Interrail adventure #2 | AMSTERDAM

This was one of the cities I was most excited for. I'd heard so much about Amsterdam (one of my besties is dutch) and couldn't wait to explore it myself. We only had one afternoon and one morning in Amsterdam since it isn't absolutely packed with sights. Surely you could spend days exploring the beautiful small streets, but we were happy with the time we had.

When we first stepped out of the train station, my sister and I just started laughing because of the sheer amount of bikes absolutely EVERYWHERE. People on bikes run you over nearly every few steps and there's certainly more bikes than cars or pedestrians. Anyway, after the initial shock we found our accommodation, which was situated really close to the red light district, so right in the centre of Amsterdam. This was by far our worst accommodation of the whole trip, the room was tiny and a bit mouldy and only accessible by insanely steep stairs. When I climbed them with my heavy backpack I almost fell straight down again. I am honestly not exaggerating!

Anyways we started exploring straight away. Amsterdam is just SO photogenic, like all the little streets with the canals, bikes and flowers everywhere are adorable.

We had planned on hiring bikes, but sadly they were quite expensive and everything in Amsterdam is in walking distance anyway. So first we went to the Albert Cuypmarkt which is a flea market. You will find tons of little markets all around Amsterdam, each selling a collection of vintage clothes, shoes, souvenirs and everything weed. Weed lollipops, weed pipes, weed flavoured gum - you name it. I used to think people exaggerated when talking about Amsterdam and the amount of weed there but it really is true. Trust me.
Then we made our way south to the Rijksmuseum to see the famous I AMsterdam letters. They were pretty impressive, although it was so busy there you couldn't get a proper picture. The area there was also beautiful, food stands everywhere (which is always a plus) and a big park surrounded by the museums. Again, we didn't go into any, but they looked really pretty from outside :D

It's harder to get onto these letters than it looks...

Amsterdam waffles rating: 10/10

Lake in front of the Rijksmuseum.

Okay cue pictures of cute house facades:

In the evening we went back up towards the red light district (cause you have to have seen that at least once in your life). The dutch seem to looove their steakhouses, so that's where we got dinner. It was delicious! We also found a posh truffle shop...

And then the sun went down and the red light district came to life. I don't know how to describe it, but I just found it disturbing. You could take part in lots of tours through the district, if you're interested in the history of it.
That was the end of the day, although I think I slept a total of four hours because of the extreme noise level outside of the hostel till about 4am.

The next day we had planned to visit the Anne Frank House. I had researched it a bit and thought it would be enough to be there half an hour before it opens. Definitely wrong. When we got there, there was already an insanely long queue. The security said that from where we were standing we'd have to wait 4-5hrs. It was ridiculous. So important tip: Buy your tickets online 2-3 days in advance! You will get to skip the queue and not have to wait 3 hours like we did. It was worth it, but queueing just isn't fun.
The house from outside isn't spectacular and inside I wasn't allowed to take photos. We were told to walk through the house at our own speed and there were films and stories everywhere. It was a pretty emotional and surreal experience which you just can't miss when you're in Amsterdam.

That was our last stop in the Dutch capital. After, we hurried to catch our train. It's an amazing city that I'd visit again anytime. Have you been to Amsterdam? What was your favourite thing about the city? Stay tuned for the next interrail post, guess where we took the train to ;)

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Oxford and DIY presents

Hey everyone!

Oh my gosh I am so sorry, it's been way to long! I've missed blogging so much. I just had a really hard time at college and in my personal life so that's why I could never get myself to sit down and do the things I actually enjoy. But I am back and I am really happy to share today's post with you. First of all I went to Oxford for my mum's birthday and let me tell you, this city is a 10/10. It's so gorgeous and everyone there just appears to be so smart ;) We tried finding some of the places where Harry Potter was filmed and I was literally standing there screaming 'I am touching ground that Emma Watson has touched'. It was very emotional haha. Anyways I definitely recommend visiting Oxford and looking into some of the colleges, because even the ones that looked boring from the outside always had some surprise beauty inside..

We went up the church tower and I am scared of heights and the stairs were like so tiny.... but it was worth it

HP much?

Damn!

Oh nothing much, just a college...

Now I don't want to bore you with too many cheesy photos, but seriously this town is perfect!
Another thing that happened was the birthday of one of my closest friends and I wanted to DIY her a present because I always feel like it's so much more personal and it shows you actually put time and effort into the present. I knew she really liked the quote 'I'm not weird, I am limited edition', so I decided to make my own poster print and frame it. Super easy and perfect if you are on a budget!

All you need is some paper, water colours, brushes and a frame (mine is from tiger and was literally like 5pounds).

Start by making a word document and positioning the quote the way you want it to be. You can use whatever font you fancy and even add personalised elements e.g. smileys or hearts.

