The Venice of the North

The Venice of the North or else Amsterdam as it is also broadly known alternatively, has gained such title because of the renowned number of canals and bridges that cross the city. Amsterdam consists of 75 kilometres of those canals, which give rise to more than 1,000 bridges. In addition, thousands of families live in the aforementioned canals, in more than 2,500 floating houses. In 2010, UNESCO recognised the city’s value by declaring Amsterdam's canal belt a World Heritage Site. Apart from its canals, Amsterdam has an impressive architecture side, a wide variety of shops, large green areas and friendly people who speak English fluently amongst other attractive aspects. The city holds magic that suits every traveller, one or the other way; whether you prefer culture and history, wild partying, or just after a relaxing getaway in the old and charming European city. It certainly hides a multitude of curiosities. You must get lost in its streets, breathe the bohemian and libertarian atmosphere, and let yourself go.

Fun fact: New York was once called New Amsterdam up until 1664, when the city still belonged to the Netherlands.

One of the peculiarities that most caught my attention in Ams was the narrow nature of the houses in combination with their great length. A great explanation to this is that in the 17th century, house taxes were determined according to the width of the houses which led to everyone trying to make their house taking as little space as possible on the street losing acreage, so to make up for the loss they played smart by deepening them. This narrowness meant moving in or out through the windows, since the size of the stairs would make it impossible to fit anything. That is why all facades have a hook while some of them are inclined forward, to avoid colliding when hanging the furniture. Having said that, the narrowest house worldwide is in Amsterdam or Mokum as some locals still refer to it, with only 1 meter opening. Another interesting detail that I realised is the number of plaques and shields on the fronts of the buildings since formerly, the houses did not have numbers, so the families put a representative plaque with the trade they performed.

Nobody has curtains! When you walk in this famous capital, you feel somewhat a voyeur, since, wherever you look, you more than often, see the flat’s interior and their inhabitants. It's not that the Dutch don't value privacy; it's just that they value light more in a country that 80% of the year the sun shies away.

There is no city in the world with more bicycles per square meter. In Holland, there are 15,000 kilometres of bike lanes that cover the entire country and have priority over pedestrians whom you’d frequently see having a stroll or simply crossing the sidewalk slightly overwhelmed. With more bikes than residents you will easily find the most creative and original bikes in the world here.

Prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands since 2000 and the red-light district is a good example of this. Pay attention to the railings and sculptures dedicated to sex, as all of them are recognised by the City Council as artistic heritage! The so-called ‘coffee shops’ are a safe space for selling and consumption of marijuana ever since it was legalised. What personally surprised me about these places was that it is not allowed to drink alcohol or smoke tobacco while there, and of course, outside these premises, the use of the drug is prohibited.

Amsterdam derives from the words "Amstel” and “dam", which is what the river that runs through the city is called, and the meaning of the three X's on its flag represent: courage, determination and mercy, although others refer to the three disasters that affected the city: fires, floods and the plague.

I love a boiler suit and this time I am wearing a grey one, fitted on the waist with the sleeves and leg bottoms both rolled up. What’s underneath it is a check-print shirt in bottle green with a white lapel buttoned all the way up. I have chosen this measuring tape looking socks to add some brightness to the outfit, a simple but playful accessory while preparing any look. You can also see them through the brown smart shoes thank to its overtures. All this goes beautifully with the oversized coat in brick colour, which matches the leather camera case and last but not least (especially while exploring a city as a tourist) a fabric tote bag in ivory with the word “TIME” written on it.