Amsterdam, Netherlands

Where do I start with Amsterdam? The last few days have been so much fun after I was adopted by a ladies football team and their friends for the Dutch celebrations of Queens Day. I hope I have made some life-long friends and I am so thankful to them for showing me how the people of Amsterdam like to party in style.

I arrived at my campsite in the southern region of Amsterdamse Bos which is a beautiful area of rivers, green parks and forests. It is also within biking distance of the centre of the city. I spent the first day visiting a couple of the museums and attractions and getting lost in the maze of streets and canals.

My second day in Amsterdam was Queens Night, the warm up for Queens Day the following day (April 30), and celebrates the Queen of The Netherlands birthday (even though hers is actually in January). The bars serve drinks out on the pavements and the people drink in the street. It is a great atmosphere with bands, singers and entertainment. Boats fill the canal and if you are lucky enough to have one, you can fill the boat with friends and some beer and have a great time. I met the girls outside at one of these gatherings and (as former backpackers themselves) I think they must have taken pity on me being on my own in Amsterdam. I was offered a beer and the next thing I knew, I was planning to spend Queens Day with them the following day.

Queens Day is the biggest social day in the Dutch calander, and people flock from all over the country to be at the centre in Amsterdam. Museum Square hosts a huge outdoor concert but most of the locals prefer to enjoy the day outside of the very centre of the city where it gets very crowded. I met with the others (around 30 of us in total) at Cafe Oranje - the football team sponsors - and the party begins. On Queens Day there is a "Free Market" where people can sell things on the street for free and there are car-boot-sale style stalls across town. We were joined by Sesame Street Burt and Ernie stuffed toys from last years Free Market. In the local park the children have their stalls to sell things or they have their own made-up games that you can play them at. The other rule of Quens Day is wear Orange! After a long day of sun, fun, and Heineken, we returned to Cafe Oranje to drink some more and dance the night away.

The following day was much more chilled out but I had to return to Cafe Oranje first to collect my camera which I had lost (twice) the previous night. The Ajax game was on TV so the bar was crammed full of people and smoke. I then met the others in the park for a barbecue and to enjoy the weather. It is certainly sad to be leaving Amsterdam, one of the most magical cities I have ever been to and made all the more special by the people I have met here. I have added a dutch sticker to the van as a reminder of my time in Holland, I don't think I will ever forget it though!

Now I am off to Luxembourg.