AMSTERDAM, just an hour away on the plane, that’s quicker than a trip to London for me and about the same price. Just allow plenty of time on your return trip to navigate your way around the airport it’s HUGE

I do love a city break, mooching around independent shops, endless brunches and topping up on a coffee. Amsterdam is the perfect city for this, truly amazing, ever since getting back in November, I’ve been trying to figure out how I can go and live there ….. HELP!! I’m totally smitten.

My bible on this trip was coolmapp’s downloadable city guide, full of beautiful imagery and curated by locals “ Imagine, you get to meet the coolest person in the city you’re visiting. That’s what we are trying to capture at Coolmapp, by giving our users a window into the hidden spots of a city”

The City Hub was my choice for a budget sleep, I figured I wouldn’t spend much time here so opted for sleeping in a pod with a pretty cool communal area with cold beers on tap.

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven on the first night when we opted for a Lebanese - D&A Hummus Bistro if I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life it would be this. Smoked Aubergines, koftas, hummus, shakshuka and the fluffiest of pittas.

There’s an endless choice of places “to do” brunch in Amsterdam and I discovered the ‘Flammkuchen” a delicious super thin crispy type of pizza using crème fraîche as the base instead of tomatoes at The Tire Station - that pink wall, every instagramers dream.

Fuelled up on breakfast, we hit the achingly gorgeous 9 streets area in the sunshine, everything you imagine Amsterdam to be, the bikes, the lanes, the bridges and canals, it’s all just picture perfect.

No city break is complete without a few stops to keep you caffeinated. Lot Sixty One boasted the best coffee in Amsterdam so we had to put this to the test of course, it didn’t disappoint.

On one of the days we joined Pim on a fabulous morning’s bike tour which I booked via Airbnb Experiences, I think this was hands down the best thing we did during our short stay, I loved tootling around on my bike, it took a while to get used to the pedal brake (who am I kidding, I was useless at it but that was part of the fun) we learned a bit about Amsterdam’s history and culture, took a ferry across the IJ river to the NDSM Wharf filled with public art and just generally had the best time.

Hitting the independent shops was another highlight, my suitcase wasn’t big enough to bring my entire wishlist back with me, but it didn’t stop me from going ga ga over the beautiful wares on offer. Some of my favourite places that I’d recommend making a pilgrimage to are ……..

Sukha Amsterdam, it’s a must, filled with neutral and natural tones, I could have moved in on a permanent basis, totally dreamy

The Gathershop is a little gem filled with handmade and fairtrade products from small design studios. Whilst chatting to the owner Jessica, you’ll notice a familiar accent from the North of England (not jealous that she’s managed to make the move from the UK to Amsterdam at all) whilst we were here we called into the Foodhallen to fill our tummies.

If mixing vintage with new is your thing, then this shop is pure heaven. Reclaimed windows, sitting alongside a bounty of feathery, velvety cushions and throws, mix in some plants and candle holders and De Weldad is an Aladdin’s Cave of interiors treasures.

Wildernis here I did manage to slip a few pots into my suitcase, there was just no resisting it. This Urban Jungle has it’s shelves groaning with the lushest of plants (both in the green sense and in the Cardiffian sense) and an array of ceramic pots of all shapes and sizes.

Food and Drink is pretty high up on my agenda on any city break, one place that I was in danger of getting sucked into and never to leave was Coffee and Coconuts. We weren’t lucky enough to nab a sofa seat but maybe this was a good thing as I think they’d have been turfing me out at closing time.

You can never go far wrong, quite the opposite, if you follow your nose to a Hoxton hangout. So Lottie’s Bar and Grill for me was like shooting fish in a barrel, ticking all the right design boxes, comfy chairs set against an industrial backdrop a good smattering of plants and photogenic sinks in the loos!

Two days just wasn’t enough by a long shot, a year would be a better option I reckon. Thanks to Coommapp I was able to shortcut right through my city research and and hit the ground running on making the most of my time here.

Wanderings // Amsterdam

clai ceramics

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