Paranormal Activity 3

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Directed by: Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost

Cast: Katie Featherston (as Katie), Jessica Tyler Brown (as young Katie), Sprague Grayden (as Kristi), Christopher Nicolas Smith (as Dennis) and Hallie Foote (as Grandma Lois)

In the run up to Halloween I have been excitedly watching some of my favourite horror movies. I love to be scared in a film; it gives you an adrenaline rush that you just don’t get in other genres of film. Horror is by far my favourite type of film as it takes a lot of elements to make a good horror film. You need a good plot, good character development, a hero element, suspense and of course, JUMPS!

I made my way to see Paranormal Activity 3 this week.  I saw the first instalment of the film and thought it was pretty good. Many people laughed and didn’t take it seriously but if you are a horror film buff like me, you look beyond what the normal population see and think and acknowledge the work that was put into this type of film and appreciate it.

I unfortunately never got to see the second film but I actually have it on record now so this week will be a sum up of all the films for me.

The third film was much better than the first purely because of budget. The effects were better and the setting was a bit more varied. The first film obviously had a lower budget and was set purely in the home of the couple. As the first and second film grossed so much with lower budgets, the third film had the luxury of more money and therefore had a better quality to it.

I love documentary style films when they are done right. This film did not have that shaky, hand-held video camera style that makes you feel a bit sick watching it. The cameras are mainly stand-alone ones which was better viewing for me. The characters were really well developed as more time was spent learning about them. The film started in present day and back tracked to the past when the sisters (the women from the first and second films) were young.

The film revolves around why the girls are haunted in their present lives. I love how the third film explains much more about the women and how they are personally susceptible to haunting, not the homes. I won’t give away the ending to the film but all I can say is it is quite creepy!

I am personally scared when children are involved in horror films. It is a common theme in films to choose children as the ones who have the link to the ghost realm as it is a well known phenomenon that children are more susceptible to these things. Take ‘Sixth Sense’, ‘Amityville’, and ‘The Shining’ to name a few films that incorporate children who see ghosts or demons.

There are some genuinely scary bits in this film. There are some good quality jump moments and suspense that builds up to the main events and this is what makes a good horror film. There are moments that are slow going but it all adds to the suspense and if you are a lover of horror films similar to this; you understand that it is all about patience.

I like the characters in this film. Dennis is definitely a leading man and you really root for him in this film, he is very likeable. There are comedy elements, especially thanks to the character of Dennis and his sidekick who helps him track down the ghost in his home. I like it when there is comedy cleverly thrown into horror films as it takes a lot of talent and timing to make a film funny and scary at the same time.

They have cleverly released this film close to Halloween to no doubt have another big grossing film. The release of a film is almost as important as the film itself as this determines the amount of people who will actually go to the cinema rather than doing the dreaded download! The cinema was packed when I went and I know many other showings have been. This will hopefully be another success!

My view: I do recommend this film to horror lovers. There are some really intense, goose bumps on the back of your neck, type of scares. It is the best of the three films so get yourself down to the cinema this Halloween!

Note: This review is going to be featured on @Sliderbee's blog > IMT Movies Reviews

Guest Blogger

Hello Readers!

I am a lover of promo and all I ever want to do on twitter @trishaaa_, is to help other budding bloggers and writers to succeed. Every little helps and since I was featured on Angelique's blog sexyatmidnight.com I thought I should return the kind favour! Guest blogging is a great way to help others out but also to get your name out there too! Tweeters and bloggers love those who help so start being generous and earning those followers!

So here is the post provided by the @Fashion_Fairy herself:

Hi lovely ladies!  My name is Angelique Ell and I’m a newly-wed girl with a passion for make-up, fashion and anything girly!  I’m an avid baker, sewer and gardener and really enjoy keeping myself in tip-top condition.  You can always count on me for an honest and true opinion on anything, as I pride myself on those traits.  I’ve also recently graduated on a BSc Biological and Forensic Science degree at Coventry University and hope to bring my scientific experience into researching the beauty market.  Please come and visit me on my blog at http://sexyatmidnight.blogspot.com. 

Coats, coats, coats...that is the one fashion item that I definitely have to replace this year!   Winter is here with vengeance...and apparently we’ll be getting snow soon!  This is a rather scary thought, because it feels like yesterday when we last had winter.  Where did the summer go?? Did we even HAVE a summer??  I’m not convinced!

Back to coats though!  I’m really thinking about getting myself a parka coat, because they seem to be very multifunctional.  There are times in my life where I look ‘smart’ but for the most part I enjoy being more ‘relaxed’. 

