Hit The Norths High Summer

[HitTheNorth]

How the time flies. So much has happened on both a global and personal level since my last trip. I really need this one, need the mental reset that an Amsterdam trip brings.

I'm booked with Mrs HTN a few months in advance, we're both excited but as the day draws near I'm getting more and more anxious. I'm getting constant reports of cancelled flights and airport chaos. Please man....

Then my Mum phones, "What date are you going away?" She asks, "14th, why?", "I'm so sorry" she replies.

My heart sinks

"I'm going to Amsterdam on the same day as you" Mum continues "I promise I won't cramp your style" Oh my word what a relief, I thought she was gonna tell me my our flight had been cancelled, instead my non smoking 74 year old mother will be in town with her fella. Well that'll be a new one for both of us and we arrange to hook up one afternoon. Bizarre.

The day finally arrives and with all calm and smooth at the airport my anxieties are laid to rest. Easy through security with the vape tech - two Pax2 and a Mighty - no questions asked. First time taking this kit. I'd booked fast boarding and upfront seats so on and off real quick. At passport control the guard asked me what I like about the Netherlands, I smiled and replied "it's flat, everything is mountains where I live" to which he burst out laughing and waved me through. He knew.

Albert Hein. Tickets. Train.

When we emerge from Centraal it's hot. We hang a left out of the station, past Central CS - which buzzed with people and Voyagers which did not. Down the Gelderskade to het Gelderse. Pretty hot and sweaty due to still being dressed for Manchester rather than the tropical climes of Mokum (did I mention it was hot?) we unburden ourselves, grab a couple of fantas, a grinder and,

Bacio Gelato -€14
Orangeese- €14

We sat and filled our vapes with the Orangeese and chatted to the owners/staff and their mate. They were really cool and we were all laughing and having a great time when in strolls in a guy they knew to buy some flower, they have a good old laugh because the guy works for another prominent coffeeshop and had come to buy his bud at hGelderse, he still had his staff tshirt on too. Very welcoming here and a steady stream of punters. The Orangeese was pleasant but not outstanding, not orangey enough for me. Chilled here for a short time before moving on.

It's only a short walk to Solo and we take a slight detour to have a look at the jungle street art nearby (is it a nursery or something?). At Solo it's about as busy as I've ever seen it, Ajax were on the tv and 6-1 up at the time. At the counter I remark on the new fangled cash slots and the friendly older lady who served us strikes up a convo about modern life, qr codes and suchlike. She's so softly spoken, and maybe that vape is hitting, but I realise I'm finding her hard to follow and I'm just grinning and nodding inanely. I pay for my wares and make my way out past the now substantial queue which has built up behind me.

Tangielato Hash - €17 just over a gram

From here we walk through Nieumarkt, down Klovinersburgwal and Spiegelgracht to Museumplein and our digs. It's a pleasant walk and I take a glance in some of the galleries along the way. Check in. I've stayed at Hostel Van Gogh a couple of times now, clean and a good location for my needs. Quick freshen up and out again...


Bicycles Will Be Removed

We grab pizza near Leidseplein and head up towards Dam

My mum and her partner were in town and on the eve of their trip he'd become a grandfather. We thought it might be a nice idea to drop a card into their hotel which was just near Spui so we took a wander up there. When we got to their hotel it was a sight to behold, very plush. We explained the situation to the reception staff who were more than happy to oblige. With that little errand done we head for old favourite Tweede Kamer, unfortunately the menu was pretty uninspiring and the most limited I'd ever seen from them. No purchase.


Spuistraat


Soon enough we find ourselves on the outskirts of de Wallen, a combination of the heat and pepperoni thirst means we head to Suzies. A favourite haunt of past trips. I used to be a heavy drinker but I gave up alcohol around 18 months ago, this being said I'm on holiday and I'm not going to beat myself up for having a pint. Inside there have been changes - the smoking room is no more. Bartender says they are making it as hard as possible for smokers. I'm sad, it was a cracking space, but I've also given up tobacco so smoke rooms might be a bit, well, smoky these days. Anyway it's cracking the cobbles so we head outside and grab a table canal side. Since I landed I've been craving a blunt so I can mix some hash in, with not much flower left I leave Mrs HTN at Suzies and run round to Plug 3 (Rusland) menu glance, small queue, can't be bothered so round the corner to Bagheera. Female tender showed me Kosher first, very nice but it's too early for that, looked at a few and nothing is doing it for me until I saw their MAC1 at €12, lovely looking frosty nugs. Gram, lighter, papers, tips, back to Suzies.

