Therefore, with Peter hand in hand, we went to several key department shops, as well as manufacturer stores. We invested most time in Selfridges – the 2nd largest store in the United kingdom, and Marks & Spencer retailer store where we purchased some clothes. Peter also visited the large Nike shop, whilst I checked the new collection from Zara.

With arms full with bags we took the underground to our London vacation flat, where we had a short rest and a bath. In the early afternoon we went to see the St. Paul’s Cathedral which was close to the vacation flat in London and after that went to the Hyde Park where we spent the whole afternoon, as it was very hot to go on sightseeing trips.

The last evening in London was very enjoyable. Peter found a little and really intimate cafe, where we had a meal and a few glasses of wine. After that we went for a stroll along the south bank of the Thames River. It proved this is very a pleasant place after dark with many street performers, traditional pubs and cafes. The area is also great for making photos, which we did and for relaxation and contemplating the river and the party boats floating by. After that we crossed the river using the Tower Bridge and took the underground back to our London holiday apartment.

Right after lunch time we went to the National Gallery, which is set on the Trafalgar Square, neighboring the Nelson’s column with its four lions at its bottom. Just before going into the gallery we created some photos of the monument of this fantastic soldier. Peter explained that it is right here that local people celebrate the New Year’s Eve and assured me that we will return one day to be a part of this party as well.

In the National Gallery we saw works of art from amazing artists like Cezanne, Giotto, Velazquez, Titian, etc. Peter advised we ought to purchase a number of souvenirs for close friends and loved ones from the gallery’s shop and we did so, which got to be a fantastic thought, as later on everyone liked the gift.

The last stop for the day was the Tate Gallery, where we found some contemporary works of art. The day was very long and exhausting, thus we spend the evening in our London vacation flat and went only for a quick stroll immediately after an evening meal organized by me.

I really like to go to London, as I like its fantastic setting, the good attitude of the locals, the great memorials and the busy cultural life. That was my 3rd time in the capital of the United kingdom, but very first for my spouse Peter. As we arrived at our London flat and left the bags, we had a brief rest and went for a walk. We had numerous days and nights to spend here, so we were not in a rush. That very first day I took Peter to the Tower of London, one of the major points of interest of the city, positioned on the northern side of Thames River. We needed an hour and a half to look at the exhibit there and make photographs, then we went out, bought fish’n’chips with draught beer and sat on a bench, eating and contemplating the Tower Bridge, that I find the most interesting places in this huge town.

Peter loved it in London and particularly enjoyed our walk down to the Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey. Since we were quite worn out after that long stroll we made, we took the underground and went back to our London city holiday apartment where we had the possibility to take a long nap and a shower, before we went out for a nice meal in the neighbourhood, followed by a visit to the London Eye where we saw the city flooded with lights from the top.

We avoided the restaurants down the middle of the town, the Grassmarket area and the Royal Castle, as we’ve read they could be quite costly since they are focused right to the travellers, but we adored to eat out in the West End area and the Leith district. During the evenings we often went to the pubs alongside the pedestrian Rose Street that is going parallel to the Princes Street and which features plenty of cafes offering excellent food. These pubs were additionally close to our Edinburgh holiday apartment too and this made the walk home simple and fast, which helped when the little ones were exhausted and dropping off to sleep in our arms.

We frequently ordered fish and chips, deep fried pizza which is a true Scottish delight. I was into the Black Pudding that is deep fried and is good with draught beer, while my spouse preferred the haggis meal, also deep fried.

Naturally, I wanted to visit a pub or two, but with the kids that was not possible to accomplish. Thus, I purchased a lot of beer from the supermarket, stored it in the fridge and with my wife we enjoyed a few drinks on the patio of our Edinburgh property soon after the kids when to bed.

This was the first time me and my wife brought the kids with us and I was frightened they will be bored, however actually it ended up that the Scottish capital is a excellent place for kids, because it’s simple to walk around and has numerous monuments and entertainment areas to keep them busy.

During our vacation we were taking it easy, got a lot of sleep, nice breakfasts in our vacation dwelling in Edinburgh and also had lots of hours to enjoy the points of interest. The areas we brought our children to involved the Royal Mile, where our kids played all over the walkways in between the Holyroodhouse Palace and the Castle which they loved to examine. Another landmark they liked a lot was the Arthur’s Seat, where we made an open-air picnic with the snacks my wife prepared and spend some time contemplating the nature and the city below.