River Island is currently selling this particular parka jacket for an eye-watering £90, but I’d be happy to pay that amount, if I get a few years worth of wear out of it. 

However, there are many different coats that are ‘big news’ this Autumn/Winter 2011 season.  The biggest sellers this winter will undoubtedly be faux fur, leather, gilets, parkas, structured coats and duffle coats.  For the more adventurous individuals there is also the option of padded jackets...I’m not that confident in this look.  This may be because I want to avoid looking like the ‘Michelin Man’!  Hahaha!

Duffle (above) and structured coat (below) courtesy of River Island

Top picture:  Leather jacket with Mongolian Fur Collar from River Island

Bottom picture:  Leather jacket with faux fur collar from River Island

So which one takes your fancy? If you want to browse the coats/jackets on the River Island website, please click here.

 Love Angie xxx

My view: I am loving Angelique's post on coats, since I have recently purchased my new fabulous winter coat! I am a lover of leopard print and got a lovely faux fur one for just £70 from Boohoo!

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I am eagerly waiting for this to arrive!

So please have a look at Angelique's blog if you like her post! She blogs about beauty, fashion, baking and so much more! Everything a girl could want to read about!

Trisha xxx

Egypt

I love visiting places with historical meaning and culture. When I got the chance to visit Egypt I was so excited as straight away I had in my mind – The Pyramids! I decided to stay in the more tourist destination in the south of Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh. It was known as a fishing village but has now extended to being a major port. This was recommended to me by other travellers as they said the beaches were beautiful and the nightlife was good.

Well the beaches certainly were beautiful. The sea it resides on is the Red Sea, the views were amazing! I stayed in the Royal Albatross Moderna Hotel. This is a 5 star hotel situated on the beach called Napq Bay. It was about 17km from the main centre Naama-Bay.

The hotel was large and very nice. The front reception was glamorous, the staff were friendly but unfortunately the room I had was not up to standard. I was given a ground floor room when asked for a sea-view but as I arrived in the middle of the night I decided not to kick up a fuss and just enjoy myself regardless. The room was rather small but it had all the commodities I needed, TV, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

The hotel was of course all-inclusive. I do highly recommend this for Egypt as there is the warning of having an upset stomach due to the water. I ate at the hotel most days unless I ventured to Naama-Bay to visit other friends staying there.  I also suggest taking precautions like not using the tap water to brush your teeth, use bottled water always and ask for extra water to be stocked in the room.

The hotel food had variety, chefs that cooked in front of you and a lovely desert range. There are also separate restaurants you can visit or the Pizzeria for lunch. There are even Crepes in the afternoon. Food-wise this restaurant is definitely up to scratch! Just be aware there are some restaurants that are included and some with extra charge.

Poolside was lovely. There were always enough sun beds available so don’t worry about getting up at the break of dawn to reserve one! I have now seen that there have been some developments to the hotel since my visit. They have an Aqua Park and a new Irish style bar that has up to 39 combinations of coffee, all still inclusive in your stay! There is also a kids club so this is a great place for families.

I have to say the beaches look beautiful but please be aware of sea urchins as they are everywhere! I noticed many people purchased special shoes to enable them to swim in the sea and not hurt their feet! I do recommend taking the snorkelling trip provided at the hotel for extra charge. This is a great day out. You get to venture into the depths of the Red Sea with a group of other tourists and see all the colourful coral reefs. You also get to visit a shipwreck, there are plenty of wrecks but on this particular one it is raised above the sea for clear viewing near the Tiran Island.

Naama-Bay has to be my favourite part of Sharm El Sheikh as it is the hotspot! There are markets, shops, perfumery (which is big in Egypt) as well as Shisha! There are plenty of Shisha places to go to with a variety of flavours. I adore Shisha so I made the most of my visits and made some friends with the locals! Be aware when shopping that the locals do tend to haggle and try and get you to buy so don’t get caught up in conversation unless you are seriously interested!  Also the nightclubs reside here in Naama-Bay and I recommend going to Pacha!

My friends stayed at the Hilton Hotel in Naama-Bay so I got to have a look around the hotel and would definitely recommend it! It is in the centre of all the hustle and bustle, it has great restaurants and if I went to Egypt again I would stay there.

Near the end of my trip I visited Cairo as I had to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx. It is a very long trip. You wake up at 3am to board a plane to Cairo and do not arrive until early hours of the next morning. There is a coach option which is cheaper but significantly longer. Once in Cairo there is a major difference from Sharm; it is far more crowded and intense. On the trip they do take you to a local Perfumery, the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. You even get a chance to have a look at King Tutankhamun's tomb and gold head mask found mostly intact.

