Amsterdam is much-frequented, overwritten about and in many aspects overpriced. That aside, it's a city I can say I almost loved. It's bold yet classy, busy yet welcoming and certainly extremely diverse in gastronomy, architecture and nationalities. In fact, I arrived at a time the weather was wet and chilly but for a city offering so much, my mood was far from dampened. There is a certain beauty about the city, even in the wind and rain perhaps lifted by the bright lights, colourful buildings and vivid plants in pots, baskets and flowerbeds. The main draw for me aesthetically however were the proliferation of museums and bistros around almost every corner. Challenging myself to find out what was free to enter was an added distraction I simply couldn't relinquish. People strike up conversation at the drop of a hat and for that reason alone the place ranks high on my places to revisit. For me Amsterdam had the vibrance of Budapest but hipper, the sophistication of Parisian boutiques without the pomp and all the art London displays but more.