The hostel... Van Helder I believe was a lifesaver!
It's still Sunday and after returning from Betty's we smoker a bit of their haze; tasty, clean and good burning with a nice morning high. I take this opportunity to catch an hour or so snooze myself and awake with enough time to bop out for one more round of the town while the wife sleeps a bit more.
I wander the red light aimlessly and wind up right back at the dam so it's a grab and go at Babylon.
The menu hasn't changed and I opt for the 8 euro a gram whose name has escaped me... I roll one back at the room, wake the wife and after a toke or two we make our way down the damrak to catch a bike tuck to the office outside the Museumplein.
Checked in we make the arduous journey to the oud zuid by Vondelpark to our apartment and it's AMAZING! Front French doors with a small balcony overlooking our rather ritzy street and a good sized balcony with table and chairs off the enormous bedroom. Unfortunately we were unable to utilize the kitchen since the oven wouldn't light, the stove top wouldn't hold a pilot and the microwave threw off sparks!
My wife got comfy and I headed out to explore. Starving I wandered into Vondelpark and quaffed down a tasty frank with onion, mustard, fresh chopped pickle and enjoyed the great vibe. It was Sunday so everyone and their dog was out enjoying the sun and walm temps. I stapled on my pod and started playing the verve's first album and strutted out determined to find my first shop of th area!
Hasj Dreamer in town Now!
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HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
-
puffpuffgive
- Posts: 763
- Joined: Sat 31st May 2008 09:21 pm
- Location: UK
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HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
Thanks for the bump, I'm awake now!
SUNDAY, JUNE 13
First, a flash-back to BETTY'S with "BETTY'S HAZE" @ 12 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0816.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0815.jpg
With the wife tucked away comfy in the Oud Zuid apartment,
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0811.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0810.jpg
I venture out to explore our new neighborhood like a dry tree seeking water, walking through Vondelpark onto the Overtoom and DETERMINED to find a coffeeshop!
First I take a right onto the Overtoom, heading towards the Museum area but don't find Tweedy and decide to turn around and keep walking west, retracing my steps and going further down the O'toom. I remember passing some shop a year ago on our scooter and I'm pretty sure I read about one here on the forum so I keep going. Is that it? Nope, a cafe. That one? Uh uh, a bar. Are we there yet? Wait...the tell tale sign of neon (where else has neon in Amsterdam other than a coffeeshop?) and, well, it looks almost like softland:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0809.jpg
BLUE LAGOON
Ahhh, I've arrived! Ghana is playing on the widescreen and a few locals are gathered around a pool table watching the game. I step up to the counter and ask for the menu...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0807.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0808.jpg
The staff and clientele are pretty much all moroccan/black but I'm welcomed readily and, when I ask what the tender suggests for a nice hasj, he points to the 7 euro gram "KABOUTER"
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0817.jpg
As good as it looks! I smoked some later at the room and it was soft and squishy, fresh...clean, worth alot more than 7 e/g I'll tell ya!
I also needed some budz for the woman (when she wakes up) and picked up an upbeat smoke to kick off the evening:
AMNESIA 12 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0814.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0813.jpg
Now, I got to tell you guys reading this...the wife and I are, what, on trip 11? We find ourselves smoking a less intense selection and relying on tried and true favorites and Amnesia Haze (with Super Polms!) were number one on our trip. This haze, like the others, did NOT let us down and we were treated to a well manicured bud with that quirky taste and soaring "let's GO" high!
But first I chilled in the Lagoon, smoking the last of my Bulldog stash (still surprisingly good..) and sipping a soda, watching the game. I'm starting to feel at home and it shows as a touring French couple pick my brain for directions AND how to properly say "thanks" and "hello" in Dutch and one of the tenders sits down and chats with me about his love of baseball (and how he plays over in Amsterdam).
I'm high, relaxed and in DESPERATE need of a shower! It's around 4pm or so and I head back to the apartment and pass out in bed next to my snoozing wife for an hour or so and wake up to a hot shower and clean clothes...
Alright, more to come!
-HD
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
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DeathRowRecords
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Mon 14th Sep 2009 02:14 pm
- Location: E1-E17, London, England
Thanks for the entertaining report HD, nice pics & props especially for all the new menus I saw on csfroghollow.nl earlier (good work FlyByNite, an excellent resource). Great to hear De Graal was a regular stop during your stay, it is my favourite cs - just hope there's some Super Cheese left (although the stuff in the UK isn't bad at all) in September, flight & 5 nights in De Pijp booked last week.
Looking fwd to the details of the rest of your trip.
Looking fwd to the details of the rest of your trip.