Back there we are soon joined by a family at the next table. Mum and Dad, around 70ish, son, daughter and their partners, all in their 40s. They are a very outgoing bunch to say the least with some no holds barred, but very funny, conversations. We see some sights, including a very drunk dancing girl on a passing boat, she nearly went in a few times! The family were non smokers but mum and dad were both on truffles or mushrooms or whatever they are these days, mum was in near permanent giggles and dad was wearing clog slippers. Smoke a couple doobies here, the Tangielato hash is a nightmare in this heat and my fingers are black. Bacio Gelato is good, tasty and strong. MAC1 was nice as well, glad I stuck it out.

Eventually we finish up and head over to AH at Dam, always a treat when you're nicely baked, and see a nice, tall young man in white hot pants and covered head to toe in blue and gold body paint, like some sort of human version of van Goghs Starry Night. Marvellous.

Afterwards, we head out for one of those aimless walks this city seems to entice you into. We meander round the nine streets, looking in shop windows, looking in house Windows - can't help it, some lovely interior design going on. At one point we were admiring someone's decor, looking at a large, leathery cushion on a plush designer sofa and the cushion sits up and changes the TV channel. Left nothing to the imagination I can tell you.... Well it had been a warm day! We sit by the side of Singel and have a smoke, it's dark now and as we gaze upward at the building opposite we see another naked man, looking out his top floor window wearing only a shower cap.






Time has passed without us noticing so we head nearer to our digs. Along the canal, a couple casually paddleboard past. We decide to hole up in Rookies for a nightcap.

Peanut Butter Breath - €13.50

Nice looking bud, decent enough smoke, light grey ash. Rookies was getting pretty busy, and the obligatory numbskull caught my eye - a guy a couple tables away with a group of mates had his tobacco out on the table, staff member asked him politely if he could put it away. Should've been simple but mr numbskull decides to argue the toss. He just wasn't having it. Staff member had to get gradually more assertive, without raising her voice, explaining they could lose their license. He didn't care. Only when she threatened to throw them all out did the peer pressure kick in and he begrudgingly put his pouch in his pocket. Fool. Anyway got my favourite seat at the window and chilled for a bit before heading back for a good old kip. TBC...

[HitTheNorth]

DAY 2


Good morning Amsterdam. I leave Mrs HTN in bed while I head for breakfast. I think I'll pop my head in Terps 2 (Noon), it's empty at this time on a Monday morning but the menu is a little light on breakfast weed, only Amnesia and AMG, looks like brew machine coffee too. I take a gram and head out.

AMG - €12

I take a short walk to Rookies for a coffee, if you've read my other trip reports you'll know how I like to start my day here. I top up my breakfast stash with,

Tropicana - €12ish

This was tasty and long lasting in the Pax, I preferred it to the AMG which was average. After a couple of coffees I head back to the hostel where Mrs HTN is nearly ready. I load us a vape each and were out.



We cross through Max Euerplein, I always find this bit of town dead weird, dunno why. Later tonight we cut through and some poor soul with no shoes, gnarly yellow toenails stands in an ever increasing pool of his own urine. Makes you think...
So yeah past the lizard sculptures through Leidseplein and up to Spui. I consider Dolphins, I've never been in due to its rep but I've heard some rumours that it has changed, are they working with Amsterdam Genetics now? I opt not to take the risk, I want to hear some consistent positive reports first. We stop for a coffee at Cafe Lanskroon which is opposite Strain Hunters. Nice little cafe this just round the corner from TK who still have the same menu as yesterday.




From here we wander until we see La Tertulia, I'd like to take Mrs HTN here but they are closed on Mondays. CS Johnny is round the corner, never been before, lets remedy that.

Johnny is a buy and fly counter, real back to basics. The tender was really friendly. I was hoping to see Blue Dream on the menu as it's an old fave and yes there it was. I ask to have a look, the tender says it's nice but the Strawberry Diesel is better, similar effect with a nicer taste. I'm torn, in the end I go with his advice as I'd not had it before.

Strawberry Diesel - €13

Leaving Johnny we sit in the park opposite for 5 mins before wandering up Ellandsgracht. Standing in the doorway of a cheese shop, closed for the day, we remark on how much it smells of cheese even out here, it really is quite strong. This will become a recurring joke over the trip, every time we see a cheese shop we have to remark, " bet it fucking stinks". We pass 1e Hulp, Mrs HTNs first ever cs and stroll back down Rozengracht.




After this walk we need a sit down, drink and smoke so we head down Spuistraat to the Black Dog, no seats so a couple of doors up is Cafe Schuim. This is a place I used to frequent years ago, reasonable prices and a 420 friendly terrace. We smoke the Stawberry Diesel and it's a beauty, best smoke so far. Good effort cs Johnny, I shall return.

