In photos: A sunny day in Amsterdam

Last Tuesday was the hottest day of the year so far. My wonderful friend C was 12 hours into her 36 hour stay with us. We got on a bike each and took off, hoping to create a cool breeze and some happy memories.

First to Sarphatipark for ping-pong and a quick tour of our new neighbourhood, De Pijp, before heading straight through the centre of town for a whistle stop tour of the Red Light District and the oldest corners of Amsterdam.

We then escaped the tourists for a quiet coffee at Cafe Thijssen on Lindengracht before hopping on our bikes again and stopping at a few shops within Jordaan and the 9 Straatjes. Afterwards we headed west to the neighbourhood we lived in last year.

We introduced C to brodjes and bitterballen at Fijn Hout, a lovely canal side spot where you can sit over the water. It was here we saw a gang of kids jumping in the canal and (deliberately) splashing passing boats. We may have laughed with them a few times.

NewMan left us then to head home and do some work (i.e. take a nap) so C and I cycled to the Museumplein where she climbed the "I amsterdam" sign and we paddled in the water feature, a little annoyed by how warm the water was already. Then we were off east once more to the Versetzmuseum (where we sadly missed the museum's closing time as we were busy chatting over a coffee in the next door Cafe Plancius. Oops.) But we were quick to get in the queue at Anne Frank House and spent many quiet moments wondering around that eerie, special place (which I believe everyone should queue for). We ended the day back in De Pijp at a typical Dutch corner bar eating home cooked food and drinking chilled white wine watching the locals enjoy their summer's evening like it was a Saturday night and there was no work for anyone tomorrow...