AmsterDAM

I stopped in Amsterdam en route to see Natasja, flying in and out just makes sense and honestly I really enjoy the city so no complaints there. Two nights on the way there and a day on the way back, which gave me plenty of time to wander around with my camera and just let the city do its thing.

All these times I have been here and I still have not made it to the Van Gogh Museum. It is becoming a running joke at this point. Instead I visited the Moco Museum which had a very different feel, less quiet reverence, more statement and modern edge. Some great pieces on display including Banksy, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Street art sitting alongside pop art sitting alongside contemporary work. I really enjoyed it.

Amsterdam itself always feels slightly dreamlike. Canals threading through the city, bikes absolutely everywhere, tall narrow houses leaning at improbable angles. I mostly just wandered around with my camera, had coffee, walked slowly and watched the city move around me. The restaurant scene here has never particularly blown me away if I am honest, but I did have the Dutch delicacy of smoked eel, known as gerookte paling, at a very nice restaurant in the old town and it was so good. Smoked eel was once a staple here but today it is a true delicacy due to the scarcity of eels and the high price that comes with that. And for anyone wondering, it is considerably nicer than the East End classic of jellied eels.