Eight things I loved about Amsterdam

I know I haven't posted in ages, but I've only just reset my clock from Amsterdam and properly caught up on sleep.  I was only there for a couple of days, but I've found plenty to love and I'm dying to go back for more!

1)  The colours: there was a myriad of colour everywhere I turned (I'm using "myriad" because Anjuly said she HATES that word and it's overused and I think so too, so this is sort of a... reverse nod) and the city just felt so bright and alive!

2)  The little sights at each corner.

3)  The buildings, the architecture and just the open spaces around in general.

4)  The water.  GOD, I loved the water.  I was born on an island and I've lived there all my life.  It's surrounded by the sea, bisected by a river and dotted with little reservoirs.  Each time I turned the corner in Amsterdam and saw a canal, my heart sang.

At one point on our canal cruise, we stopped where we could look down the column of bridges and see them disappearing into the same point again and again like when you look in two mirrors opposite each other.

5) Houseboats.  I cannot tell you how manic (in my heart) I was getting over all the houseboats.  Most of them were pretty on the outside, painted in cute colours and with flourishing gardens in pots on the outside decks.  I even saw one woman sitting among her plants in the sunshine and using her laptop.  Imagine writing there in the spring sunshine!

I also had the barest peek inside and it looks a lot like Ikea in some of those houses - lots of colour, cute little things all crammed together in a slightly cluttered but charming, space-saving way.  I really really really want to live in a houseboat now!  (The red one is my FAV.  Look how well tended that garden is!)

6)  The plant life.  This is the place for tulips and many other gorgeous things.  There were some amazing stalls at the flower market which sold bulbs of every kind as well.  To be fair, the last picture of the willow was taken when our coach stopped briefly in Belgium, but it was so lush and gorgeous I couldn't resist.

7)  The food.  I really liked everything I ate though I can't say if it was particularly local.  The farmer's omelette below was phenomenal with all kinds of vegetables in it, and the one picture I forgot to take was an AMAZING sandwich I had on the last morning - grilled chicken, avocado, some special sauce, veggies and a freshly fried piece of bacon in a gorgeously flaky croissant.  YUM!

8)  The action.  These pictures aren't great because they move so fast it's hard to capture them in motion, but I am so honoured to know such an exceptional group of dancers and I only hope I can be half as good one day!

PS I'm really happy with how the pictures came out... hope you guys enjoyed them!

On the tour, the social secretary gave out little gifts according to people's personalities and I got a toy camera because she said the one thing she'd learned about me was that I love taking pictures.  I loved it, and it really was the perfect gift as I really did spend the whole trip annoyingly taking pictures of everything and holding the group up, so thank you and apologies!