On another day we went to the Camera Obscura at the Outlook Tower, where the boys appreciated the periscope and searched for the points of interest around Edinburgh. The same day there was rain in the afternoon and we spent it at the Museum of Childhood where the kids were impressed by the traditional games and toys.

The last 2 days we’d in the city we spent in the Edinburgh Zoo, which is out of the centre but still easily accessible from our Edinburgh holiday accommodation and in the Princes Street Gardens where the children had so much space to run and have fun.

My vacation apartment in Edinburgh was placed in the center, near all tourist destinations and the areas where the festive days occurred. I was curious to find out about the fresh literature tendencies and to hear excerpts from novels that were intended to be bestsellers. The workshops were very interesting also, but most of my free hours were spent in the massive bookselling tent where I acquired many novels from the writers presented on the festivity and then waited for signing tables to exchange a few words with the authors I was mostly astounded by.

Following a short sleep and a meal in my Edinburgh apartment, I was prepared to enjoy my most favorite time of the day and to get a pint at the Spiegeltent, where I took part in the open discussions throughout which I normally met many new buddies.

Another celebration I really like to visit is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which is the most significant alternative shows event on the planet, which celebrates art and songs. This festival could be attended by every person who wants to present oneself and one’s art. The art performances are being arranged in all cinemas in the city, but as the participants are many these activities could be organized in clubs, halls, etc. During the Fringe Festival there are also many free shows and exhibitions, which I like to visit as well.

In the afternoon we went back to our Amsterdam vacation dwelling, since it was very hot to keep outside. Following that we traveled to visit the Maritime Museum and the most ancient church in the town – Oude Kerk, however we left the windmills De Otter and De Gooyer for the next day, prior to our trip.

Later on on our last evening in the capital of the Netherlands, we visited a stylish restaurant that drawn us with its fluorescents lights and exciting signs. The food was great and so was the wine, that set us into the mood of visiting a bar. Michelle loved the cosmopolitan atmosphere of that spot and I was astonished by the good attitude of all these people. We had several ales and drinks and enjoyed the music. Late at night we went back to our holiday flat in Amsterdam and went to sleep right away.

Michelle had thought out this day for traveling to the Amsterdam galleries and we went in the direction of our first stop – the great Rijksmuseum, being the national museum of the state. The next stop on our catalog was the specific Van Gogh Museum that keeps the biggest selection of art works on the globe from this excellent painter. That took place to be my location in the city, however Michelle loved best the Amsterdam Tulip Museum with its media reports featuring the history of the tulip, which was close to the House of Anne Frank that we went to prior to that. The final spot we discovered was the Sexmuseum.

I become really exhausted from going to galleries and museums, therefore I truly valued the snack which we had in one of the small eateries around the Van Gogh Museum. Immediately after the prolonged daytime I was truly happy to go back to our Amsterdam holiday flat where we had a good and sound sleep. When we woke up, I offered Michelle to go to a comfortable bistro close to a canal nearby, where we had a standard local meal and had some beer. We agreed that Amsterdam is amongst the most amazing and passionate spots on the continent and is also a city of diversity and patience. We were looking at all those happy people, driving their bicycles, going in and out of cafes and discussing everyday troubles and in a way we felt as part of this. I think at that moment we fell in love with the city and promised to come back when we can.

Just as I expected, she was really excited and she could not stop laughing and organizing all through the meal we had in one of the neighbouring dining places. The moment we went to our house she began checking out the internet and soon she presented me a list of realistically charged Amsterdam apartments for rent, which had great central location and were completely furnished and fixed. We picked one that most appealed to us when it comes to position, inner surface and price tag and completed the booking form. The next day we had a confirmation and started doing our visiting sites program.

The town welcomed us sunlit and friendly and we found our Amsterdam vacation apartment very easily. Once we left the luggage, Michelle took the map and we headed for a brief walk along the waterways. I may say that the most interesting place in the capital of Netherlands is the old city, which is established in a kind of a semicircle with 5 waterways and the Main Station. We made a variety of photos in the Rokin and Damark areas and the River Amstel. In fact, both me and Michelle lost course of time, as we were strolling along the small narrow streets and were looking at the historic houses and the small islands, all linked by bridges. I was surprised how peaceful life is here and we enjoyed that setting while eating in a small cafe, nicely organized with plants. The beer in Amsterdam is superb and I had several more than I should have, so we went back to our Amsterdam apartment and immediately fell asleep.