Amsterdam

Our three days in Amsterdam were grey, misty, and wonderful. Even in cloudy weather the city absolutely shines. Our hotel was ideally located on one of the most beautiful canals surrounded by quaint shops, restaurants, and bars. We would literally spend the entire day from dawn to dusk just wandering the picturesque canals, stopping into antique stores, and admiring the architecture. Our last day we rented bikes {a must} and visited the stunning Rijksmuseum, then took a boat cruise down the canals to admire the illuminated art installations of the Amsterdam Light Festival. The city was incredibly accessible and welcoming, within about an hour we were already talking about how we could easily imagine ourselves living there.