They are all great to visit but for me the cherry on top of this trip was seeing the Pyramids. I have never been so excited. It is one of the seven wonders and so impressive. You can see them in the surrounding towns and the thought of the locals waking up to this sight everyday is amazing.  There are three main pyramids to visit. However there are many scattered around Cairo which can be viewed if you explore Cairo in further depth.

The three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis are a true spectacle. You get to actually touch them, go inside one of them and visit a market next to them.  The largest of the pyramids was thought to be built for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu[1].

The Sphinx is the next visit on this trip which is a short walk from the Pyramids.  It is a human head on a lion’s body and stands on the Giza Plateau.  The Sphinx’s origin is still debated as there are conflicting views about who built it and who it was for. There are so many chances to take photographs but again be aware of people and young children trying to sell you items, and watch your bags!

This visit also allows you to see the Nile. It runs through 11 countries and is approximately 6,650 km[2].  There are forest-like areas on the banks of the Nile and it does make a noticeable impression on the scenery.

My view: Egypt is worth the visit, just to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx. I was so happy to have seen the sights I saw but due to the trip I had to take to see them I wouldn’t go back too soon!  The weather is boiling so you get an amazing tan, the scenery is lovely and it is a once in a lifetime visit.

Note: All photos are my own

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nile

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Halloween Poetry

In the run up to All Hallow's Eve I have been collaborating with a fantastic tweeter @johnnywhizzbang to create poems that relate to some eery photographs. Via his website,  I have posted a few poems that link to the photographs provided by him.

His website is sufficiently creepy and spine-chilling for this time of year. Halloween is one of my favourite holidays as I love trick or treating, the ghost stories told and of course the ritual horror movie fest.

Here are the poems that have been featured so far, there will be more in the run up to the 31st October but I thought I would share the genius of this site to all those people (like me) who appreciate this sort of art.

''Darkness engulfs the room

I hear empty whispers of lost regrets

Shifting moves in the faint moonlight

Their eyes fixate on my human presence''

''Empty vessels carry years of loneliness

Laughing demons trick those who listen

Together on this one frivolous night

These creatures rise to give us a fright''

''The night draws close and I hear them howl

They cry towards the moon and know they are heard

Creeping through their lives with a hidden secret

On this night they shall be revealed''

I have done a print-screen so you can just see my specific poems but please go to the actual website and have a look, you won't be disappointed >  http://johnnywhizzbangshalloween.tumblr.com/

Also, if you love horror movies like myself, have a look at my TOP 10 Horror Movies by clicking the link. Let me know your favourite horror films too!

My twitter handle: @trishaaa_

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Cast: James Franco (Will Rodman), Andy Zerkis (Caesar the ape), John Lithgow (Will’s Father, Charles), Frieda Pinto (Will’s girlfriend, Caroline)

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I finally got down to the cinema to see ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’. I had watched the trailer and decided it looked good as it clearly had a lot of CGI spent on it to create the ape, Caesar. I had seen the previous films a few years back and so I thought the latest edition would be worth the watch.

I wasn’t as keen on the ‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001) as I didn’t feel it was real enough for me. I enjoyed the character of Captain Leo, played by Mark Wahlberg as he played his part well. He was believable, manly and relatable but I feel his co-stars weren’t as likeable. When I heard James Franco was going to be in the 2011 film, I was sure it would be a hit. Since his success in films such as ‘Spiderman’, I have liked watching him on screen. He has a commanding presence and a charm about him.

This film was recommended to me by quite a few people so when I first sat down to watch the film; I had a reassurance that it would be enjoyable. The cinema was packed and throughout the film there was a silence that indicated to me everyone was enthralled in the film. I was pleasantly surprised to see John Lithdow playing the character of Will’s father. He is a fantastic actor and I like that the theme of this film paralleled with his previous work in  ‘Harry and the Hendersons’ (1987) where he has a large ‘bigfoot’ creature living in his home.

What I liked about this film is firstly the CGI effects of the ape, Caeser, played by Andy Zerkis. He is best known for his work in ‘Lord of the Rings’ as Gollum. The effects highlight the developments in special effects since the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ (1968) where they wore costume instead.

