Amster'damn!

Bicycles, bridges, canals and storybook buildings

One of my favourite things about Bonn is how easy it is to get out of Bonn. Not that there's anything wrong with Bonn but the fact that several world-class cities are only a short train ride away makes it tempting to spend more time outside of Bonn than inside it.

Amsterdam, for example, is only a three-hour train ride away from Bonn. With access like that, how can you not leave Germany behind and hop over to the Netherlands for the weekend?

First impressions of Amsterdam: it's funky, it's cool, it's beautiful but beware the psycho paths in the cycle paths. Bicycle lanes are more dangerous than the roads. Pedestrians do not come first, cyclists do. So you'd better stop and look both ways before attempting to cross a cycle path or you will be greeted with an angry chorus of bike bells and/or nasty comments (at best) or be run down (at worst).

Final thoughts: Amsterdamn is so nice, we want to go twice!

Slanted street, straight houses

Fighting for space at the Amsterdam sign outside the amazing Rijksmuseum

Narrow street

Got the munchies? These hamburger vending machines will save you!

The crowds during Liberation Day weekend

Twilight