10 B&H + a packet of rizla,not the greens
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HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
The Chez WASN'T 5 e/g (sorry 'bout that), but a 5 e BAG (more than a half gram, I'll have to check the menu).
The Super Chez DID sell out toward the end of our trip but I'm sure they'll be well stocked soon!
Sucks about the US losing to Ghana yesterday...
Oh well, GO HOLLAND!!!
SUNDAY, JUNE 13
Little did I know crawling into bed with my wife for a snooze would 'cause her a near heart attack (and me a near beat-down!)... she woke up disoriented and thought a stranger crawled into bed with her and almost hit me with the table lamp!! I slept obliviously and she dozed back off!
'round 6pm or so I wake up and hop into the shower and brush and floss. Dang, it feels good to be human again! I wake up the gal and she groggily crawls out of bed still dressed with her coat on shivering; "why don't you take a shower? If you're still tired you can go back to bed".
She nods and heads off to the bathroom only to emerge 20 minutes later with a spring in her step and color in her face..."l need some coffee!". She's BAAACK!
We dress and smoke some Betty's Haze to help propel us out into the beautiful sunny evening and the Cornelis Schuytstraat welcomes us with open arms (and closed stores)!
We head towards to museum area in search of the closest coffeeshop...
PACIFIC
Now I now what you're thinking, what about Tweedy? Well, I couldn't find it earlier so I didn't want to go searching and I had already been to Blue Lagoon that morning so we head south-east in that little area between the museum district and the pijp and, after maybe 20 minutes or so, find it easily.
Nice menu, thought I got a pic but I guess I didn't (probably because we didn't buy any product). Hung out, watched some footy and drank coffee and smoked hasj - kabouter I imagine. Very nice little smoking area and a popular local mixed with expat vibe going on. If it weren't for de Graal we'd have gone back more than once I'm sure.
MORE than ready to eat, we walk around the corner in search of grub. First we pass the legendary Cafe Loetje (more on THAT later!) but my wife and I want to start off light so it's onto the Cuypstraat (the part with a road and trains, not yet into the market area) and find a killer little Italian pizza joint that would satisfy our cheap but good hunger needs throughout our visit. We split a 4 cheese pizza and tomato soup and, I believe, a beer each (she IS feeling better!). A note about their menu: EVERY pizza was 5 euro! Cheese, veggie, meat, fish...whatever. They were ALL only 5 euro. How did it taste? Amazing and typical Dutch/Italian: thin, crispy with burnt edges, saucy enough and treated with local fresh cheeses. The tomato soup was homemade and had a small dollop of creme on top.
With our belly's full and the edge off the flight, we wander two doors down to what would become our home away from home...
DE GRAAL
Tucked at the entrance of the Cuypstraat this unassuming little coffeeshop won our hearts from the get-go. You walk into the outer room to purchase your product. The menu IS perfect.. 5 euro deals, by the gram deals, 10/20/50 euro deals and a basic weit selection (although prime) and an AMAZING hasj selection ranging from Marocs to Lebs, Indian's, Nepals and Kashmirs...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0837.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0838.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0839.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0840.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0843.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0844.jpg
We opt for a varied selection of indica and hasj:
BIO SHIVA 5 euro worth
GOLDRUP BIO 5 euro
SUPER POLM 10 euro (over a gram I believe...)
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0818.jpg
Our budtender that evening is the pleasant chap with a scruffy beard and round spectacles who quietly but in a VERY friendly manner shows us the selection and explains the details. After purchasing we are buzzed into the main area and order our beverages from the same gent and begin our week-long love affair with the shop, staff and patrons.
While waiting for our drinks, my wife wanders up the short flight of stairs into the "official" smoking room:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0824.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0823.jpg
Comfy-ass chairs with tables and wireless internet at the ready. The table in the rear (left side heading in) became our default spot throughout the week and soon we would have bowls of snacks waiting for us on game day! The wife settles in and checks her email, rolling an Amnesia backwoods from an earlier stash (I like the smoking areas, you can roll 'blunts' without anyone giving you a hard time!) while I wait for drinks and begin chatting.
Soon enough I've befriended a couple of locals and we're discussing football (of course) and Dutch politics giving me a unique perspective on the right leading, Geert Wilders political view: I believe these guys TRULY don't dislike Muslim immigrants (this seemingly proven by the mixed Muslim/Dutch crowd, some of which were in on our conversation), they REALLY, REALLY, REALLY dislike their adherence to their religion. They HATE religion in any form, be it Christianity, Judaism or Islam and I think would react in a similar way to some of the Christian groups in the US. Of course, don't get me wrong... I think Wilders is a fucking tool stirring up hatred through sarcism and cynicism. My wife and I have been welcomed in the most Moroccan of coffeeshops (as you will read) so I can only judge the people I've met and they've been QUITE kind and welcoming! It was, however, interesting to see where the stirrings of unrest seem to be coming from.
