Amsterdam with kids

Last April we went for a long weekend to Amsterdam. Mr.A and I had been there a few years ago to meet up with friends. We had had a great time browsing art at the Rijksmuseum, walking the streets, bridges & canals following an audio tour by our favorite – Rick Steves & getting a glimpse of the happening night life. A solemn experience was the visit to the Anne Frank house. We could say we had covered most of the significant features of the beautiful city but had majorly missed out on the legendary tulips at Keukenhof. Plus, we wanted to experience Amsterdam with LittleA this time & hoped to still love it. & still love it, we did 🙂

Keukenhof Gardens

This was spring and the gardens were in full bloom. Flowers everywhere! It was a joy to be there and take in all the beauty. Even though LittleA was just a few months over three, we can see the tulips made an impact on her too as every time Amsterdam comes up within her earshot, she is sure to mention tulips or garden 🙂 So cool that we could make a beautiful early memory together for her to cherish.

The Upside Down

This is a must see, not only if you are into social media like Instagram or Tiktok, but also if you love quirky, unusual things. A lot of fluorescent colors, neon lights, illusions, funky mirrors, an entire swimming pool full of plastic balls, a walk-in closet with a wardrobe full of flashy clothes to play dress-up, half of an airplane, yeah the list goes on! The cafe is a cute place to sit down too, with a bunch of equally snap-worthy colorful sandwiches. We sure smiled a lot & took way too many pictures 😀

Amstelpark

We stayed at the Novotel Hotels which was right across this park so we took a stroll expecting to simply find some greenery & open spaces but pleasantly surprised by the extras we found. A little open train chugged along and for 3euros a ride, took us around the park at a leisurely pace. We then came by a petting zoo and a mini amusement section for the kids, complete with a merry-go-round, a toy-train for children, a set of toy cars & lots of bubbles, ice cream and cotton candy. Could one ask for more?!

Canal Cruise

We took a canal cruise to catch a different perspective of the city. It was a balmy afternoon, lazy sunshine and the quiet laps of water accompanied a gentle audio guide onboard pointing out buildings & landmarks of significance. Very pleasant indeed. On the other hand, the banks were alive with action, people had come out in droves, also to enjoy the sun, but mostly with a beer in hand. We even saw a bunch of people fishing out a bike from the water!

Next adventure

Our next big adventure is a tiny one! Wish us luck!!

London highlights

Earlier this year Mr.A and I moved to London, believing we were making a long term shift, but as it turns out it wasn’t meant to be, at least not for the time being. Long story short, we’ve happily returned home to Stockholm after living in London for four months. It’s been a helluva ride, but in all the chaos we’ve had some good days in this bustling, spirited city. Let me share some high points from our short-lived adventure 🙂

Sky Garden atop the Walkie-Talkie

One of the best vantage points for great views of the city of London is the Sky Garden. The top three stories viz. 34th-37th floors of the skyscaper at 20 Fenchurch Street, nicknamed Walkie-Talkie for its typical shape, have been transformed into landscaped gardens open to the public for free. You do have to book an entry slot but that’s quite easy with their online booking system. You can even make a special occasion by reserving a table at one of the restaurants, or keep it casual by snacking at the cafes. Obviously, the highlight is the 360° views of the city, combined with the greenery indoors. Mr.A and I enjoyed the perspective. The garden complete with full-grown palms is quite a delight to stroll in, too.

Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum

Once Saturday we rode the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) that winds through the towering skyscrapers of Canary Wharf before coming out the other side of Thames to the Greenwich station. A short, but rather steep, walk uphill through the Greenwich Park brought us to the Royal Observatory. To tick off places from my Geography lessons has always given me a certain thrill, so this was no different. Taking a picture with our feet in two hemispheres, straddling the Prime Meridian was cool, of course. The real treat on the hot day was the cool breeze on the hill accompanied by splendid views of the skyline. We also went into the National Maritime Museum, which has free entry to its permanent exhibitions, to examine ship models and read up on Britain’s naval history. Since a lot of it was associated with the East India Company and it’s influence in our own history, the days ended up with much reflection and thought. Happy Weekend, I say!

St. Paul’s Cathedral

A trip to the city of London would be incomplete without a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral, architect Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. A magnificent structure, both from the outside and inside. The ticket price includes either an audio guide or a guided tour. We opted for the latter and were so happy following our learned guide, a charming octogenarian who made such a pleasant impression that Mr.A & I decided we would do something like he was doing when we grew old ourselves! Totally worth the slightly pricey ticket. Note however, you can save a little if you prebook online. We loved our culture trip around this 300+ year old building which has seen eons pass by and has so many stories to tell.

