An Ionian seaside town, Avola is a mix of old and new. The town focuses heavily on the sea, with its history as a tuna fishing port. Today, the remains of the Vecchia Tonnara at the wharf are a stone backdrop to the sandy beaches. Avola dates back to a pre-Greek people called the Sicani.…
Located about 11 kilometres north of Catania, it is the perfect little commune to visit during the ottobrata – the local festivity that occurs every October here in Sicily, celebrating the fruits of the land: frutti di terra. The first encounter went wrong already 🙂 Approaching the booth with fruit, I have noticed quince – one…
If something is worth visiting in life, it is the Aeolian islands. Becasue it makes you think about winter in the south. It makes you think about simplicity of life. And it makes you realise how not to treat the tourists: just some bags of potatoes that need to be shipped from one island to…
I haven’t had a chance to spent a bit more time discovering this city. But just a glimpse and it made me think to re-visit and make it’s due. When the time will come, I promise to update with more photos. But for now, enjoy the story 🙂 Several civilizations settled in Milazzo and left…
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The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part…
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is…
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and…
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike. Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under…
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed…
Not so many cities have amaze me as this one. Visiting it at least 5 times so far with almost all possible means of transport, and with different purposes (touristic, […]
Not so many cities have amaze me as this one. Visiting it at least 5 times so far with almost all possible means of transport, and with different purposes (touristic, leisure, business, shopping, visiting a friend….) gave me deeper introspective of Amsterdam.
So let’s start first with the cityscape! The favourite thing of this city as unique and quire romantic! Amsterdam’s Old Town is a mix of canals that go round and round making you being confused and hard to orientate especially since the cars are forbiden there.
If you look at the map carefully, you will understand where from the cities name derive: the dam of the river Amstel.
As the entire city is concentrical, it is piled with many canals over which boats are passing by with many toursts (quite drunk and stoned if I may say) that are partying for bachelor’s or bachelorettes. There are many bridges over these canals with flower pots and typically hipsterish bycyles leaned at the fence of the bridges.
Canals of the river AmstelMum and me in Od Town ❤
The very other thing likeable so much in the Old town of Amsterdam are the houses and facades. Literally, some houses are from the 15th century, still alive and yeah, without the curtains (calvinists believed they have nothing to hide in front of others).
Most of those houses are leaning (no, you are not stoned from the smoke of the nearby coffee shop – the are really leaning to get more space in the upper parts, but some houses are just failed based as it is all built on water). These houses are often slim, high and deep. Because of the danger of flooding the front door is sometimes higher up and only reachable via stairs
Oh yeah, and bicycles!
Leaning houses and bicyclesLeaning houses over the canalLeaning houses over the charming canals
Talking about duth charm, last time I visted Amsterdam, I visited with my mother. We rented a car from Brussels and drove through the Netherlands. My mother was ipressed by the villages, landscape, green meadowes and farms, number of cows, polders as an irrigation system of Netherlands and the windmills.
Landscape of Netherlands
Thanks to this lifestyle, the traiditional footwear are clogs. These were wearn by farmers when going to to a garden or into a barn. Clogs are made of wood but they are quite comfortable shoes.
When I visited Amsterdam with my brother, we went to Heineken Experience. This was my second time but I needed to re-visit as Martin is being a fan. The entire experience is educational, showing the production of beer, bottelling as well as the entreprenurial and marketing spirit of Alfred H. Heineken.
At the entrance of Heineken ExperienceSome marketing movesHistory of Heineken company How to make a beerHeineken’s Logos so far
In the end of our tour/ experience we ended at the rooftop, with a great DJ, beautiful view on the city and good beer in our hands. The world was ours. 🙂
Partying in the rooftops of Amsterdam with the view on RijksmuseumHeineken Experience at its very best
And for the first time I tried dark Heineken. Should I comment it? 🙂
I actually did not know that this kind of beer exist. But it was a worth to try it as after all, I do prefer darker beers than light lager as they say the darker beer is smoother than the regular one.
If your Heineken makes you happy… 🙂
But I have to admit, it was the only time I tried it as it is so hard to find this type of beer in Amsterdam or elsewhere.
When talking about beer of Amsterdam, the other very popular one is Amstel beer. My favourite moment is when I sit at the Rembrandt square and enjoy all the small moments one could have with lovely ones. Small things bring big happiness.
So here we go to a bit of a cultural part of the city. Rembrandt was the famous painter of 17th century Amsterdam when the city was flowering together with Holland, Flanders and entire regione of the North sea accesses. Reimbrandt is, according to the historians, belonging to the Dutch Golden Age. His most famous peace of art is the Night Guard which can be found in Rijksmuseum, dutch King’s Museum.
Rijksmuseum
Night Watch by Rembrandt
Rembrandt and the characters of his Night Watch painting
Vincent van Gogh once said about him: “Rembrandt goes so deep into the mysterious that he says things for which there are no words in any language. It is with justice that they call Rembrandt—magician—that’s no easy occupation.”