The political talk ends soon enough and we're joined in the smoking room and talks of futbol, the US/British tie and the Dutch prospects for the next day ensue. Holland and futbol would dominate most conversations throughout the week as the Dutch seemingly have abandoned ALL other hot-button issues the wife and I expected to be bombarded with including Obama, the oil spill and Jans van der Slooth! Orange flags are everywhere and footy fever has begun!
We smoke, sip cafe, chat with our new friends including an expat Brit who is teething at the British squad for their piss-poor performance against the US. We're BAKED and head out to find our apartment after being told "we're closing in 20 minutes". Almost midnight already? We wander, finding some cool visuals along the way...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0823.jpg
Finally finding our new "home", we settle in and turn in for the night...
-HD
The Super Chez DID sell out toward the end of our trip but I'm sure they'll be well stocked soon!
Sucks about the US losing to Ghana yesterday...
Oh well, GO HOLLAND!!!
SUNDAY, JUNE 13
Little did I know crawling into bed with my wife for a snooze would 'cause her a near heart attack (and me a near beat-down!)... she woke up disoriented and thought a stranger crawled into bed with her and almost hit me with the table lamp!! I slept obliviously and she dozed back off!
'round 6pm or so I wake up and hop into the shower and brush and floss. Dang, it feels good to be human again! I wake up the gal and she groggily crawls out of bed still dressed with her coat on shivering; "why don't you take a shower? If you're still tired you can go back to bed".
She nods and heads off to the bathroom only to emerge 20 minutes later with a spring in her step and color in her face..."l need some coffee!". She's BAAACK!
We dress and smoke some Betty's Haze to help propel us out into the beautiful sunny evening and the Cornelis Schuytstraat welcomes us with open arms (and closed stores)!
We head towards to museum area in search of the closest coffeeshop...
PACIFIC
Now I now what you're thinking, what about Tweedy? Well, I couldn't find it earlier so I didn't want to go searching and I had already been to Blue Lagoon that morning so we head south-east in that little area between the museum district and the pijp and, after maybe 20 minutes or so, find it easily.
Nice menu, thought I got a pic but I guess I didn't (probably because we didn't buy any product). Hung out, watched some footy and drank coffee and smoked hasj - kabouter I imagine. Very nice little smoking area and a popular local mixed with expat vibe going on. If it weren't for de Graal we'd have gone back more than once I'm sure.
MORE than ready to eat, we walk around the corner in search of grub. First we pass the legendary Cafe Loetje (more on THAT later!) but my wife and I want to start off light so it's onto the Cuypstraat (the part with a road and trains, not yet into the market area) and find a killer little Italian pizza joint that would satisfy our cheap but good hunger needs throughout our visit. We split a 4 cheese pizza and tomato soup and, I believe, a beer each (she IS feeling better!). A note about their menu: EVERY pizza was 5 euro! Cheese, veggie, meat, fish...whatever. They were ALL only 5 euro. How did it taste? Amazing and typical Dutch/Italian: thin, crispy with burnt edges, saucy enough and treated with local fresh cheeses. The tomato soup was homemade and had a small dollop of creme on top.
With our belly's full and the edge off the flight, we wander two doors down to what would become our home away from home...
DE GRAAL
Tucked at the entrance of the Cuypstraat this unassuming little coffeeshop won our hearts from the get-go. You walk into the outer room to purchase your product. The menu IS perfect.. 5 euro deals, by the gram deals, 10/20/50 euro deals and a basic weit selection (although prime) and an AMAZING hasj selection ranging from Marocs to Lebs, Indian's, Nepals and Kashmirs...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0837.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0838.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0839.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0840.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0843.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0844.jpg
We opt for a varied selection of indica and hasj:
BIO SHIVA 5 euro worth
GOLDRUP BIO 5 euro
SUPER POLM 10 euro (over a gram I believe...)
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0818.jpg
Our budtender that evening is the pleasant chap with a scruffy beard and round spectacles who quietly but in a VERY friendly manner shows us the selection and explains the details. After purchasing we are buzzed into the main area and order our beverages from the same gent and begin our week-long love affair with the shop, staff and patrons.