 You empathise with Caesar and his facial expressions are so human, which is the point of the film. He was born from an ape that was tested on to try and discover the cure for Alzheimer’s. Will’s Father has Alzheimer’s in the film and he wants to begin human testing as soon as possible as his Fathers condition is worsening. This film explains the rise of the apes that become infected with this test sample which enable them to communicate more intelligently, plan a takeover and eventually speak.

The relationship between Will and his Father is very sweet and you really do feel for Will in trying desperately to help him. He is a scientist and has all this knowledge and ‘proof’ this sample cure will work that he tests it on his Father prematurely only to find there are side effects. The sample only enhances apes and his relationship with Caesar becomes jeopardised when Caesar is taken away from him and he comes into contact with other, non-enhanced apes.

I like how the film ties up loose ends on how the apes were enhanced and able to think and communicate so intelligently.  It also adds in the element of infection from human to human as the sample is dangerous to non-apes.

More importantly in the film is Caesar’s relationship with Will and how he sees him like a Father but inevitably notices he is different from Will. Due to his rising intelligence he begins to question where he is from. When he is captured and realises the apes he is with are not like him, he plans to lead them to freedom. He is not aggressive in the film as he has a good heart but that being said, he can’t control the other apes behaviours once they are infected.

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James Franco really is a leading man. He adds sincerity to the role and I found myself watching the film and not wanting it to end. The only criticism I have is the ending. I like the fact that Caesar asks permission from Will to go back into the forest with his new ape comrades to explore and be free, as it ties in with previous references. However it is left a little too open-ended and ambiguous for my liking.  I wanted to know a little more about the human infection spreading and what the apes overall intentions were once they escaped.

My view: The film is a definite must-see. If you enjoy action, emotion and special effects then you are in for a treat! It is an improvement from the previous films in my view and I am happily recommending James Franco as a leading man!

Note: This review is being featured on the Fashion_Fairy's blog sexyatmidnight.com, she focuses on fashion but loves to promote other blogs too! She is great at what she does so give her blog a look! Thankyou x

The Inbetweeners - The Movie (2011)

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The Cast: Simon Bird (Will), James Buckley (Jay), Blake Harrison (Neil), Joe Thomas (Simon)

The series of ‘The Inbetweeners’ first aired in 2008 and introduced us to the four misfits we have come to know and love from series to series. It focuses on a very geeky Will, his three friends and their experiences at school.  All of the series have been received very well, winning them the Audience Award at the BATA’s in 2010 and the Best Sitcom award at the BCA’s in 2011.

The movie was long awaited as it a natural development for a series like this, being very popular for relating to its target audience. I was desperate to see this when it came out. I haven’t been an avid watcher of the series but I had seen quite a few episodes and thought the film would be just up my street.



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For people who watch the series, some have said there have been episodes that have possibly been funnier than the film. As I cannot judge that as I have not seen every single episode of every series, I can only speak from the viewpoint of the film in its own right.

The film focuses on the four boys making a trip to Malia, Crete. They want to have a memorable summer and show their schoolmates that they can be just as cool as them! They have two things in mind: drinking and getting girls! It was a great marketing choice to release the film just after the summer as everyone came back from party destinations such as Malia, Ibiza, Magaloof and Ayia Napa to be reminded of the fun antics they got up to!

My friend and I watched the film and couldn’t wait to start planning our trip to Ibiza next year as the film got us in the mood to be back on holiday, partying away! The film is hilarious and had us in stitches most of the way through it. The characters are already established thanks to the series but the actors made their mark in the film world and proved they are not just for the small screen.

What I like about this film are the love interests. The girls are perfectly suited to the boys and you are rooting for them to get together. Many have complained that the ending was too much of a happy ending but I think for viewers who empathise with the boys, we want them to be happy and finally get the girl! It’s a nice way for the boys to finally get what they deserve as they are sweet, geeky boys who hardly have any luck so the film wraps up loose ends and actually cuts them a break!

The antics the boys get up to on the first night are totally hilarious, Neil’s moves are hard to resist and adding in the other boys, seriously how do they not get girls? That was definitely my favourite part of the film. It had the whole audience crying with laughter! In the cinema the film was a big hit, everyone laughed in unison at the majority of the jokes, except one guy in front who laughed a few seconds later every time, there’s always one!

The fact is, it captured many people’s holiday experiences, maybe not to such an extreme but it made people feel familiar with the location, situations and characters. The film compliments the series well and it is worth a watch!

My view: Highly recommended. This film is pure comedy and laughs with a hint of romance. What more do you want from a film based on such a successful and established series?

