemade fries with a generous dollop of whatever topping u want - mayo, mustard, ketchup... it used to be such a common street sight in Brussels and I would indulge in a cone whenever i see one.

I get a helping and end up eating only 2 fries.. was quite full but i just wanted to relive those months spent in Brussels...

Alfresco diners remind me of the weekends in Antwerp with V... amsterdam is really like antwerp in so many ways, the culture, the landscape and the architecture.

I join my colleagues in the night for some 'window shopping' at the infamous red light district. You really do see girls posing and gyrating in french windows mouthing their prices to any man who passes by. This was the closest pic i could get without them banging on the glass and asking me to f**k off.

next up.. i visit a cheese market & satisfy my craving... and the dutch countryside leaves me captivated.