While waiting for our drinks, my wife wanders up the short flight of stairs into the "official" smoking room:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0824.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0823.jpg
Comfy-ass chairs with tables and wireless internet at the ready. The table in the rear (left side heading in) became our default spot throughout the week and soon we would have bowls of snacks waiting for us on game day! The wife settles in and checks her email, rolling an Amnesia backwoods from an earlier stash (I like the smoking areas, you can roll 'blunts' without anyone giving you a hard time!) while I wait for drinks and begin chatting.
Soon enough I've befriended a couple of locals and we're discussing football (of course) and Dutch politics giving me a unique perspective on the right leading, Geert Wilders political view: I believe these guys TRULY don't dislike Muslim immigrants (this seemingly proven by the mixed Muslim/Dutch crowd, some of which were in on our conversation), they REALLY, REALLY, REALLY dislike their adherence to their religion. They HATE religion in any form, be it Christianity, Judaism or Islam and I think would react in a similar way to some of the Christian groups in the US. Of course, don't get me wrong... I think Wilders is a fucking tool stirring up hatred through sarcism and cynicism. My wife and I have been welcomed in the most Moroccan of coffeeshops (as you will read) so I can only judge the people I've met and they've been QUITE kind and welcoming! It was, however, interesting to see where the stirrings of unrest seem to be coming from.
The political talk ends soon enough and we're joined in the smoking room and talks of futbol, the US/British tie and the Dutch prospects for the next day ensue. Holland and futbol would dominate most conversations throughout the week as the Dutch seemingly have abandoned ALL other hot-button issues the wife and I expected to be bombarded with including Obama, the oil spill and Jans van der Slooth! Orange flags are everywhere and footy fever has begun!
We smoke, sip cafe, chat with our new friends including an expat Brit who is teething at the British squad for their piss-poor performance against the US. We're BAKED and head out to find our apartment after being told "we're closing in 20 minutes". Almost midnight already? We wander, finding some cool visuals along the way...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0823.jpg
Finally finding our new "home", we settle in and turn in for the night...
-HD
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
-
titus wong
- Posts: 884
- Joined: Sat 11th Apr 2009 06:47 am
-
HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
MONDAY, JUNE 14...
Since it's our true "first" day, we're up early (7:30ish) and wake to a much busier Cornelis Schuytstraat: the organic veggie/fruit/flower shop is open and the upper-crust are climbing aboard their bikes and into their BMW's and heading to work with quite a few attractive mums tote their kiddies down the sidewalk. We try out our coffee maker and, as Cleveland would say, "that's NASTY" but it does the trick and, with a quick Amnesia smoke, we're out the door for a bite and a walk to the scooter shop via the Leidesplein.
We head out, walking in the bright morning sun past the museum area and into the Leidesplein. Now it's maybe approaching 9:00 and we are STARVING (having only eaten, what, twice yesterday and that was pizza and a hot dog!) but before we can scope out a quickie breakfast joint we're approached by a tall blonde woman brandishing two vuvuzelas and "veronica" (a '80's / '90's radio station). We're asked, essentially, "what are you doing in a couple of minutes?" but in Dutch... I'm wearing my ULTRA slick Nederlands National Hockey Team jersey - bright orange, and, GAME WORN my friends - they don't even make repros of these jerseys so I was getting some serious looks and many compliments (some from rather fine Dutch females I might add
... so I find myself feeling more and more like a local; a very gezellig feeling indeed! We tell the woman, "not much" and she hands us the vuvu's and t-shirts and tells us to wait. Now we're DYING we're so hungry but what can we do? We're hanging with a couple of construction workers and a few rowdy pre-partiers getting ready for today's BIG BIG match between Holland and Denmark. Finally, after what feels like an hour but is probably like 20 minutes, we're called over to the center of the plein.
So things get interesting as two professional camera men are beginning to film two MC dudes boasting, apparently, about Dutch football superiority and a group of Dutch cheerleaders in full oranje attire start performing. Now we're dragged in the middle of the ruckus blowing on the vuvuzelas and dancing up a storm. The camera men are surrounding us and film some cool low angle shots of us in PAR-TAY mode. Man, we watched and watched but never caught our shenanigans on the telly!
Finally freed but emaciated and weak from blowing the vuvus we track down a small deli and DESPERATELY order a fresh REAL coffee as the wife indulges on a loaded bagel while I pig out with a turkey and jalapeno wrap. Ahhh... isn't it amazing how you can be SO hungry one minute and so full the next? Now, it's smoking time!
Well, not exactly. I'm jonesin' as much for my scooter as I am for a hasj ciggy so it's off to Gilex first to rent our "Gil" for the week. It's nice to be remembered and we're handed the keys in no time flat. Of course we climb on and drive around the corner 'cause now I'm REALLY ready to smoke, park and into
1eHULP
New menu...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0833.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0832.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0831.jpg
...same GREAT atmosphere and, fortunately, same great hasj!