A walk around Hyde Park

This giant park despite being in the heart of the city, surely takes one away from its madness into an oasis of calm. Even though there were hundreds of other people, it did feel like a different world within. People seemed so much at ease walking their dogs, enjoying their ice creams, feeding ducks and even parrots (it’s true!), strolling by the Serpentine, playing a casual game of football, and what not. Mr.A and I went to the Park just before sundown and had a lovely time watching all this pass by us in a beautiful golden glow.

Brick Lane & Shoreditch

Brick Lane surely teleported us into another world. Once a settlement for immigrants from Bangladesh trying to make a new home in a new country, today it is a hep center buzzing with student activity, fashion and art. There is a considerable number of restaurants all boasting the best food from the Indian sub-continent, but make sure to research where you want to eat since our experience with the food was not one of our high points here. Graffiti-watching along Shoreditch and Brick Lanes was totally rewarding though. Some amazing street art can be found in small nooks as well as huge walls. Once can surely spend a lot of time being fascinated, especially one like me that has a thing for street art 😉 The pictures warrant their own blog post, so I’ll write more about them soon.

Barbican Conservatory

The Barbican Conservatory was a surprise find that I chanced upon in some toplist about London, and decided to drag Mr.A to check it out. It did not disappoint at all. The Barbican Complex with its brutalist architecture captured our imagination, how stark and severe it looked, somewhat reminding us of the buildings in central Delhi, perhaps one influencing the other, who knows. In the middle of the austere lines, sits the cosy world of green in the form of the conservatory, housing London’s second largest conservatory. Amongst 2000+ varieties of plants, also live some turtles and fish in sparkling ponds. There is an impressive array of chillis and a gorgeous desert garden housing cactii of all shapes and sharpness. Entry is free on Sunday afternoons, a refreshing activity before the start of a new week.

What are your favorite spots in London?

Travel checklist : 2017

It’s no secret, we at Sunny District LOVE to travel. Couldn’t have stressed that any more, could I?! We have an endless list of must-go places and we are going about checking them off one at a time. Early each year, we scout the calendar for long weekends and bank holidays attempting to max out on all available opportunities. We match the available dates with the places on our wishlist and look for the best match of dates against cheap flights. It’s worked out pretty well for us to plan & book ahead this way. For the last couple of years, I have been publishing a travel round up of all the places Mr.A and I visited during the year. Do you remember these? Go ahead, take a look 🙂

Travel checklist : 2015

Travel checklist : 2016

Thrice in a row means a tradition, doesn’t it? So here comes the 3rd installment in Sunny District’s traditional travel round-up series! It’s a ten on ten 💯 😀

1. Vienna and Salzburg, Austria
   

   

   
2. Venice, Italy
   

   

   
3. St.Petersburg, Russia
   

   

   
4. Paris, France
   

   

   
5. Gdansk and Sopot, Poland
   

   

   
6. Aiya Napa and Paphos, Cyprus
   

   

   
7. Ljubljana, Bled and Slovenia’s coastal towns
   

   

   
8. London, England
   

   

   
9. Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE
   

   

   
10. Kyiv/ Kiev, Ukraine
    

    

    

I’d love to hear about the amazing places you discovered this year! Have you been to any of the ones we visited? What did you think of them? Was there something that pleasantly surprised you or was there anything that did not live up to your expectations? I’m so curious to know! Let’s get talking in the comments 🙂

Hugs,
Bipasha 🤗

Sunny District meets Andy & Litle :)

One of the things I enjoy most about blogging is that the world begins to feels a smaller, more connected place, a bit warmer & cosier. I read about others’ experiences and get inspired by new ideas. I get to e-meet fun people and sometimes, when I strike gold, I get to meet them in real life.

Enter, Palesa & Andrew from South Africa! Here’s a couple of bold, adventurous & fun people who have taken off on a year-long trip around the world, whoa! I think it takes a lot of courage “taking everyday as it comes” as they say on their blog. Follow their journey across Asia, Europe and now U.S.A at https://our380.wordpress.com That’s where I found them & left a comment asking to meet when they were in Stockholm. And guess what, they did stop by. And remembered to reach out. How nice of you 🙂 They had only a couple of days in the city but going by this post on their blog, it sounds like it went pretty good 😉 I am so happy we got the chance to spend a lovely evening sharing stories over drinks. I was warmed by their spirit and wish them loads of great experiences along the way. Good luck, you two, wish you many adventures!