Since the weather was calling for a bit of sun, I decided to try a couple of outdoor events: a fiets ride outside of town along the Amstel and an authentic canal boat ride w/ the folks from the St. Nicholas Boat Club.
The stodgy Frommers and Fodors travel guides may not be 100% for many of us here and I myself was dismissive of Frommers at first, however the chap who edited it was a former travel magazine editor for KLM and lived in Amsterdam for a period of time. Anywho, he outlined a bike trip down the Amstel outside of town for about 8 km or so to a little village of Oudekerk aan de Amstel.
Day began at Barney's Uptown w/ a ciabatta bread zata and tomaten and of course a big doob.
Here's a You Tube video of my ride down the Prinsengracht this morning. Keep in mind I'm doing this one handed on the fiets whilst I shoot the video. I even pass another person!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzaDEV101PI
Then it's out of town along the Amstel. Here's the locks at the end of the Prinsengracht.
A few kilometers later and the apartments and buildings disappear to be replaced by larger houseboats.
I'm really high still from breakfast which was only about 90 minutes prior so when I start happening upon the real super-pastoral typical Dutch countryside scenes it really blows my mind.
I mean, check this shit out.
Everywhere I turn
it looks like a bloody Monet canvas. I'm in absolute bloody pig-shit heaven.
All of the above scenes are just a 30 minutes fiets ride from Dam Square.
I'm cruising along and think to myself "It'd be great to have little spot to twist up a number."
Boom.
This is too perfect. A nice roadside stop WITH a table in a sheltered area perfect for spinning up a doob.
I roast a joint listening to some Steely Dan while I gaze out on yet ANOTHER impressionist-era scene. I mean, it just
never ends.
Hop on the fiets and zoom into Ouder Kerk and find a great cafe for lunch.
Lovely Zeta, tomaten and Italian brood sandwich.
Hop back on the fiets and head back into town on the opposite (east) side of the Amstel.
This afternoon I had signed up for a slot on a St. Nick Boat Club boat, so I headed to Boom Chicago! to wait. Beforehand, I hit Rookies for three pre-rolled G-13 Hazes since this is a cool canal boat tour; drink and smoke what you like.
Really, cheers to these guys at the St. Nick Boat Club. They work damned hard to preserve the canal boat tradition so a canal boat ride isn't surrendered to the bloody big boats.
About 7 of us plus the skipper. Boat is a 1920s era cargo craft the boat club found sunk at the bottom on a canal. They restored it and use it for club rides.
http://www.amsterdamboatclub.com/boats.html
Lovely 11 HP diesel that purrs like a kitten, and the Athena (our boat) is just about 8 meters in length. Perfect for the canals, unlike those bloody huge things.
Boat is moored on the Prinsengracht at the Leidseplein so we hopped aboard and headed south on the Prinsengracht towards the Amstel.
Here's the skipper, looking aft.
Here's looking forward.
Just after we depart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoitgCjeb9w
Was passed under many bridges.
This is what our boat would have looked like when it was in use hauling cargo around Amsterdam n the early 20th century.
The Prinsengracht and the Amstel.
We sail down the Amstell towards Central Station; I think we got out that way through the Oudeschans.
Under this bridge.
Past this.
Pass The Nemo.
Centraal Station.
Just past St. Nicholas Church we duck up Ouidezuds Voorbrugwal.
Up Ouidezuds Voorbrugwal, right through the RLD past the Oude Kerk. The entrance to this canal was pretty tight.
This skipper recommended the Super Lemon Haze from a Greenhouse Effect shop on this gracht. I will return.
Right through the RLD and we hook back up w/ the Singel and head north to the Brouwersgracht and back over the Prinsingracht.
We pass the Westerkerk on our way back to the mooring.
I can NOT say enough good things about the St. Nicholas Boat Club. Work to preserve classic canal boats, serving the public with authentic canal tours in a REAL canal boat, us smokers can puff 'till we drop, and the suggested donation of Euro 10/ person is a bargain.
(Really, you should give at LEAST 10, plus a tip for the skipper. I laid a nice big pre-rolled of G-13 Haze on my man after a great canal boat trip.)
So much fresh air today; tonite I travel to India for dinner. I like to order the menu in places. Don't have to think, they bring lots of kick-ass food, and it's a great offering of the places good stuff.
Started with some type of crunchy bread/cracker and sauces.
Then these lovely dumplings in a light pastry shell.
Lamb curry and some type of fish w/ onions and green peppers. Spiced just right.
Dessert was a noodle pudding and Indian tea. Served already steeped w/ a bit of cream added.
Now I need a proper indica to wind down, so Barney's recommends the Vanilla Kush.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...................................
Can you say "Body Buzz?"
Geodenacht
But you're correct: it's Ouder Amstel. And Ouderkerk. And yes, there's another Ouderkerk next to Gouda.
