This place is perfect!

Is it just me or is Holland the most perfectly laid out country ever. My very first impression was that it reminded me a little of le corbusier's plans for paris with beautifully straight avenues all over the place. To say i enjoyed holland would be an understatement. I could definitely spend my year out working and studying there.Lets start with the boat trip though..... I love the sea, I love the idea that i cant fathom the depth underneath me, its an intriguing un-certainty and welcome fear. I also love that show Deadliest Catch. I would seriously consider spending a full season or two on a fishing boat, imagine what kind of person that would make you if you survived that.

Holland was a contrast to the harsh, un-predictable sea. Not to say that it was predictable but it seemed so organised and arranged, and i guess it is arranged, what with the land reclamation its basically a blank canvas. Almere simply was a bl

ank canvas for OMA. I found almere incredibly sterile thoug

h, although i admired the idea and some of the buildings i couldn't warm to it. It was like the idea, the masterplan was there and yeh that was a great idea, an Architects dream really to design an entire city from scratch. however the execution wasn't as perfect. Some of the buildings i felt were cheaply and badly finished, very plastic. I thought if a school was landed in the middle of it with a tonne of kids to come out and impose a bit of attitude on the place as only kids could, that might grunge it up slightly, make it look lived in.

Utrecht as well was quite neat, but more fairy tale like and delicate. All i could think of the whole time i was there was In bruges. I really did like Utrecht, the canals were beautiful.

The newer parts of amsterdam also seemed all perfectly laid out. My absolute favourite place was the canal houses where each one was different. That was just such a pleasant space and despite the fact that each house was different that place was truly perfect in my mind