Summer is approaching and that means it’s time to book that last minute flight and have a great escape over a long weekend. 

You want somewhere chilled but also exciting and obviously filled with culture! Amsterdam is a city with an abundance of all three of those things plus a whole lot more - as we're sure you've probably heard. 

With a city so packed it can be hard to work out what to narrow it down to, so I thought I’d help you by taking a trip and letting you know my pick for the 5 things to do whilst in Amsterdam.

Visit a ‘Coffeeshop’

Let’s face it, this is the sole reason half the tourists visit Amsterdam in the first place. 

The coffee shops are really nice places and not at all how the uninitiated might imagine. The staff are friendly for the most part and happy to advise those of us that aren’t regular visitors. 

Try not to buy too much as you’ll no doubt want to try lots of different shops around the city. It’s well worth having a look online at the menus and checking out reviews of the shops to make sure you are getting a good deal. 

We recommend going and sitting inside with a coffee (the name coffee shop isn’t a joke, the coffee is really great) and just relaxing. Do as others do and bring your own paraphernalia because not everywhere will have some to lend out. You can get this stuff in just about any shop in the city. 

Oh and don’t go into a place labelled “Café” or “Koffiehuis” and try to buy weed, that’s just as bad as trying to buy some in your local café at home.

Journey through the Red Light District

The walk through the infamous Red Light District was really something. There is absolutely nothing like it anywhere else I’ve been. There’s not too much to say on the subject as it is hard to put the atmosphere into words but just go and you’ll understand. So, so strange.

Go to Amsterdam's Museumplein (Museum Square)

There are a few reasons to do this but you’ll want to save it for a sunny day. First off you need to get the compulsory cliché photo with the ‘I Amsterdam’ sign so you can use it as your Facebook cover photo for the next three months. 

Secondly take a look a look at the building behind the sign. What you are now staring at, open mouthed, is Rijksmuseum. Amsterdam has a vast array of unique and wonderful architecture but this was my personal favourite. After you’re done gawking you can sit and relax with some food in the lovely park and move on to the next attraction.

Plenty other strange museums around the city too - from the famous sex museum to Rembrandt house, and of course, as we'll chat about, the home of Vincent Van Gough.

Visit Van Gough

Technically this could be included in the point above as it one of the three museums located in the square, but I felt this one deserved some special attention. 

A perhaps unexpected highlight of the holiday was the visit to see the masterpieces inside the Van Gough museum. The art is truly mind blowing and a must see. 

It was pretty strange to see all of the pictures that you see on TV and learn about in school in real life and it definitely left an impression. Even if you’re not an art enthusiast this one should be on your list. Hell, it should be on your list even if you’re not going to Amsterdam.

Enjoy the alcohol

Bit of a strange one and probably not the thing that jumps in to your head when thinking about the Dam but the Dutch have a rich history filled with beers and spirits. 

Home of Heineken, Grolsch and Bols, not to meantion being the birthplace of Genever (The spirit that Gin was inspired by and reason for the phrase “dutch courage”) you should definitely immerse yourself in activities Amsterdam has to offer. 

The Heineken factory tour and a visit to The House of Bols come highly recommended. After all, what’s a holiday without a few drinks.

If you're looking for a more out of town/tourist experience and to really take in the culture, get along to Canvas - an art gallery and cocktail bar on the 7th floor of a building that turns into a club on Fridays and Saturdays. Music policy comes from funk and soul to house and techno, and with an open air panoramic view of the city from the balcony outside, this is a place a bit off the map that is well worth a trip.

The Dam square has plenty good nightlife going for it too - pretty much tourist central come dark. We ended up partying in an old comedy club called Chicago Boom where half the rooms are filled with folk smoking and the other half is electronic music. It was pretty insane.

                                                                                                                                Robbie Ambrose

From China to the United Kingdom and The Edinburgh Playhouse, Immortal Chi wowed the Scottish capital with an entirely unique production on 13 June.

The show, from the team behind the acclaimed Shaolin Warriors, was created and directed by Erick Villeneueve – director of Cirque du Soleil – and the choreography of the show is truly commendable.

The outrageously talented martial arts were offered up by fast-moving, high-jumping experts who showed off everything from impeccable weaponry skills and balancing acts to amazingly timed flag and ribbon work which left the audience on the edge of their seats.

Accompanying these expertise were Chinese drummer women – also profoundly skilled in their art – who brought a real sense of the traditional culture to the Scottish audience that will have been very rarely seen before.

Throughout the performances, whether men or women, ribbon or drum work, martial arts or weaponry, the choreography was impeccably timed and irresistibly flowing. The traditional Wushu techniques, acrobatics, and drumming really brought the traditional out to the Scottish crowd, and while at times it proved a little confusing, much work must have gone in to the perfection of the routines, a factor which did much to improve the standard of the show.

Certainly, one of the biggest shocks of the evening was at the end of the show when the cast of the production took their bow and a quick headcount showed there were only 15 men and eight women involved in the entertainment.

The martial art work and acrobats had moved so quickly that at times it seemed like there were double that number on stage. It felt we were watching the kind of guys who control in kung-fu video games and think ‘it’d be cool if there was actually someone who could do all this’.

The costumes during all of this was wonderful too – the Chi master sporting a traditional red outfit while the rest of the cast switched between signature white and more warrior based costumes.

It was a shame that the props weren’t quite up to task at times though. While the Shinais and bamboo shafts were more than up to scratch, the spearheads and swords looked flimsy, wobbling as their holder performed.

This took away from the insanely badass martial-arts being performed – which were effectively 15 Chinese guys showing off the seemingly endless mannerisms in which they could beat the shit out of me if they really wanted. It was really quite impressive, it’s just unfortunate the props didn’t match the talents of the cast.

The original score was a joy to behold however, with wonderful violin driving a traditional Chinese soundtrack. During some of the multi-media work, which projected large concept scenery on to the big screen and saw an individual perform around it, the live showing became somewhat more sceptical and illegitimate, but during these segments the music was at its best – saving a section that was otherwise not quite up to the high standards of the rest of the show.

Elsewhere, the comedy value on offer from a makeshift postman ties in crowd participation with martial arts and played on stereotypes established in the movies to provide an enjoyable break from the fast-pace of the rest of the show.

Verdict: There wasn’t much storyline, but that didn’t take away from what was a wonderful showcase of Chinese culture in the end. Occasionally it was a little confusing, and as mentioned the props could have been improved, but ultimately it was a unique production which captured the traditional Chinese experience well for the Edinburgh crowd.

                                                                                                                                   Stuart Kenny