Amsterdam.

I've never really visited many places outside of the United Kingdom. The two occasions I have ventured onto a plane have been a day trip to Lapland at the age of eight and then, this year, Amsterdam.

As this year was my boyfriend's 21st I thought it would be nice to get him a present that was not only different from the usual but also something which he would be able to treasure. He'd always wanted to visit Amsterdam so I took the plunge and booked us a week long trip. Amsterdam had never been somewhere I'd thought of visiting as I (wrongly) thought it was more for 'lads' holidays not romantic getaways. It. was. amazing. Our hotel was situated right next to Vondelpark which is full of dog walkers, beautiful places to sit and the occasional parrot. When walking through we were also followed by a heron which hopped from lamppost to lamppost after us, almost landing on the head of my 6ft6 companion. 
Although we were too far from the traditional museums and Anne Frank's house we still had a fantastic time visiting things such as the sex museum, wandering around Dam Square and the red light district (don't be afraid to visit the red light district it's nothing like I thought it would be and it's at least worth one trip in the early evening). We loved discovering small little cafes down the sides of the main streets and admiring the wonky houses.

I love how relaxed and beautiful Amsterdam is. The city at night is something I'll never forget and I can't wait to go back again to explore different parts and I really want to visit Vrolik Museum.