Arthur Idyllic Voyages

They say New York is the city that never sleeps but maybe you should go to Amsterdam.

I arrived there at about 6:00 in the morning in the cold of winter only to be approached by some random man who was more drunk than the Irish on Saint Patrick's day or the Germans during Oktoberfest (Fun fact, the Germans are some of the less likely in the world to actually "be drunk" contrary to popular belief). He reeked of alcohol, you could smell it from a mile away but he was so nice to strike up conversation with me at  6:00 a.m. when all I wanted to do was sleep after my long journey.

It was the holiday season so I guess I could understand why he was in such a cheery, inebriated state but I didn't trust him nonetheless. I was in a foreign country after all. In my travel experience, you trust no one enough to walk into a dark alley with them in the wee hours of the morning. So I stuck to the light and he disappeared shortly after talking some gibberish, little of which I understood but somewhere in the midst I think he asked if I spoke Dutch. I believe that I replied yes but maybe I was just too tired to follow exactly what he was saying or maybe I just wanted a quick escape from the smell of alcohol so I agreed with everything he said and moved on.


Ok, so maybe Amsterdam sleeps a little bit because walking around the city at 6:00. a.m was silent and relaxing. That was until we arrived at the Red light district at about 6:30 a.m. and some man hollered something from across the bridge in Dutch. I can't tell you how Usain Bolt was to be dethroned and my travel companions and I became the fastest sprinters in the world at that moment. Hey, I'm kidding, we didn't sprint but we sure did put some 'pep in our step'. We ended our early morning stroll after that and chilled out in McDonald's restaurant until the sun came up.

I wouldn't recommend having McDonald's for breakfast on any other day  but I admit that it was quite nice in Amsterdam and a great start to a full fun-packed day.


A little after maybe 7:00 a.m in the morning when the streets were much busier with last minute Christmas shoppers, the city was once again 'active' and you wouldn't have imagined that a few minutes earlier only the drunk and insane roamed the streets. (We were the insane... because I have no idea why we thought roaming the streets at 6:00 a.m. was a good idea).

Stepping out of McDonald's, the air was frisky and fresh and my nose burnt a little from the cold but that was nothing as the scenery was just superb and I quickly forgot the little pang of pain. The architecture was simply magnificent and some buildings were even decorated for the holidays. This went beyond the standard European minimal store-window decorations and it felt like Christmas to me.


Forgetting a little about Christmas and talking a little about the city, let's discuss the fact that people often forget that Amsterdam is much more than cannabis and prostitutes. Of course that exists but some of the most gorgeous buildings, talented street performers, great museums and shopping can be found in this city along with its' many bicycles on every corner.

Nonetheless, you're probably thinking, when is she going to get to the weed right?
Well, honestly the weed got to me before I could get to it. (No further comment, your honour! I plead the 5th.) You thought I was going to tell you the entire story? Ha ha...Of course not! They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, well...what happens in Amsterdam should definitely stay in Amsterdam. At least this part should. :-)


Diamonds though should be shared with the world. Not many people are aware that some of the most gorgeous diamonds in the world can be found in Amsterdam.  The Gassan Diamond Experience tour is worth checking out when you visit Amsterdam and the best part is... it's completely FREE!  Well the tour is but guys you may not want to take your fiancé(e) unless you are prepared to empty your wallet and sell your house. 😉


On the other hand, if you are trying to rekindle your love or just experiment a little, Amsterdam has all the toys and gadgets that a big kid would need to play around in the dark. There are so many shops with a variety products that you would feel like you're in BDSM heaven or like a little kid in a toy store for the first time. So many colors! So many sizes! So many styles! So many options!

Christmas was in the air and like many others, we were gift shopping. I think we stopped in every little shop and saw every little furry handuff and every small, medium and human-sized "love doll".



That in itself was an adventure and at the end of the day we made our way through the Red Light District once more (on our way home) but this time it was buzzing with activity.

