This year’s Grachtenfestival, an annual 10-day celebration of classical music on Amsterdam’s famous canals, takes place from August 16 through 25. Guides lead architecture tours (in Dutch), and musicians perform on barges and docks. Don’t miss the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which will play from a pontoon near the Hotel Pulitzer. Photo courtesy of Ronald Knapp. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.

Stroopwafels are ridiculously delicious and addictive. This Dutch treat consists of two thin, firm waffles sandwiching a layer of lush caramel. Apparently, the average Dutch person eats 20 stroopwafels each year. Somehow, I must have easily eaten 20 in my week-long visit. Good thing Amsterdam is such a beautiful walking city.

My last day in Amsterdam had my friend and I hurriedly navigating the path from the museum district to the train station. As we power-walked through one of the entertainment districts (Leidseplein), we came across a scene that stopped us in our tracks: two strangers with intensity and focus playing a life-sized game of chess. We had found ourselves at the Max Euweplein, named after the first and only Dutch chess champion Max Euwe. It turns out, the chess board is regularly played, and the area also contains a Max Euwe museum that pays homage to his endeavors and passion for chess. At the time, we had never seen such a site and were awed by the players. After another 10 or so minutes, more passerby had stopped to watch. Finally, the man furthest away won the match...and without saying a word to the other, the players retrieved their bikes and went their separate ways. We, too, continued on to our final destination.

We woke up on day two, intending to wander around, grab lunch and then spend the rest of the day in the park. However, our host suggested a book market only open on Fridays. Within minutes of the suggestion, we were out the door, armed with raincoats, a patchy mental map and a deep determination to find at least of the books any self respecting Literature student should own. When we arrived at the Spui book market, we were faced with dozens of stalls, each selling different genres and languages of books. We had no trouble finding stalls selling English books, and the deadly combination of old classics and low prices made it almost impossible to settle for just one or two. Realizing that realistically, it would be unlikely for us to fit any more books in our luggage on the return journey, this time we left empty handed, but with a few ideas for dinner that night. A near perfect day spent wandering through heaps of books was rounded out in the apartment's hammock with a cup of tea, stroopwaffle and a little blue book, new to me, but clearly read (and loved) many times before.

Even the strongest jenever—the Dutch predecessor to gin—won’t help you pronounce Wynand Fockink, but this 350-year-old bar and distillery is the best place to sip the juniper-laced drink. Imbibers spill out into an alleyway, their glasses filled with jenever concoctions infused with such flavors as vanilla, coffee, orange, or cinnamon. Pijlsteeg 31, 31/(0) 20-639-2695. Photo courtesy of Zemistor/Flickr. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.

On my third visit to the great city of Amsterdam I did something I had never done before... I got up early and set out with my camera on a morning stroll! It was an unbelievable experience to walk around Amsterdam's deserted streets early in the morning with only remnants of the many exploits of the previous evening. To see the red light district and the plazas. It was quiet, the streets were almost empty, and the canals were so calm (no boat traffic) that there were crystal clear reflections of the landscape that defines Amsterdam. It is still easy to get coffee and a pastry and even the brown bars are serving herb and hash early in the morning (yes, you could say that I "waked and baked"). I will never forget this experience and the amazing photographs I captured on my last day in the Dutch city I love so much for so many reasons, so if you can manage it, I would recommend waking up early to stroll the streets of Amsterdam. I'll leave the getting baked part up to you.

Amsterdam is such a romantic city; where canals show up at almost every other street. Numerous bicycles and boats can be seen dotted around them. Wander around the city without a map, get lost, and who knows you will discover a hidden cafe, an old bookshop or something out of this world.

Many people in Amsterdam seek out the Riijksmuseum, with its fine collection of Dutch and other art. However, my insiders tip for the neighborhood near this museum is to simply stroll through it and look at all of the beautiful houses. This one in particular caught my eye; I was particularly struck by it size, as many Amsterdam homes are narrow and connected to each other. Best of all, house spotting is a great free activity that you can do in Amsterdam!