Kings Polm, 9 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0830.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0829.jpg
...same shitty pictures! lol
Anyway, we chill and listen to what may just be the BEST music in any Amsterdam coffeeshop since Betty's turned me on to Buddha Bar (and Tweed turned me on to Kid A): it's mostly American R&B, new stuff but with a classic vibe. Each visit I find myself telling my wife " I LOVE the music in this place!". Of course, listening through hasj coloured headphones...
We hang with the house cat for a bit, drink some really good coffee and
head out....
-HD
Since it's our true "first" day, we're up early (7:30ish) and wake to a much busier Cornelis Schuytstraat: the organic veggie/fruit/flower shop is open and the upper-crust are climbing aboard their bikes and into their BMW's and heading to work with quite a few attractive mums tote their kiddies down the sidewalk. We try out our coffee maker and, as Cleveland would say, "that's NASTY" but it does the trick and, with a quick Amnesia smoke, we're out the door for a bite and a walk to the scooter shop via the Leidesplein.
We head out, walking in the bright morning sun past the museum area and into the Leidesplein. Now it's maybe approaching 9:00 and we are STARVING (having only eaten, what, twice yesterday and that was pizza and a hot dog!) but before we can scope out a quickie breakfast joint we're approached by a tall blonde woman brandishing two vuvuzelas and "veronica" (a '80's / '90's radio station). We're asked, essentially, "what are you doing in a couple of minutes?" but in Dutch... I'm wearing my ULTRA slick Nederlands National Hockey Team jersey - bright orange, and, GAME WORN my friends - they don't even make repros of these jerseys so I was getting some serious looks and many compliments (some from rather fine Dutch females I might add
... so I find myself feeling more and more like a local; a very gezellig feeling indeed! We tell the woman, "not much" and she hands us the vuvu's and t-shirts and tells us to wait. Now we're DYING we're so hungry but what can we do? We're hanging with a couple of construction workers and a few rowdy pre-partiers getting ready for today's BIG BIG match between Holland and Denmark. Finally, after what feels like an hour but is probably like 20 minutes, we're called over to the center of the plein. So things get interesting as two professional camera men are beginning to film two MC dudes boasting, apparently, about Dutch football superiority and a group of Dutch cheerleaders in full oranje attire start performing. Now we're dragged in the middle of the ruckus blowing on the vuvuzelas and dancing up a storm. The camera men are surrounding us and film some cool low angle shots of us in PAR-TAY mode. Man, we watched and watched but never caught our shenanigans on the telly!
Finally freed but emaciated and weak from blowing the vuvus we track down a small deli and DESPERATELY order a fresh REAL coffee as the wife indulges on a loaded bagel while I pig out with a turkey and jalapeno wrap. Ahhh... isn't it amazing how you can be SO hungry one minute and so full the next? Now, it's smoking time!
Well, not exactly. I'm jonesin' as much for my scooter as I am for a hasj ciggy so it's off to Gilex first to rent our "Gil" for the week. It's nice to be remembered and we're handed the keys in no time flat. Of course we climb on and drive around the corner 'cause now I'm REALLY ready to smoke, park and into
1eHULP
New menu...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0833.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0832.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0831.jpg
...same GREAT atmosphere and, fortunately, same great hasj!
Kings Polm, 9 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0830.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0829.jpg
...same shitty pictures! lol
Anyway, we chill and listen to what may just be the BEST music in any Amsterdam coffeeshop since Betty's turned me on to Buddha Bar (and Tweed turned me on to Kid A): it's mostly American R&B, new stuff but with a classic vibe. Each visit I find myself telling my wife " I LOVE the music in this place!". Of course, listening through hasj coloured headphones...
We hang with the house cat for a bit, drink some really good coffee and
head out....
-HD
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
-
StonedSince67
- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Thu 10th Jul 2008 12:16 pm
- Location: Keep on Truckin'
-
titus wong
- Posts: 884
- Joined: Sat 11th Apr 2009 06:47 am
-
HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
Thanks for the kind words...Fly-By-Night is my HERO and I'm more than happy to help him fill in his menu pages! Not a purchase goes by that I don't ask (unless the menu is exactly the same like Babylon).
GO HOLLAND!!! HUP HUP, LET'S WIN THE CUP!!
MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010:
Finally full and pleasantly stoned, we climb aboard our trusty Gil and head into town. The weather, while sunny and gorgeous is still a wee bit cooler than back in New England and the North Sea cuts through the air like a sharp knife through butter so we brace ourselves and hit the straats of Amsterdam.
It's game day so Orange is EVERYWHERE... flags, bikes, wigs and hair...even dogs. The Dutch pride is evident: "we're the best team in the world that's never won a championship!" and it seems like half the population of Amsterdam are donning the official nike oranje shirt (funny, nobody was wearing the home white with blue and red striping). We drive around a bit heading in the general direction of the centre and get our bearings again. Even though we're on our 11th trip and 3rd with a scooter, we STILL manage to get lost and I even manage to partially collide with a bicycle when I stop short to take a left turn (and she's passing me on the left). I get the finger-waving, chastised look and a few words that were thankfully spoken in Dutch 'cause I'm pretty sure they weren't "you're SO good looking" and all was forgotten and forgiven, time to move on. Of course, I found myself overshooting rather than stopping short until I got the appropriate feel of the bicycle paths.
A quick word about these bicycle paths: they ARE scooter friendly but you have to be driving a limited, 25 kph, 50cc scooter where a helmet is not required. Of course, our scooter topped off a WEE bit more than that!
Sitting at a bicycle red light during rush hour traffic is a TRIP...scooters and bikes all lined up and when the light changes to green it's like bumper cars at an amusement park - we're all jockeying for the limited space of the path but somehow we all manage to fit in. I found myself following locals on their 50cc's and we'd be cruising down the Vijzelstraat like a bunch of junior bikers (let's sing together: "Born to be MILD!").
The wife hadn't been to Betty's yet so we wind our way closer to the centre and pull over to stretch and grab a smoke. We meet our buddy and grab some fresh coffee, lounging outside on the exquisite terrace. We're smoking back and forth hasj ciggies and backwoods sweets for herb (more hasj than weed tho') and we don't pick up anything new but smoke what's on hand.
Fresh baked like local croissant we board Gil and scoot back towards the Oud Zuid and TRY and make our way "home" so we can eat and catch the match at 1:30. High and distracted it was easy to caught up in the matrix-like "loop" that would haunt our first two days. We'd come up to the Heineken brewery and take a LEFT toward the Pijp instead of a RIGHT - dang! We'd figure it out eventually and we land at our Vondelpark address and grab a couple of fresh broodjes next door to bring upstairs. Complimented with some olives and crisps we start watching the Dutch game in our living room, munching and rooting and catching Oranje fever!
At half time we run out, hop on Gil and shoot straight (or KINDA straight) to De Graal for the 2nd half and some GOALS!
Our buddy would tell us how "hungry" the Dutch players were. "We are hungry, our appetite is large!"
We were hungry too...for some "twizla" hasj, at 8.50 a gram:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0841.jpg
I THINK it came from Pacific: my notes are a bit conflicting and I'm not even SURE we went back to Pacific. I kinda remember not getting a menu shot 'cause we were leaving and we didn't want to interrupt someone making a purchase. ANYWAY it was REAL good apparently: "Very soft, squishy...potent and heavy" ready my notes.
At de Graal we also pick up 5 euro bags each of "Super Cheese" and trusty "Amnesia". The Super was REAL nice, heavy cheese taste and immaculate cure. They would run out by mid week but it's a regular on the menu so I'm sure it's back by posting time. The Amnesia was as good as ever, and we smoked while we watched the Dutch kick some SERIOUS ass! Apparently, Holland was hungry for Danish!
Following such a great game and an equally impressive smoke session, we bid our new found friends a good afternoon and head back to the apartment 'cause we actually have planned out our dinner tonight. We put on non-stoner clothes (khaki's for me, skinny jeans and sandals for her) and head to CAFE LOETJE for what was, perhaps, THE best steak I've ever encountered! Certainly the best meal I've ever had in Amsterdam. Located between museum park and the beginning of Albert Cuypstraat it looks like every OTHER cafe/pub that you see (and we rarely even go into them) with local business types mixed with couples of all ages but few, if any, tourists. It's quiet, between lunch and dinner, and we're told to just seat ourselves. We settle in knowing exACTly what we want to order: the Beef Steak with fries on the side and a couple of beers. The beef steak, at 15 euro by the way, is seemingly legendary from what we've read and from the fact that a reserved table for 8 next to us sat waiting with steak knives at the ready. The steak, a pure "prime" filet, is perfectly prepared: the owner made his living as a butcher for years before opening up the restaurant and it shows. Mine, served medium rare, was smaller and thicker than my wife's medium that was larger but not as thick (but PLENTY thick!) and BOTH were served alone on a plate of THE most exquisite butter sauce you can imagine. Each velvety bite, dipped in the sauce was an amazing culinary experience. Sitting at old wooden tables with fresh-from-the-tap heineken and piping hot fries certainly added to the ambiance! We finished up, scooping every last drop of butter sauce with the few remaining lonely fries and thanked our servers for our meal.
