Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans

Never having seen Amsterdam, I try to find a bit of time to visit this city and also to turn part of this business trip into a holiday. Wrapped in the haze, it immediately presents itself as a wonderful city, with a characteristic charm, girdled by its canals and bridges that give it a serene and tranquil look. The evening is perfect for wandering around Amsterdam and being enchanted: houses of picturesque character wrapped in fairy lights that create an evocative place. Being in Amsterdam, you can't not go to a Coffee Shop; we go to The Bulldog, then to the Ice Bar, completely made of ice, freezing cold but we had a whale of a time.

Another work break and I manage to find the time to go to ZAANSE SCHANS, a village 20 km from Amsterdam known for its windmills. What makes this place unique is the fog that wraps around the windmills and the whole village, making it literally fairy-tale-like. The windmills are enchanting. Here I also find the Clog Museum; I didn't think I'd find so many models, for the most varied occasions, even for weddings. Back to Amsterdam. Country of flowers, I couldn't miss the flower market, in the Singel district. A lunch break devoted to this market, which, with its colours and many varieties, gives me the emotion of Holland. The time has come to set off again; even though Amsterdam and its surroundings were visited in a great hurry and with little time, the memory of a beautiful place will remain.

The best period to visit Holland is certainly spring, with its fields of flowering tulips, but I can guarantee that even in November, wrapped in haze and fog, it is just as beautiful. The surreal, fairy-tale atmosphere made this place of a thousand colours a place beyond the usual expectations.