After Brussels, I made a short and slightly hungover train ride north to Amsterdam. This was one of the cities I had been most excited for. My hostel was in Amsterdam-Oost, a bit away from the center, but easy to reach by tram and in a quieter neighborhood of its own.

I spent my first morning wandering along the canals, eating stroopwafel fresh from a street store, and taking in the picturesque bridges and tilted houses. The afternoon was dedicated to Vondelpark, relaxing in the grass with music and sunshine filtering through the trees. In the evening, it was the usual Amsterdam scene of cafés, coffee shops, and then a little bar hopping. I even made a new feline friend at The Old Bell off Rembrandtplein.