We pass Softland which is all shut up, there is a handwritten sign on the door which reads, "wij zijn weer op 28 augustus open tot Dan"




This afternoon sees a departure from my usual itinerary, we are meeting Mama HTN for a canal cruise, how very civilised. We board the boat on Singel, the captain is a bit of a character, the weather is lovely and we have a good time. It's really nice to spend some time with my mum whilst getting a new perspective on my favourite city. I learned a lot too which I always enjoy.








After the cruise I take them to Cafe t'Spui, my grandad was a big Sinatra fan and I've had a soft spot for this bar for years. I like to make weird sentimental connections I guess. It's just a chill half hour before we go our separate ways.

Next stop, het Ballonntje. Mrs HTN has never been so let's go. On the way we pass through Rembrandtsplein, I'm confused, didn't there used to be a life sized sculpture of the Nightwatch? Where's it gone? At the balloon We chill upstairs for a while, funky tunes drift from the speakers, nothing is hectic, locals come and go, I'm losing myself looking at the poster wall. Purchases here,

Cheetah Piss - €16
Rainbow Runtz - €16
Biskante- €16

Out of the three I much preferred the Biskante and Runtz. I felt the Cheetah Piss to be a little lacking in flavour. I dunno, with a name like that I expected to be wowed and I wasn't. That Biskante on the other hand was yummy.


At the Balloon

Evening has occurred without us noticing and our bellies need filling. During the walk back to town I spot what looks like an iguana chilling in an apartment window.



We hit some place on Regulierdwarstraat for Shawarma and then mooch a few doors up to Easy Times 2.

Blood Orange Tangie - €14

I spoke to the tender at length about how I was looking for strong orange terps and he assured me this was it. It wasn't. Disappointing lack of taste. There was fun to be had though, the outdoor seating is excellent for people watching. A guy walks past with a skateboard on his shoulder, eyes like thunder, ranting into thin air. Five minutes later hes back walking the other way, singing a happy song. I also spot a couple stood outside Easy Times, they are debating wether or not to go in and its taking an age. I make up this ridiculous backstory for them:
Craig and Debbie were flung together by fate, seated next to each other on the plane. They strike up a conversation on the journey and agree to eat together in the evening, after their meal Debbie suggests a stroll, a stroll which leads them to Easy Times 2. Debbie hasn't smoked weed since her Uni days while Craig has never partaken, indeed he's always been afraid of drugs. He doesn't want to go in but he fancies her a bit so, not wanting to appear a stick in the mud, he follows her inside. A moment later and they reappear, a couple of ready rolled spliffs in her hand. They walk away. Debbie lights the spliff and passes it to Craig, he isn't sure, he takes a drag, he coughs and splutters. Debbie laughs, takes the spliff and finishes it herself. Maybe he'll loosen up and change his mind, Debbie thinks, she slips the other pre-roll into his rucksack, a little present. They arrange to meet the following day, Craig arrives early but Debbie never shows, she is fast asleep. Why did they not exchange numbers? How stupid, must've been the weed. Craig enjoys the rest of his trip but doesn't run in to Debbie again. On his way home he is stopped at customs, "Did you pack this bag yourself sir?".... Mrs HTN is used to this gibberish from me, bless her.

It's time to head back. Mrs HTN hits the hay, I roll a joint and stroll round Museumplein before turning in myself.

[Lemming]

Brilliant!

[macky]

Nice! Been little lack of skipping the pond around here lately (Covid ,and the fact I have access to legal market ) . But while reading your great trip report ,memory,s of last trips and friends came flooding in I,m looking at places now Just wish. Was young enough to stay in a dorm cheap,cheap ....But Na! Old man needs his rest

[starcatcher]

sick sick sick travelogue mate, love the detail

I smiled and replied "it's flat, everything is mountains where I live" to which he burst out laughing and waved me through. He knew.

[HitTheNorth]

Day 3

I'm up and at em, Mrs HTN takes her time. An early walk to de Kade is in order this morning. The weather is beautiful again, perfect for a stroll and a smoke. I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again but I bloody love this walk. Away from the hustle and bustle of Dam, residential neighbourhoods with loads of interesting stuff to look at, a lovely stretch of canal with real houses. There's some benches under the trees here, it's nice to stop a while. Amsterdam Lyceum is at the end of the road, an imposing structure indeed, lots of Amsterdam school architecture round here. It occurs to me that I've rarely spent time alone on my visits and, whilst I've very much enjoyed the varied company I've had over the years, a solitary walk in this beautiful city is a thing to cherish.





