ANCIENT AND MODERN Traditional houses line Amsterdam’s Singel canal
I moved from London to Amsterdam almost three years ago, and I still find the city staggeringly, almost indecently beautiful. When the sun’s out – which happens more often than you might imagine in spring and summer – I defy anyone not to swoon as they cycle canal-side, taking in the colourful boats and barges bobbing on the glittering water and the fairytale backdrop of those crooked townhouses. It’s a city that’s easy to fall in love with. Hiding in plain sight among the tourist traps are street-food collectives, historic hostelries, whizz-bang Michelin-starred restaurants and salt-of-the-earth ‘brown bars’ (the equivalent of old-school British pubs). Amsterdam’s centre is so compact and culturally rich that you can pack in a surprising amount in a weekend – even if you do want to include frequent pit-stops.