We scooter home, fire up while watching the news hoping to find us on the telly blowing vuvu's but, ah, no luck! Instead we watch cheesy American and British shows, change back into our jeans and head out for a scooter cruise where we encounter the dreaded "loop": I would be thinking I was going somewhere but, no...I'm not going ANYWHERE and we wind up right where we started! Hey, we pass some cool stuff along the way and it's WARM, still light out and we're comforted by the herbal blanket that surrounds us like Linus in Peanuts. Lost? Merely an opportunity!
My notes, like my memory, are blank but I KNOW we wound up back at home-base...de Graal for some hash sampling:
A visit to Lebanon ensues with 5 grams each:
White Gold
Red Gold
and a 10 sack of
Maroc Cream
The Lebs were nice, I was told the white was a sativa and the red an indica and the maroc cream was WOW...soft and pliable and a nice long-lasting high.
We last the night and go searching for food but settle on snacks. We find this SUPER cool late-night market that has like EVERYTHING you could imagine. Of course, we would drive around for a half hour or more in search of it later in the week with no luck. Alas, a fleeting visit to the land of chocolate american cereal, beer/water/soda/milk/chocomel etc., candies, cakes (Oreo cakesters are fucking aMAZing when you're baked!!!) and snacks would have to suffice and we loaded up on enough to last us 'till the morning.
We eventually find our way back in the apartment where munchie madness overcomes us and we eat like extras in a zombie movie. Saturated and satisfied, we smoke and crash hard and wake to our cellphone alarm at 7:00am on Tuesday...
-HD
GO HOLLAND!!! HUP HUP, LET'S WIN THE CUP!!
MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010:
Finally full and pleasantly stoned, we climb aboard our trusty Gil and head into town. The weather, while sunny and gorgeous is still a wee bit cooler than back in New England and the North Sea cuts through the air like a sharp knife through butter so we brace ourselves and hit the straats of Amsterdam.
It's game day so Orange is EVERYWHERE... flags, bikes, wigs and hair...even dogs. The Dutch pride is evident: "we're the best team in the world that's never won a championship!" and it seems like half the population of Amsterdam are donning the official nike oranje shirt (funny, nobody was wearing the home white with blue and red striping). We drive around a bit heading in the general direction of the centre and get our bearings again. Even though we're on our 11th trip and 3rd with a scooter, we STILL manage to get lost and I even manage to partially collide with a bicycle when I stop short to take a left turn (and she's passing me on the left). I get the finger-waving, chastised look and a few words that were thankfully spoken in Dutch 'cause I'm pretty sure they weren't "you're SO good looking" and all was forgotten and forgiven, time to move on. Of course, I found myself overshooting rather than stopping short until I got the appropriate feel of the bicycle paths.
A quick word about these bicycle paths: they ARE scooter friendly but you have to be driving a limited, 25 kph, 50cc scooter where a helmet is not required. Of course, our scooter topped off a WEE bit more than that!
Sitting at a bicycle red light during rush hour traffic is a TRIP...scooters and bikes all lined up and when the light changes to green it's like bumper cars at an amusement park - we're all jockeying for the limited space of the path but somehow we all manage to fit in. I found myself following locals on their 50cc's and we'd be cruising down the Vijzelstraat like a bunch of junior bikers (let's sing together: "Born to be MILD!").
The wife hadn't been to Betty's yet so we wind our way closer to the centre and pull over to stretch and grab a smoke. We meet our buddy and grab some fresh coffee, lounging outside on the exquisite terrace. We're smoking back and forth hasj ciggies and backwoods sweets for herb (more hasj than weed tho') and we don't pick up anything new but smoke what's on hand.
Fresh baked like local croissant we board Gil and scoot back towards the Oud Zuid and TRY and make our way "home" so we can eat and catch the match at 1:30. High and distracted it was easy to caught up in the matrix-like "loop" that would haunt our first two days. We'd come up to the Heineken brewery and take a LEFT toward the Pijp instead of a RIGHT - dang! We'd figure it out eventually and we land at our Vondelpark address and grab a couple of fresh broodjes next door to bring upstairs. Complimented with some olives and crisps we start watching the Dutch game in our living room, munching and rooting and catching Oranje fever!
