The new market and bourse (i.e. weighing house), Amsterdam, Holland

Today I am back in Europe, in another city that I love, Amsterdam. I have visited Amsterdam twice – once in 1999 when I was on a Contiki Tour and when I went to the N5M4 festival in 2003. Amsterdam is a city of bicycles, canals and great Indonesian food. It is also very beautiful, with lots of historic buildings.

Map of Amsterdam 1850

Amsterdam is a city that is very accessible by foot; when I visited in 2003, I spent many hours wandering around. I mainly spent my time going to art galleries and museums, which are in abundance in this city. I love the cobblestone streets, you really do feel like you have stepped back in time. My favourite museums include:

• The Rembrandt House, which is on the site where Rembrandt lived for over 20…