Dear Amsterdam,

I have a confession to tell you. I’m completely and deeply in love with you. Ever since I stepped off the plane at Schiphol Airport, I’ve been smitten with you. 

There are just so many things to love about this city. This April I had the opportunity to visit the city of Amsterdam for what seemed to be a very short three day stay. And in those three days, I fell head over heels with the city.

Here are some of my favourite facts about the amazing city known as Amsterdam:

• The reason why buildings/houses in Amsterdam are so narrow and tall, is that the property taxes are based on the width.
• No one really knows what the ‘X X X’ found on the city’s flag, represents. Some believe they are crosses for religious reasons, while others believe they are the signatures of three sailors and some believe it represents the three problems the city faced; fire, flood & the plague.
• The name of the city comes from the fact that it was built on top of the Amstel River. A DAM over the Amstel = Amsterdam.
• As much as everyone likes to think Amsterdam is a synonym for marijuana, it’s actually illegal to sell and smoke weed on the streets. Hence the reason why they have “coffee shops”.

The most asked question I got when I got back to Toronto was “What was your favourite place?”.  And if you couldn’t guess from the title of this post it was Amsterdam. I think the main reason I loved the city so much was the fact that I could see myself genuinely living there. From the stories, our lovely tour guide Kendra told us about the Dutch people to simply walking the streets throughout the day. The Dutch are very practical people. I think it is one of the main reasons why I love them so much. (Also the fact that the average height in the Netherlands is around 6’0 feet sways my vote as well.)  😉  I hope to find myself living in the Netherlands sometime in the future.

If you’re in Amsterdam, for only a few days, or even just for a layover, try to do one or all of the following:

• Rent a bike
• Indulge in some fries with mayo
• Do a free walking tour with Sandemans
• Visit the red light district during the day & night
• Enjoy a ham & cheese croissant from The Bakery Waal Damrak

Amsterdam my love, I’ll be back soon. ❤

Ik hou van je.

 Have you been to Amsterdam, if so what was your favourite thing? Which city has your heart? Tweet me or shoot me an email.