24 hours Amsterdam

The best way to breath in the air of Amsterdam is on a bike. I go slowly, look around, feel the vibe of this awesome city. Most of the time I am surprised how many food places and nice stores have opened. There is always a lot to discover.

I kill my hangovers at Beter en leuk in Amsterdam East. Nice vegetarian food, prepared with love, that definitely brightens up the morning after a long night.

The day doesn’t get any better than when I go for a nice long run on the Amstel site. Normally I run through the “Rhododendron jungle” in Amstelpark and return home. It is also a great place to enjoy “Pure Markt” (www.puremarkt.nl) on Sundays.

The chateau called Frankendael is exactly the place where I go to read a book in the sun. Their French garden in the back is also a very good place to enjoy a glass of good wine, seeing no tourists or hipsters and fully enjoy the sounds of the birds.

My perfect day can’t go by without a few hours on a boat. I bring my swimsuit and a bottle of dry Prosecco that I bought in the Kerkstraat/Utrechtsestraat. This is also the street where I get “Haring”, a little Dutch fish snack before I hop on the boat.

Another thing I love to do is cycling along the river called “Vecht” from Amsterdam to Utrecht. One beautiful castle next to the other, such a peaceful and entertaining bike ride, it is unique!

A fun place to hang out and enjoy a dose of Dutch contemporary art is at Bright Side Gallery. The variety of artists is stunning.

I love to end the day with a nice drink on the terrace of the W Hotel. The former telecommunications building has been transformed into a beautiful hotel with stunning architecture and design. I stay there for a drink with friends, watch the sunset and go out for dinner afterwards.

My favorite restaurants in Amsterdam are the restaurants Wilde Zwijnen or Terpentijn. Jansz has such an amazing interior design. It used to be an old pharmacy and definitely shows you that dining in Amsterdam can be very NYC sometimes. When the tummy is full I go dancing at Café Cox or De School. But the nightlife scene in Amsterdam has so many faces that I end up somewhere else every weekend, feeling surprised about the fact that Amsterdam can still offer so many surprises even after four years of great fun.

Another activity you mustn’t miss when you’re in Amsterdam, especially if you are keen on seeing more of the surrounding area: going for a nice swim at Stenen hoofd or Nieuwe Meer. My favourite picnic spots in A’dam are spots next to the river Amstel, at Stenen hoofd, at the lake Nieuwe Meer or on the beach in Bloemendaal. My favorite race bike tour is from Amsterdam to Driehuis to Noordwijk. There is also a beautiful tour through the National Park Zuid Kennemerland. You bike through the dunes in complete solitude, except for some Scottish Highlanders. Fresh air from the sea and the sun in your face. It can’t get better. Another favorite tour is from Amsterdam to Utrecht along the river Vecht. If you’re lucky and these festivals take place while you’re here, you should definitely put on your dancing shoes and check them out: Henk op de Helling, Ruigoord or Park am See.