At half time we run out, hop on Gil and shoot straight (or KINDA straight) to De Graal for the 2nd half and some GOALS!
Our buddy would tell us how "hungry" the Dutch players were. "We are hungry, our appetite is large!"
We were hungry too...for some "twizla" hasj, at 8.50 a gram:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... CN0841.jpg
I THINK it came from Pacific: my notes are a bit conflicting and I'm not even SURE we went back to Pacific. I kinda remember not getting a menu shot 'cause we were leaving and we didn't want to interrupt someone making a purchase. ANYWAY it was REAL good apparently: "Very soft, squishy...potent and heavy" ready my notes.
At de Graal we also pick up 5 euro bags each of "Super Cheese" and trusty "Amnesia". The Super was REAL nice, heavy cheese taste and immaculate cure. They would run out by mid week but it's a regular on the menu so I'm sure it's back by posting time. The Amnesia was as good as ever, and we smoked while we watched the Dutch kick some SERIOUS ass! Apparently, Holland was hungry for Danish!
Following such a great game and an equally impressive smoke session, we bid our new found friends a good afternoon and head back to the apartment 'cause we actually have planned out our dinner tonight. We put on non-stoner clothes (khaki's for me, skinny jeans and sandals for her) and head to CAFE LOETJE for what was, perhaps, THE best steak I've ever encountered! Certainly the best meal I've ever had in Amsterdam. Located between museum park and the beginning of Albert Cuypstraat it looks like every OTHER cafe/pub that you see (and we rarely even go into them) with local business types mixed with couples of all ages but few, if any, tourists. It's quiet, between lunch and dinner, and we're told to just seat ourselves. We settle in knowing exACTly what we want to order: the Beef Steak with fries on the side and a couple of beers. The beef steak, at 15 euro by the way, is seemingly legendary from what we've read and from the fact that a reserved table for 8 next to us sat waiting with steak knives at the ready. The steak, a pure "prime" filet, is perfectly prepared: the owner made his living as a butcher for years before opening up the restaurant and it shows. Mine, served medium rare, was smaller and thicker than my wife's medium that was larger but not as thick (but PLENTY thick!) and BOTH were served alone on a plate of THE most exquisite butter sauce you can imagine. Each velvety bite, dipped in the sauce was an amazing culinary experience. Sitting at old wooden tables with fresh-from-the-tap heineken and piping hot fries certainly added to the ambiance! We finished up, scooping every last drop of butter sauce with the few remaining lonely fries and thanked our servers for our meal.
We scooter home, fire up while watching the news hoping to find us on the telly blowing vuvu's but, ah, no luck! Instead we watch cheesy American and British shows, change back into our jeans and head out for a scooter cruise where we encounter the dreaded "loop": I would be thinking I was going somewhere but, no...I'm not going ANYWHERE and we wind up right where we started! Hey, we pass some cool stuff along the way and it's WARM, still light out and we're comforted by the herbal blanket that surrounds us like Linus in Peanuts. Lost? Merely an opportunity!
My notes, like my memory, are blank but I KNOW we wound up back at home-base...de Graal for some hash sampling:
A visit to Lebanon ensues with 5 grams each:
White Gold
Red Gold
and a 10 sack of
Maroc Cream
The Lebs were nice, I was told the white was a sativa and the red an indica and the maroc cream was WOW...soft and pliable and a nice long-lasting high.
We last the night and go searching for food but settle on snacks. We find this SUPER cool late-night market that has like EVERYTHING you could imagine. Of course, we would drive around for a half hour or more in search of it later in the week with no luck. Alas, a fleeting visit to the land of chocolate american cereal, beer/water/soda/milk/chocomel etc., candies, cakes (Oreo cakesters are fucking aMAZing when you're baked!!!) and snacks would have to suffice and we loaded up on enough to last us 'till the morning.
We eventually find our way back in the apartment where munchie madness overcomes us and we eat like extras in a zombie movie. Saturated and satisfied, we smoke and crash hard and wake to our cellphone alarm at 7:00am on Tuesday...
-HD
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
-
StonedSince67
- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Thu 10th Jul 2008 12:16 pm
- Location: Keep on Truckin'
ok then you easy riders ... let's sing togetherHasjDreamer wrote:(let's sing together: "Born to be MILD!").
i knew i would love the scooter rides ...HasjDreamer wrote:... we board Gil and scoot back towards the Oud Zuid and TRY and make our way "home" so we can eat and catch the match at 1:30. High and distracted it was easy to caught up in the matrix-like "loop" that would haunt our first two days. We'd come up to the Heineken brewery and take a LEFT toward the Pijp instead of a RIGHT - dang!