Budget airline Jet2 is now flying twice a day from Leeds/Bradford Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol.

Sam Strangeways hopped on a flight and spent a few hours in the Dutch Capital

THE image of thousands upon thousands of bicycles parked one on top of the other in the centre of Amsterdam is quite breathtaking.

Still, it wasn't enough to persuade me to spend my brief day there perched on one. With less than nine hours between my incoming flight and journey home, it would probably have been a sensible way to get around the city, but, determined to spend as much time as possible parting with my hard-earned cash, I opted instead for a guided trip along the canals, followed by several hours shopping on foot.

First though, there was a delicious, if unusual, lunch to be eaten at Smits Koffiehuis, opposite the Centraal train station.

I heartily approve of the way the Dutch eat. Lots of little courses, consisting of bread or cheese or fruit or malt loaf or ginger cake. Very tasty. Plus a coffee or tea course in the middle of the meal.

Fortified by so much food, I embarked on the next stage of my trip, a whistle-stop tour of the city by canal boat.

There was lots to see, including Anne Frank's House, the famous "brown" cafes and hundreds of pretty, static barge homes. But to explore Amsterdam and its culture properly would take far longer than I had.

That in mind, I headed for the main shopping area around Dam Square. And what a lot of shopping there was to be done! In an hour I managed to purchase a woolly hat for my boyfriend, a baby's head scarf, lots of perfume and chocolate and of course, some tulip bulbs. No Edam or Gouda cheese unfortunately. I looked but apparently the best place to buy cheese is in markets outside the city.

At the end of the day I was left, not surprisingly, with weary feet and an even wearier credit card. But, having only gone there for the day and saved on hotel bills, I really didn't feel that guilty at all.

TRAVELFACTS

Jet 2 flies to Amsterdam from Leeds/Bradford Airport at 7am and 6.20pm every day. Return flights from Amsterdam are at 10.15am and 9.15pm. Fares start from £15 one-way including taxes. Visit www.jet2.com for more details.