Admittedly, there was some disappointment when I found out that you could literally be fined for taking pictures of the "show babies" who were now sitting or standing in their "show windows" awaiting the 'highest bidder'.  The Red light district was a whole stop sign. It was so commercial, I couldn't resist feeling a little bummed by the lack of authenticity. I guess it is to protect the identity of the ladies but they were so made-up that you couldn't tell who they were in any case. Oh the wonders of make-up and wigs.

I can't imagine why the major would want to shut down the brothels in this area because it is quite interesting to see and after all. How dare he stop so many tourists from being disappointed when they find out that they can't snap a photo with their favourite 'girl of the night'. (You could but if you're caught you would have to pay the price or have some legal permission to do so).

What happens in Amsterdam should stay in Amsterdam. 

View of Athens

If you're in the mood to explore your creative side, maybe you could add getting a Henna tattoo to your bucket list of things to do. My friend got one and she adored it.

There are many things to do and to see in Athens like passing by Parliament and watching the changing of the guards, climbing up to the top of Acropolis, eating Greek food, having an ice cream, shopping for trinkets, enjoying the nice springtime weather,  getting a tattoo, or even being hustled to buy perfumes. Whatever you wish to do or have, Athens has a little bit of everything for you.

Group travel is one of the many options if you want to have a more cost-effective way to travel. Whether it's a school trip, a business endeavour, or a personal expedition, group travel proves to be very friendly on the budget but you must bear in mind that there are some disadvantages to this type of travel. That being...

HUMANS!!!


It is impossible to get along with everyone, it is also impossible to get persons to like the same food, the same music, the same attractions etc.

As a result, we can say that group travel coordinators have a very tough job. They have to find a convenient way of letting everyone have an enjoyable trip whilst considering the demands of all members of the group and trying to plan and organise activities that may be interesting to the entire group.

They must take into account that very often bigger groups of 10 or more persons have a difficult time at restaurants for example. This is because the wait time is often tedious and you may have 3 indecisive persons in the group unless provided with the option of a buffet layout where you can choose whatsoever you wish.
Sometimes this can be avoided by looking at the menu in advance or pre-ordering but be guaranteed that there will always be that one person who will change their mind at the very last minute.
More often than not, it is a female because they seem to be the worst at deciding what they actually want to eat. Guys, go ahead and ask your girlfriend what she would like to eat for dinner tonight... 9 out of 10 the response would be "I don't know" or "whatever you're eating is fine" and when she actually decides, your plate seems to be more appetising after all.

However, this wait does not occur all the time as some restaurant kitchens serve the bigger groups first and then they work on the smaller orders of the other patrons. Travelling in big groups also allows you to enter certain places and attractions much faster than the average customer. Some attractions even allow a separate entrance for groups. As group travel is becoming more and more prominent, businesses are adapting their interactions and transactions to accommodate larger clientele.

Given that most groups are governed by rules and regulations that must be adhered to when in the target country, group travel does not necessarily provide its members with the opportunity to interact with the locals unless travelling to meet other organisations and quite frankly, conversation does not normally extend beyond pleasantries and discussing future endeavours together. It can be difficult to say that you have made a lifelong friend like you could have done as a solo traveller.

You must also take into account that even before travelling, there are meetings that you must attend to ensure that you are in agreement with the rest of the group and these can sometimes be very stressful as decision making is divided over several different personalities. A solution to this however would be to break the group into smaller groups of 3 or 4 persons where possible so that activities can be shared with people that have the same interests. It makes life easy for the coordinator and the group members alike.

On the other hand, you may meet new people even within your group that you may later consider as friends. After all you are sharing a moment of your life with them. Imagine you wanted to take a really nice photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, you could easily ask a group member to take it for you, before or after of course you take one for them. Travelling in groups allows photos to be taken from different devices that can later be shared collectively.

In groups, there is also a sense of security that you can't get from travelling alone. The "brother's keeper system" comes into effect as you operate as a single unit ensuring your safety and attempting to minimise threats and petty theft like pickpocketing for example. This is not always a guarantee when functioning as a group but it is highly probable.

Group travel can be in some ways restrictive but it also allows for friendships to be made and hey you can profit from express entrances into attractions, relatively quick service and a combination of photos you took and that others took of you. You never have to feel alone in a foreign place so why not?