As they both lived in Amsterdam, only Van Gogh lived in late 19th century in the era of post-impressionism and had less envying life (at least for me). Apparently, he cut his own ear as he was using absenth in this almost-all-legal city.
His most famous painting are The Sunflowers which can be found in Van Gogh Museum.
Van Gogh Museum
Sun flowers – the most famous painting of Van Gogh
Self portrait of Van Gogh
Holland is the region of Netherlands famous by tulips and many other flowers. Tulips actually came from Ottoman Empire but somehow remained as trade mark of Netherlands. Having this in mind, everytime I buy a sack of tulip bowls. But last time with my mother in Amsterdam, we went to the Flower market and bought many different type of flowers and bulbs and garden decorates 🙂
The entire flower market is floating in the water, and is one of the most fragrant places of interest of Amsterdam – in all seasons. This unique market exists since 19th century. The flower stalls stand on the houseboats and evoke the old days when the market was daily supplied by boat.
Tulip bulbs at flower marketFlower market
Amsterdam is full of coffee shops where you get a menu with cannabis joints and prices. Usually the smell of weed spreads around so no need to go there and get a muffin, mushroom or a joint… 🙂 Here how the typical coffee shop looks like:
Coffee shopMenu in the coffee shop
Ofcourse, for those with a broader experience, there are broader options:
Bank of cannabis seeds
The other weird side of Amsterdam is the Red Light District. Since the prostitution has been legalized in 1960’s, this has been a quite booming touristic branch. The entire neighbourhood appears red thanks to red led lamps, women dancing in the windows and many sex shops, erotic shows too… Ofcourse taking photo is highly forbidden and risky as usually the security comes, takes your camera and hits it in the canal.
Red Light District
We even managed to find a Sex Museum. I was not impressed at all even though there were historical traces of sex, sexual education pornogrpahy etc.
Mediaval methode of masturbation prevention
Bench in Sex Museum
Oh Amsterdam, do charming yet so challenging 🙂
So, as the night was falling down, the city became crazier. Parading youngsters in costumes, some of them already having enough of everything I would say, but still continuing on…
The morning after the city looks like it has been cheewed couple of times and just spit out. Clutched would be a better word.
That morning we went on a Cheese market to try Gouda cheese!
Different types of Gouda
Gouda cheese
Cheese house
Degustation
We passed by the mein square the Dam square where is the King’s Palace located and the New church.
King’s Palace at the Dam square
Famous resident of Amsterdam city was Anne Frank, as well – a Jewish girl who was running with her family from the Nazis and hiding in the attick of some dutch house at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. After more than two years in hiding they are discovered and deported to concentration camps. Anne’s father, is the only one of the eight people that survived. After her death, Anne becomes world famous because of the diary she wrote while in hiding.
Amsterdam is one of my top favorite cities! Wow. How is it being able to experience the place? I’m bookmarking this one for future travel references. Amsterdam is really one of the best places there is!
This design is incredible! You certainly know how to
keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented
it. Too cool!
Admiring the persistence you put into your website and detailed information you provide.
It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your
RSS feeds to my Google account.
It looks like you had amazing time in Amsterdam! Can’t wait to go there 🙂
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It looks like you had a great time! Amsterdam is on my bucket list 🙂 Sharing to my travel board on Pinterest as well!
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beautiful pictures and i love those cute shoes!
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I’ve never been but it’s definitely on my list. The rooftop view looks amazing!
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Travel blogs make me so wistful! Amsterdam has been on my list forever and this just makes me want to buy a ticket now. Beautiful pics!
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Such a cool travel guide, this is awesome dear.
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I went there a couple of years ago with my parents. We had such an amazing time. Saw much of what you shared. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
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I love your pictures! I have heard that Amsterdam was beautiful but never really looked at pictures. It looks like a great trip!
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Added to my bucket list! Such a beautiful place to explore!
Pammy – joyfulsource.com
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You have made me miss Amsterdam! I have been so many years ago, 9 years already. But it’s definitely a place to check again.
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Reading this post makes me so happy 😁
Coz m just booking Tkts to Europe and Amsterdam is on the cards
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Looks like you managed to visit much of what Amsterdam has to offer, nice pics!
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I have been looking into Amsterdam. I did not think it looks this way. I am even more interested in visiting and seeing it in person.
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Exceptional post by an exceptional blogger on an exceptional city! 😊
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Images tell the story. Can’t wait to visit beautiful places like this.
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Amsterdam is one of my top favorite cities! Wow. How is it being able to experience the place? I’m bookmarking this one for future travel references. Amsterdam is really one of the best places there is!
LikeLike
This design is incredible! You certainly know how to
keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented
it. Too cool!
LikeLike
Admiring the persistence you put into your website and detailed information you provide.
It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your
RSS feeds to my Google account.
LikeLike