We say, home is where the heart is. I left my heart in this city and I keep going back there to find it safe and happy.. This city has SO much more to offer than the (in)famous 'Red light district' and 'Space cakes'. For starters, the XXX which can be spotted all over the city has nothing to do with 'sex'. Rather the triple x's on the coat of arms symbolises floods, fire, and the Black Death- Three chief perils that the city had to overcome. And it proudly stands today with its beautiful lit up dams, cape Dutch architecture, very very warm people and of course tulips! The city has its fair share of artists and museums like any other European city, its Dutch pottery and traditional artwork. But the museum I like the best is the Anne Frank house for no other reason but the young girl's diary as it did to me, what it has to people all over the world. I am a church goer and I attended a Sunday morning service at De Oude Kerk.. It was in Dutch, I understood very little or none but it blew my mind! I love the Dutch people and their warmth Eat! Eat! Eat!For Dutch -Traditional pickled herring is a must try! I love an Ethopian restaurant - Addis Ababa which is located in Overtoom . Albert Cuyp Market is also quite interesting to visit.I love an English waffle maker there and his waffles! Everyone knows about the coffee shops selling cannabis and hash cakes and vaporisers, I love going to Abraxus and Cafe Bluebird- Cool places to hang out and try cakes "Coz you're in Amsterdam baby!"

If you wish to see the best local flower market in Amsterdam, head to the block-long Bloemenmarkt on the Singel Canal. It is the most famous flower market in the Netherlands, and it is a floating market, dating back to 1862. While the flower market is mostly for locals, visitors enjoy shopping here as well. At the market you can find fresh flowers year round, and you can even purchase tulip bulbs to take home. They will assist you in selecting bulbs that can legally be taken back to your country. I enjoyed these very colorful wooden tulips on display at the market. I knew to expect wooden shoes in Amsterdam, but this was a novelty. I was also surprised here to see Cannabis Starter Kits for sale. While such a thing may be legal in Amsterdam, it would not be a recommended souvenir for most visitors. Makes for an interesting photo, however. If you are visiting Amsterdam, be sure to make a trip to the Bloemenmarkt. It is colorful, fun and a great place to wander. The market is located at 610-616 Singel, 1017 Binnenstad, NL and is open every day of the week except Sunday. Great place to meet the locals, and a wonderful place to take photos too!

There's more than a few crazy toasts to Queen Beatrix on Queensday in late April, when all of A'dam gets drunk in the streets. Even though her real birthday is in January, Queen Bea buys into the fun by celebrating her entry into the world on what was her mother Juliana's birthday, to the delight of tourists and Dutchies.

It was supposed to be seafood soup but it tasted like a package of instant noodle soup based in hot water with a few tiny shrimps, mussels and scallops. I was 6.50 Euro lighter when I left the restaurant in Nine Streets!

There's no exact location in this dynamic town that you need to head to find a similar image and that's because bikes and smiles are, literally, everywhere. In this town, you should know that you're outnumbered by bicycles by at least ten to one! I happen to think that this means that you're in good company. Of course there's still the profoundly moving experience at Ann Frank's house; the beautiful, green and open space at Vondel Park and the famed Rembrandt's at the Rijksmuseum to savor. But if you're a lover of all things powered by two wheels, then all you need to do to enjoy a morning or afternoon along the canals is to look for your favorite bicycles between cafes. If you're looking to rent bikes or take a tour that informs and entertains both in Amsterdam and outside the city, then I'd encourage you to check out Mike's Bikes. Falling for Amsterdam from the saddle of a bicycle is all too easy and take comfort in the fact that you're not alone.

For a city with a reputation that’s not so charming, Amsterdam actually has a lot of charm. It is also pedestrian and bike friendly, which is always a plus. When I walked out of the train station, I was greeted by more bikes than cars. The best part about the city was that there’s really something for everyone. For the art lovers, there’s the Van Gogh museum and the classic architecture of the canal homes. For the backpackers on a budget, there’s cheap food options (including fast food vegetarian), welcoming hostels, and free walking tours. And for me and my friends on a weekend getaway, we discovered Nine Streets, a cute area lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes. Perfect for Saturday morning pancakes and shopping. Also great for bike riding. After a morning of shopping, we stopped by the Anne Frank house, one of the main sites in the city. Saturday night we ate at Werck, and then explored more. As beautiful as the city is by day, it’s even more breathtaking at night with the lights along the bridges and the reflections in the canals. Amsterdam was modern and funky in an unexpected way. An article in The New York Times in 2007 said that “Amsterdam is angling to become Europe’s creative capital, and it’s doing so without even inhaling.” It’s only a few years later and Amsterdam seems to booming with creativity from the pop-up art galleries to the chic boutiques and restaurants.