Please leave your feedback on this film or let me know via twitter: @Trishaaa_

Links: http://www.e4.com/inbetweeners/
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inbetweeners

My No1 Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio has been one of my favourite actors for a very long time. Actually scratch that, he IS my favourite actor of ALL time. I first watched him in ‘Titanic’ and I was amazed by his good looks and charm on screen. He has a genuine and likeable character that I adored as a young teenager, and obviously his natural good looks did do him favours. After that film I was a lover of DiCaprio and began following his work and back-tracking his previous films to be up-to-date with all that he had done.

I still have a few films of his to get through but what I love about DiCaprio is his choices in films. Not one of his films was a bad choice; they are all good quality in script, characters and effects for their time. Least of all he has the ability to hold his own on screen. From the beginning he gripped movie lovers with his believable performances and worked alongside some fantastic and well known actors.

In his very early career, he was seen in commercials and teen soaps such as ‘Growing Pains’ in the early 1990s but was soon making his name known in the films he first starred in.

DiCaprio’s films:

·         Critters 3 (1991)– his first film debut

·         This Boy’s Life(1992)– handpicked by Robert De Niro out of 400 young actors and received his first critical praise within the film industry for his fantastic performance as a trouble young boy with an abusive stepfather

·         What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) – Dicaprio supported Johnny Depp  in this emotional and thought provoking film where he played a young boy with learning disabilities

·         The Quick and The Dead (1995) – western based film where he played ‘The Kid’, real talent shown here even as a young actor in a supporting role

·         Basketball Diaries (1995)- leading role in this disturbing teenage thriller that opens your eyes to the world of drug addiction

·         Marvin’s Room (1996) – supporting role as a young boy in a mental institution helping his mother, played by Meryl Streep, come to terms with her father and sister’s illnesses

·         Romeo and Juliet (1996) – Fantastic as lead in this adaptation of Shakespeare’s original romantic-tragedy, using the original dialogue in a modern day film. Interesting and original concept

·         Titanic (1997) – The film to bring him international fame. Another lead role and perfectly suited as the worldly Jack Dawson. Please see my post on this for a more in-depth review

·         The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) – Played dual roles as a the villainous King Louis XIV and his locked up twin brother, again showing diversity in his roles and the ability to capture audiences

·         The Beach (2000) –Played a backpacking American who searches for a secret island commune with fellow friends to discover that all is not so serene

·         Catch Me If You Can (2002) – worked alongside Christopher Walken and Tom Hanks as a young impersonator who travelled the country for free and committed countless amounts of fraud, all before his 19^th birthday. He played a less dark character here, showing a varied acting ability

·         Gangs Of New York (2002) – Territorial gang warfare set in the mid-19^th Century of the Five Points district of New York, DiCaprio played the protagonist of the Irish faction, Amsterdam Vallon

·         The Aviator (2004) –Played Howard Hughes, the aviation pioneer who battled with OCD. Worked along Cate Blanchett and received 5 Academy Awards

·         Blood Diamond (2006)-Played diamond smuggler from Rhodesia and successfully mastered the south African Afrikaner accent

·         The Departed (2006)- played a state trooper who went undercover for an Irish mob in Boston and his role in this film earned him a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor

·         Body of Lies (2008) – paired with Russell Crowe for a spy film based around terrorist organisations and Revolutionary Road (2008) –  reunited with Kate Winslet where he portrayed a cowardly and un-heroic character than his previous films and his role in ‘Titanic’

·         Shutter Island (2010) –Fantastic in this film as an FBI investigator searching for the truth behind a missing inmate, it gets you thinking, plays on your mind and has a lot of twists. DiCaprio makes you want his character to succeed and discover the mystery of this institution as well as deeply sympathise with him

·         Inception (2010) – a film based around implanting or extracting ideas from dreams. Brilliant concept and excellent CGI effects, it is beautifully realised and just how one would imagine it. DiCaprio holds the film as the ‘extractor’ in this ‘dream-heist’

I am impressed by DiCaprio’s wealth of films as well as the quality of his acting. He doesn’t rush into playing a character, he truly realises them and almost becomes them. He learns the twitches, characteristics and accents for them and he suits every role he has played. Even with his youthful looks he has played some dark characters and made them his own.

Leonardo DiCaprio certainly knows about variety in his roles. He has played dark and disturbing characters, become a light-hearted comedian in some of his films to then acting in action-packed films or being the romantic everyman. He truly deserves the spot in Top 10 actors for me and with his skill, film choices and natural screen presence he is definitely my number 1!

