City breaks?

[IanF]

Hmmm.. birfday coming up and have a week off, so fancy a couple of days away. I’ve never been to Amaterdam, so thinking that could be fun! Any recommendations would be appreciated! Was going to try the train, but it takes over 4 hours.. f that!

[duncs500]

I always assume pilots have been everywhere! Amsterdam is nice.

[IanF]

I always assume pilots have been everywhere! Amsterdam is nice.

We get around… oh, you mean geographically!

[dinny_g]

Yeah agree Amsterdam is a lovely city. Just avoid the Dam Square area.

[Simon]

No need to swear Dinny.

[Beany]

Yeah agree Amsterdam is a lovely city. Just avoid the Dam Square area.

Pretty sure they tightened up the laws around the city centre/Dam Square so that it's less full of fuckwits off their tits, and to discourage that sort of behaviour/make arrests easier etc.

https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/travel-st ... egulations

From 25 May 2023, it's illegal for both visitors and Amsterdam residents to use soft drugs in the old city centre (Red Light District, Nieuwmarkt and Dam Square. These areas are marked with signs saying ‘No smoking cannabis in public’. Officers and enforcers can issue possible fines of €100. Never buy weed from any place that isn’t a coffeeshop.

Amsterdam is an open, creative, innovative, and tolerant city where much is possible and allowed. The city is known worldwide for its freedom, which arose under an essential condition: respect for each other. Keep in mind the locals, and they will welcome you with open arms.

Amsterdammers live in every neighbourhood, including the Red Light District, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. Limit noise and drunkenness, clean up your trash and don't pee in the canals. Return plastic bottles and cans to supermarkets for a deposit.

Please be aware of the local laws, and the on-the-spot fines for unacceptable behaviour:

€150 for noise pollution
€150 for littering
€150 for public urination
€100 for public intoxication

That last one is an easy win depending on how 'intoxication' is interpreted.

So hopefully these days it's less full of twats.

[dinny_g]

Ian never struck me as a "Pissing in the Canal" sort of chap

[Beany]

It's the quiet ones you gotta watch, Dinny.

[Mito Man]

€100 fine for smoking weed! More strict than London where you see people smoking weed and walking past Police who don’t bat an eyelid.
Never seen someone piss in the Thames though, but reckon it would improve the water quality if anything.

[dinny_g]

To be fair, there's no need to smoke in public in Amsterdam. The Coffee shops are there for a reason...

[duncs500]

The only issue I had with Amsterdam were the fucking kamikaze cyclists, you need your wits about you!

[Gavster]

I'm quite into cities that are not the obvious choice. E.g. I went to Breda in Netherlands instead of Amsterdam. Also spent a lovely few days in Turin which is definitely further down the tourist trail in Italy yet a fantastic place. Also want to hop over to Zaragoza in Spain at some point too, because looks cool and lots of Goya.

[dinny_g]

Turin

Great town - hell of a lot of Graffiti

[Marv]

I've now booked a flight to Bogotá early next year.

I doubt I'll spend more than 2 days in the city though

[Marv]

I'm quite into cities that are not the obvious choice. E.g. I went to Breda in Netherlands instead of Amsterdam. Also spent a lovely few days in Turin which is definitely further down the tourist trail in Italy yet a fantastic place. Also want to hop over to Zaragoza in Spain at some point too, because looks cool and lots of Goya.

On my way back from Corsica this year, while in the Netherlands I visited Middelburg in Zeeland. I actually preferred it to Bruges (Bruges was lovely but overcrowded with tourists)

[Gavster]

I've now booked a flight to Bogotá early next year.

I doubt I'll spend more than 2 days in the city though

Ooohhh cool! Quite literally, it's a chilly place Do you have other plans for Colombia? I spent about three months there in total

[V8Granite]

I'm quite into cities that are not the obvious choice. E.g. I went to Breda in Netherlands instead of Amsterdam. Also spent a lovely few days in Turin which is definitely further down the tourist trail in Italy yet a fantastic place. Also want to hop over to Zaragoza in Spain at some point too, because looks cool and lots of Goya.

On my way back from Corsica this year, while in the Netherlands I visited Middelburg in Zeeland. I actually preferred it to Bruges (Bruges was lovely but overcrowded with tourists)

I’ve been all over the Netherlands and found Breda to be the nicest town for a night out.

Dave!

[Zonda_]

We’ve just booked Krakow for my birthday next year.

[Marv]

I've now booked a flight to Bogotá early next year.

I doubt I'll spend more than 2 days in the city though

Ooohhh cool! Quite literally, it's a chilly place Do you have other plans for Colombia? I spent about three months there in total

They certainly do seem to like having cities very high up in South America...I'll be bringing my down jacket with me, that's for sure!

Predictably, it's going to be a motorbike trip. I'll either rent or buy a bike whilst in Bogotá. I've got 5 weeks in Colombia, and I haven't planned out much yet. Exploring the Andes, the Coffee Triangle, the Caribbean coast, Amazon rainforest (if accessible), trying local food and eating loads of exotic fruit, avoiding getting kidnapped, etc

Happy to take your suggestions, if there's anything you think I really shouldn't miss out on.

I'll add Breda to my places to visit when in the Netherlands

[Gavster]

Okay here's a few random thoughts on Colombia. They're not particularly exhaustive because I spent a lot of time in my apartment in Medellin writing a book rather than exploring!

Barichara was recommended as a lovely town to visit near Bogota, although I've not been.

As for mountains, the other South American countries where I explored the Andes were amazing because they make European mountains seem small, although I didn't visit any in Colombia. Having said that, there's a national park in the north east corner of Colombia that has a nice mountain called Pico Cristobal Colon and if you go even further up into the north east corner there are some super chilled beach towns around Manuare, if you want any quiet time.

Going west along the coast, if you're there 1-4th March then you can visit Baranquilla carnival which is one of the biggest in the world. Otherwise Baranquilla is meh. Cartagena is a very pretty city, albeit touristy, but well worth a visit.

As for Medellin it's a nice city if you want to live like a normal person with all the modern infrastructure, it's got a lovely climate, very spring like and nestled in a valley. As a town it's got a load ex-cartel stuff to see, plus Communa 13 (previously one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in the world), and loads of coke and hookers who'll put scoplamine in your drink, rob you and leave you for dead. It's the favoured settling place for American migrants hence the druggings. Guatape is a couple of hours from there and is supposed to be very nice so could be worth a visit.

When it comes to coffee I stayed in a place called Buenavista which is a super quiet, chilled peaceful coffee town with lovely views over the valley, you can do the coffee tour with Don Leo who is a bit of a local legend and visit Cafe San Alberto which is one of the most premium coffee brands in Colombia too. These guys do good tours, I really enjoyed the peace tour as it was something a bit different and how the coffee trade and FARC overlapped https://www.experienciacafetera.com/en/#

I did visit Cali too but can't remember much about it lol so got on a bus and went to Ecuador.

Colombians love deep fried stuff so things to eat are empanadas which are great throughout Latin america and I also enjoyed arepa de huevo/queso which are deep fried bread filled with egg or cheese. All of the fresh tropical fruits are amazing, so definitely gorge on them all. Oh, and Bandeja paisa which is the Colombian equivalent of a full English

Loads of people seem to really enjoy Salsa dancing so could be worth a try if you fancy it

Hope some of that's useful!