Now get out your creative side and let it loose. You can do whatever your heart desires, that's the great thing about art. I chose to sprinkle rainbow coloured drops all over the paper and line the edges with yellow to give it a happy vibe.

Let it dry, but it in a frame and voila - you have made your very own poster print. No one else will have this so your friend can feel extra special ;)


Thank you for reading and love you lotsss!!! Good luck to anyone who has exams coming up, we can get through this together <3

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15 things I love about London

About 4 years ago my family and I made the big decision of moving to England. We moved into a house just out of London and I slowly but surely fell in love with the city. Not being used to the amount of people that go through London on a daily basis, it took a while to adjust but now I wouldn't want to be without it.
Here are 15 of the things I adore most about London:

1. The Architecture
London's buildings are from a range of different time periods. You can find century old houses just casually standing next to high tech skyscrapers. It is fascinating and makes the city incredibly interesting (and photo worthy). There's an endless range of the most beautiful buildings, from the Houses of Parliament to the Natural History Museum to the Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. I could go on forever!

2. There's always something going on
A quiet day in London? No way! The next event or festival is just around the corner and it is definitely worth visiting. London never rests. It can seem kind of exhausting but it actually just means it never gets boring.Moreover it throws the best parties (that are enjoyed by the whole world, e.g. the Olympics). London never does anything half way, it always gives 200%.

3. The city never sleeps
This links to my previous point. This city never ever sleeps. If you want some company in the middle of the night, just go into central London. My favourite thing about this point isn't that great for the environment (light pollution) but especially when you live just outside of London, the night sky will always have a red tint. It never goes completely dark as the city literally glows. It looks stunning!

4. The people
Over 8 million people. About 270 different nationalities. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. It is amazing to walk along the streets and see people from all over the world enjoying London. People from here are crazy, just like the city they always have something going on and it's amazing. Also I have never been anywhere else and heard the word 'sorry' that many times in one day, politeness at its best!

5. Over 300 different languages
This again links to my previous point, but I just had to mention it separately. The people in London speak in over 300 different languages! Can you imagine what it is like sitting on the tube? It's amazing. Picking up fragments of a conversation in a foreign language and wondering what they could've said keeps you from falling asleep. Speaking another language is part of London and everyone accepts it.

6. Shopping
I couldn't not mention shopping. Malls over malls, never ending shopping streets and the biggest range of shops ever. From fancy shopping in Liberty to cute little stands in Camden, you have everything your heart desires!

 7. River Thames
Because not every city has a river flowing right through it! It gives London that special touch and makes it even more beautiful than it already is. The Thames stands for London, just as the Queen stands for England ;)

8. Museums
The variety of different museums is incredible. All of them are filled with breathtaking exhibitions that are definitely worth seeing. If you visit London without visiting one of the museums here, you haven't actually visited London :D

9. Art Galleries
From museums to art galleries, London has it all. Every week there seems to be a new art exhibition that is just as beautiful as the one before. As an Art scholar it is very close to heaven. I recently visited the Frieze Art Fair and it was one of the best yet. I have never ever seen such a wide range of different artists from all over the world in one place!

Spot me?

 10. Graffiti
And moving on from art in galleries to art in the streets of London. You can find the beautiful work of street artists everywhere in the city, but my favourite ones are at Southbank!

 11. Tourist Attractions
Obviously stunning, not just for tourists. I believe you can never get enough of places like the Tower of London, London Eye, Big Ben or the shard! They are the things that represent London, that are pictured in every tourist guide everywhere around the world. I cannot talk about London without giving them the credit they deserve!

12. Parks
I could go on about this forever, have even written a blogpost about this point. The parks. In London you are never very far away from the next oasis of greenery and it is fascinating. One minute you are on a busy high street, the next in a peaceful park with swans swimming in a lake. My all time favourite is Hyde Park  (I dedicated a whole post to this beauty).

13. Fashion
If you ask someone what the fashion capitals are, they will list you Paris, Milan, New York and (guess what) LONDON! Walk the streets and you will know why. Many fashion trends found their starting point here and the biggest designers search the city for inspiration. London fashion week is world famous and a highlight in the fashion industry every year. My fashion style has changed drastically since I've moved here and not for the worse. I have become far more confident in clothes and am often inspired to try new things.

14. Food
From street stands to posh restaurants, London has it all. Even though Britain might not be known for good food, you cannot deny the fact that London offers incredible culinary experiences. From Jamie Oliver to Paella at Covent Garden, you will never be without food. And who doesn't love food?

15. The community
Last but by no means least is London's community. Londoners stick together. Always. It's the foundation of everything else that makes this city one-of-a-kind. 


And that's it :) I really hope you enjoyed reading this, leave a comment telling me what you love about your city!
Love you lots!

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