Follow him on twitter as he is an active philanthropist: @LeoDiCaprio

His website: http://www.leonardodicaprio.com/

My favourite photos (just to indulge myself really):

Amsterdam!

Last year in January 2010, my friend Katie and I ventured to Amsterdam for a long weekend. We had never been there before but all of our friends had recommended it to us and told us where to go and what to visit. We booked our ticket very spur of the moment and off we went on the half an hour flight to the capital of the Netherlands.

We had been waiting to go on a trip together for a while so we were very excited. We enjoyed the ease of the short flight and were in the city before we even listened to five songs on our IPod. We grabbed a taxi and headed to our hotel which was about ten minutes away from the centre.

We stayed in Hotel Central Park and were advised by the taxi man not to walk through the park next door to us at night, as unsavoury goings on occur there! For a first night this worried us a little but as soon as we dropped our things in the small hotel room we were off to explore. We actually got lost for a good hour as we did not realise we had to take a tram to get into the centre and we did not realise what time they stopped running. We managed to find the centre point and we definitely made the most of our first night.

We found the best little coffee shop by the canal and stayed there most of the evening. I highly recommend ‘Easy Times’ as the staff are amazingly helpful and the vibe is very chilled. They play really good, relaxing music too. Lots of slow jamz!

Through being lost that first night we actually knew the place inside out! We headed back to the hotel and stopped by a convenience store to get some toothpaste and other essentials as we forgot quite a bit. Everything was in Dutch or Japanese which worried us and as you can see from the photo, our toothpaste turned out to be a disgusting mistake for Kate!

Amsterdam was originally a small fishing village in the 12^th Century and was named after the canal that runs through it. It is known now as the financial and cultural capital. We had a lot to see the next day when we finally explored the city in daylight.

As soon as we stepped out of the door we realised that overnight the whole city was covered in a blanket of beautiful white snow. It was so picturesque we took a million photos. We couldn’t believe our luck that we had come at this time of year to get snow we crave for in London!

Our first stop was of course the Van Gogh museum which is just before the main centre and accessible via the trams. We both love art so this was the perfect opportunity for us to brush up on our knowledge! We looked round for ages and admired his work. There is also an ice rink outside the museum. After that we spent ages in the snow, taking photos and had some lunch.

The cafes are what attract most people to Amsterdam, as well as the Red Light District but there is so much else to see. I must admit we did go to so many random, backstreet cafes as we loved the vibe but Bulldog is the most famous so we had to go there too! As I will soon be visiting again I am definitely staying at the Bulldog Hotel as this is the hotspot of the centre. There are so many hostels to stay in to make your stay a little cheaper and these are perfectly safe, the Bulldog also has a hostel too!

For Kate and I it was all about the shops and the architecture. The buildings were so beautiful and old looking we couldn’t stop looking up and taking photos. We shopped all day in the little random shops that sold some really quirky things. They have everything from old fashioned merry-go-rounds (which I purchased) to hemp lollies (which I also purchased)! We did of course venture into a few sex shops and I am keeping my lips sealed as to whether we purchased anything LOL.

We weren’t around to visit the flower stalls due to the weather as it wasn’t the right season for the famous tulips. It is also famous for its large amounts of bike riders as this, as well as the trams are the easiest forms of transport and I recommend being very road wary!

We found some strange artwork in the back part of the city and also featured on a show being filmed live in the square! We loved the little food stations where you could purchase hot food out of a mini vending machine. I have to say the food was pretty good. Our favourite place to eat was right in the main square, the pancake house!

For us the trip was finding out about the cultural elements of the city and we definitely found the place to be interesting. The people were so friendly and the vibe of the whole city is very laid back. The bars and restaurants are really nice and there is a great and varied nightlife!

There have been rumours that weed will only be legal to residents of the Netherlands but this has been widely criticised so it's very doubtful this will happen any time soon. Also there is a sex museum we never got to visit as well as festivals on the canal that take place over the summer months.  There is also a beautiful theatre in the heart of Amsterdam called the Stadsschouwburg which has been around since 1894.

So my overall impression of Amsterdam was a very favorable one. Since I am planning a second trip I think that says it all. It has fun and cultural elements which will suit anyone of any age. My own Mother made a trip this year with her friend and had the best time! She has so many funny stories from her trip so I can safely say that it suits everyone. If you choose to go in the winter like we did, or like my Mother in the summer, it is still a beautiful place to visit, whatever the weather as you can still do everything you set out to do.

Here are a few more photos we took from our trip:

Note: All photos taken by myself and Kate

Follow me on: @trishaaa_