After a chilly / cold four day weekend in Amsterdam, we now understand why the European community hibernates during the winter months. It was cool on the Friday we arrived and moved to uncomfortably chilly by the time we left on the Monday. The northerly winds made Monday a “feels like” temperature of -6 degrees, which made standing on a train station platform waiting for the Eurostar to arrive mighty unpleasant.

Other than the cool and overcast conditions, Amsterdam is an interesting place to visit, with a broad range of things to see and do, from museums and art galleries to cafes, boat rides and swings that overhang the edge of a tall building and some of the prettiest canals we have seen. We are sure that a late spring visit would have provided a much prettier set of photos but even with no leaves on the trees, the canals with their often crooked houses kept us amused while we wandered the city.

We were also treated to rather trendy accommodation at Zoku where our appartment was small but very well thought out. The bedroom was a loft-type installation with a set of pull out stairs to climb up into bed each night. While it initially seemed like a novelty, it actually worked quite well. Some real thought had gone into the design and it proved a bigger and more practical space than we initially expected.

Saturday afternoon sees the sun come out giving us the chance to see another aspect to the city. The grey skies so far have made is feel a little colourless but the golden hues make a statement on the canals. Sunset over the canals with the street lights ablaze is certainly worth the wait.

We are not daredevils at heart but the opportunity to ride a swing while hanging over the side of a building was too tempting for us to miss. So Sunday morning we headed to Amsterdam Centraal Station where we caught the free ferry across to the other side of the main canal. From there its a short walk to the A’Dam building where the action starts.

Our tickets take us to the top of the building via a glass top elevator that uses a light show to make it feel as though you are launching into orbit. We are some of the first people to arrive so we get to both of our rides straight away. The VR Rollercoaster is first which is a great set-up. The pods you sit in are rigged to shudder and shake as the virtual reality ride is in motion. We have never been launched on a rollercoaster by King Kong so its a first for us. The ride takes you through different areas of the city and is a great way to piece it all toghether while hurtling along the virtual track.

Next up is a walk up to the rooftop where the sweeping views are breathtaking as is the cool air. This doesn’t stop us from striding over to the swing and buckling up. The mechanism lifts you clear of the building’s edge before starting to swing so you get to enjoy the views and the feeling of being on a simple playground contraption all at the same time. The time goes so quickly which leads me to say to Stacey that I’d love another go. I’m not sure if the attendant heard me or not, but as we are bought back in she tells us that the photos of our swing adventure didn’t turn out and asks if we’d like another turn so she can capture the moment? YES! So away we go again.

Following on from the rooftop swing, we head back to the canals for a boat ride around the city. We are starting to realise the different perspective you get from the water. There is one view that is only really available from a canal boat and that’s the Seven Bridges shot where you can line up a series of canal bridges in one go. Here’s my version.

Massive buildings, small wonders and wonky houses abound here with every little space used. There are houses that are no more than 1.2m metres wide and obvious signs of buildings slowly sinking into the soil below.

Our last day in Amsterdam is by far the coldest. The winds are blowing down from the Artic region and the temperature dropped overnight. Thankfully the walk to our favourite cafe is not too far from the hotel so it was Puccini Espressobar for breakfast and a nice coffee before heading back to London. I have to commend the staff at Puccini and Zoku as they have exceeded the customer service standards we have grown accustomed to in London.

On the way back to London we discuss the next trip away. We were set to head to Lille in France for a weekend away but we have now added on a lap of Germany… I can see Stacey pondering the options now.