I get so excited when I discover new things, new places, bargains and hidden treasures! This post has it all…..

I recently had the great privilege of joining a Book Club. (I know , I know , yes I am that old now ….lol!) Anyway, this book club has brought me out of my’ reading shell.’ All my life I was so used to reading the likes of John Grisham, Dan Brown or Jane Austen. Somewhat similar genre, suspense , mystery , intrigue and some form of crime. But after joining this group of inspiring and driven women made up of Claudine, Nhlanhla and Rashmee (they blog too) has led me to read and be interested in different , thought-provoking genres of literature. We started off with some African literature written by Chimamanda , then we moved on to the diary of a strong willed but utterly brave teenager Anne Frank. Reading about her life and how Jews were treated back then is such a tearjerker. No group of people should have the right to exercise so much hate on another group of people. It is not fair and it is not right!

Having read it we decided to visit her home when they went into hiding. The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

Bargains

Europe has hands down the best and most affordable transport options. If you pay attention that is.  As we were looking for a cheap alternative to travel to Amsterdam (student struggles) I spotted a ‘sponsored ad’ on Facebook . It was for a student bus service called Studifahrten. A round trip to Amsterdam costs about 30€. Total bargain! In addition to that, tall people like me fit perfectly! Jackpot! That’s always a struggle for me : leg room.

The trip there was good. I was more than impressed with the bus service. We got an on board snack, were given info packets and the whole crew was fun and respectful. There are obviously other options to get around in Europe cheap. Busses, Spar-trains and planes (skyscanner.net). Whatever your choice make sure you do your research first.

The first thing that anyone will notice about Amsterdam city is definitely the smell. The distinct smell of marijuana. From my understanding the ‘soft drug’ has been legal for the past 40 years. Legal in the sense that only their Coffee Shops are allowed to sell it . I am in no way promoting the use of it . This is an observation.

Hidden Treasures

From all the times i have been here my favourite restaurant is this cute place close to the Van Gogh Museum called Greenwoods . They have an amazing menu and an all day breakfast. I really have to emphasize this… EAT HERE!

 Sombre Places

I would suggest reading the book before visiting this place. I won’t give out too much but, I will say, this young girl was way mature for her age. I don’t think I could’ve remained as strong as she did at that age. We weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside the house and to be honest I was annoyed at first (I need them for my blog!) but after having gone around the house I was grateful. If I had had my camera, if I had been snapping that whole time, I would have been so distracted and I would not have fully appreciated the struggles and difficulties that the family went through. I understood what they went through from reading the book, but being there ….urghh you have to experience it for yourself. If you do decide to go see the house, it is best to buy the tickets online, you get instant access into the house instead of queuing for about an hour to the tickets.

New Places

The rest of the time was spent taking a walk and admiring the beautiful architecture.

All in all this girls trip was the best trip I have ever had. We laughed , we walked a ton, we had a ton of KFC chicken and I got to know the ladies in my book club a whole lot more. Can’t wait for the next trip!

 

Thanks for all the support so far! I hope you enjoy the extra pictures. I unfortunately couldn’t upload on Sunday as I got a bit ill.

If you know of any travel deals….leave the link in the comments section! Thank you!