I arrived in Amsterdam on a grey Thursday afternoon — light drizzle, low clouds, and that damp feeling in the air that makes everything smell like rain and earth. Normally, that would put me off. But in Amsterdam, it just felt… right.

I rented a bike that was clearly older than I am and immediately joined the chaotic river of cyclists. There are no rules — or maybe there are, and I just didn’t know them. But somehow it works. People glide past with flowers in their baskets, umbrellas tucked under one arm, and zero panic in their eyes.

I spent hours just biking. Through Jordaan, along the canals, across narrow bridges that creaked under the wheels. I stopped when something caught my eye — an old bookstore, a bakery that smelled like cinnamon, a window full of weird vintage lamps.

One morning I sat in a cafe by the water for almost two hours doing absolutely nothing but sipping coffee and watching the world drift by. I’ve never felt more still.

The weather stayed grey the whole time. But I barely noticed. Amsterdam doesn’t need sunshine. It has character. And sometimes, that’s even better.

If you’re the kind of traveler who loves to wander without a plan, you’ll fall in love here — slowly, and completely.