This is our last post about our Amsterdam getaway but we’ve saved the best for last. Let us tell you about our favourite area of this beautiful city. On Saturday we woke up quite early. It wasn’t a problem, though. When we visit a new destination we just can’t wait to hit the streets! So much to see and do!! After a quick shower and a nice breakfast we headed to the city center. The weather was gloomy, but we didn’t care. We wanted to explore!

But to be honest, we were a little bit dissapointed. Where were those charming corners we had seen a million times on travel magazines? We kept walking and investigating until we finally found them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, we were in the middle of a beautiful neighbourhood. Green canals, design boat houses, inviting koffiehuis (not to be confused with coffee shops), adorable houses and cobble streets. We knew then that we’d found it! Our Amsterdam! The sun started to shine and our mood changed completely. The Western Canals were exactly what we expected from Amsterdam. Lovely and lively. Fathers and sons having coffee and enjoying the nice weather in their front doors, cats sunbathing next to the water, biclycles, stunning shops… The epitome of a happy place!                                                     We specially loved the area between Prinsengracht and Lijnbaansgracht. In Lindengracht we found an amazing street market. To be honest, a man saw us looking at the map (not very cool, but we were lost) and he came to help us and told us about that market. I usually get all scared when someone approaches me on the street because I’m always thinking that they are going to steal something from me (It’s not like I walk down the street with diamonds and emeralds, but I’m that paranoid). Not this time, though. That man looked gorgeous and had cool glasses and was simply charming. Disclaimer: Dutch people are really nice. Don’t be afraid of them. Anyway, we had a great time at the market! We were surrounded by gorgeous couples with their little kids, elegant old women buying flowers and lots of local produce. We pretended that we were just like them. (Only with cameras, and notebooks and no idea where we were going). We walked to Nordenmarkt where we discovered and amazing antique shop. It was called de Weldaad. We would have bought everything! Old materials, rough textures, minty colours… Beautiful. Now we know they sell on line!!! Check their amazing store here. By the way, the whole area is full of incredible shops. Clothes, furniture, accessories, stationery… from edgy design to shabby antiques.

We were hungry so we walked a little bit more to Mazzo, a really nice Italian restaurant recommended by Sabrina. We shared a salad and a pizza and felt like locals. No tourists, cool black outfits, stunning decor and pretty good food. We left happy and eager to find new corners of Amsterdam. We walked and walked. Until we arrived to De Kaaskamer or as I like to call it: heaven on Earth for cheese lovers. The smell!! Kind of disgusting but so delicious at the same time… aaahhh…. And talking about smells, next door we found Skin Cosmetics. Think about the most exclusive beauty fragrances in the world. Well, they have them. Together with lots of other tempting beauty products.  We bought this. By then we were really tired. I asked if we could get back to the hotel in that carriage… But P. wont let me. So we walked a little bit more to our gorgeous hotel. (We made a post about it here, if you’d like to see). Back in the hotel, laying back in bed with our feet still hurting and our cameras full of pictures we talked about how gorgeous Amsterdam was. We started thinking about what we wanted to do the following day… and decided to head out  again! We just couldn’t waste that wonderful evening! And that’s when this happened…

PS: Our Amsterdam photo diary and the most amazing Amsterdam’s hidden kitchen.