mybigadventures.com

We broke up early this year finishing on the 15th so had already decided we would go away for a few days before the usual Christmas festivities. We had been wanting to go back to Amsterdam for a while and so settled pretty quickly on the destination. We're stopping in a nice hotel with a canal view. It's apparently the oldest hotel in Amsterdam and is where Rembrandt painted 'The Night Watch'. Our room is up on the fifth floor with a balcony out to look over the canal and bridge below. On the first night here we thought the bridge outside looked familiar. It turns out it's in our Big Europe Adventure - Amsterdam album from 10 years ago - we must have stood right outside our hotel to take the picture!

The weather has been pretty good to us with some sunshine and mostly clear days and nights. So far, We've been to the Amsterdam Royal Palace on Dam Square which was nice, we've also been to the markets at Westerstraat and Prinsen Island as recommended by the concierge at the hotel. on the walk back we also walked through Jordaan and the nine streets where there are lots of nice small shops to look through. Today we went to Rijks museum which is a gallery of art and some furniture with pieces by many the Dutch masters including Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh. Whilst there we saw the 'Night Watch' which is associated with our hotel. The museum quarter did look very pretty with the I Amsterdam large letters set behind an ice skating rink. 

Unfortunately I'm on  the cold and flu tablets (which we remembered to bring with us) and some strepsils which we bought as the end of term cold/sore throat seems to have caught up with me as usual. Hopefully it'll clear up in time for Christmas! I've linked the photos below. Enjoy!