At de Kade I grab a little shopping

S5 Haze
Rollex
Runtz
Pack of 3 pin badges - total €47



The staff are friendly as usual, they offer their vapes for use but I have the Pax. I've grown very fond of de Kade over the last few years, the product is quality and fairly priced, the staff are nice and it's a chill place to hang out. It looks far out on the map but it's really not, and it's a pleasant walk anyway.

I wander back and pick up Mrs HTN, we take in Moco gardens, have look round the Stedelijk shop and make a quick trip to AH for shopping and then a picnic in Vondelpark.






We spend a lovely couple of hours here, it's great for people watching and one scene in particular catches my eye. There's a guy out walking his dog, he's a large man with an angry face, a sleeveless top exposes his arms - a two tone sunburnt tshirt tan. He calls his dog, "Roger, Roger" . Roger couldn't give a toss, he clearly has nothing but contempt for his human. "Roger" , Roger turns away. "Roger" , Roger sits down. "Roger", Rodger rises, is he going to obey? No he's spotted someone else he prefers and has wandered over to them. Human tries the old walk off and he'll follow trick, Rodger doesn't care, the human disappears, Rodger remains. Couple minutes later and the human is back, exasperated, hands on hips. Rodger is unmoved. There follows an impasse where the human gets his phone out and ignores the dog and the dog, true to form, ignores the human. Eventually through boredom, hunger or general fatigue the human calls it a day and just leaves, Rodger, presumably well versed in winding his human up, gives it another couple of minutes before slowly setting off in the same direction. You can keep your Netflix and your blockbuster movies, this kind of viewing is what I'm all about.

We've brought cheese, bread, pate etc from AH so we have a graze on that and a couple of smokes, it really is a perfect day for it.

Itchy feet again so we pack up and wander down to the Albert Cuyp and a quick smoke at Katsu. Sat outside, fairly busy mainly with locals but a couple American lads too. From here we take a short walk to Sarphatipark and mooch round de Pijp for a while. Sarphatipark is really nice, I've not been here for years, more manageable than Vondelpark in this weather. Wandering around de Pijp there's lots to look at.








Mrs HTN fancies a bit of downtime, she has bad knees and can't walk forever. I drop her at the hostel and do a bit of shopping. I set my walk tracking app and boom I'm like a greyhound outta the traps. In the next hour I cover just over 4 miles, considering that includes dodging instagramming tourists and checking menus I don't think it's bad going. I take in various shops including Easy Times, Bagheera, TK but the only purchases were,

Tangie Mandarin- €13 (Old Church)
Animal Face - €13 (Plug 3 - Rusland)

Just buy and flies but both sets of staff were friendly, patient and happy to talk about their wares. I'd never been to either before but I'd definitely go back. I enjoyed my little circuit but had intended to buy more, ah well.

I pick up Mrs HTN and we grab a light meal at an Italian off Leidseplein. While we eat a street dance troupe rocks up outside and proceeds to put on a very impressive display, it was really good. Flippy , twirly madness. We send some €s their way.

We find ourselves meandering up Regulierdwarstraat and then, with it being a bit hectic, dived onto the flower market and double backed to Spui.




Next stop is Dampkring for hot chocolates and

Forbidden Do Si Dos - €14

Enjoyed this one, pungent fruitiness with a good strong effect. Onwards.






We stroll up Singel and through the 9 Streets, so many cool shops. We particularly enjoy the elaborate sock shop, the tulip handbag shop and Rain Couture. We end up stopping off at Cafe Brandon, near Grey Area, for a drink and a sit down outside. Brandon is such a cool brown bar, a feast for the eyes inside but has a bit of outdoor seating too. Dusk is settling into night and the street lamps cast an atmospheric glow over the bridges and streets. It's utterly beautiful.



Seeing as we're up this end I think a wander up to Brouersgracht and cs 137 is in order. Never been here before as I don't get to this part of town much, truth be told I don't like Harlemmerstraat and would prefer to avoid, which is a shame as Brouersgracht is really nice and is unfairly caught up in the whole thing due to proximity. Upon arrival there's a large group of locals sat outside, all having a laugh, good times. The tender emerges from this group and comes to the counter, he's really friendly and helpful to everyone that came in. I asked to see the Cereal Milk, instead he pointed me to

Ice Cream Cookies - €14

I ask about hash and without hesitation he says "Champagne, definitely "

Champagne Maroc - €12

Both the weed and the hash were great. The ICC burned with a white ash, was tasty, strong and an all round quality smoke. A highlight. The Champagne was of a fudgy consistency and bubbled away nicely when touched with a flame. Nice classic Morrocan flavour. Just what I was looking for.


Ice Cream Cookies - CS137

Sorry FBN - forgot I'd taken this

It's a fair old walk back. Somewhere along Prinzengract people are jumping into the canal off a bridge. Rather them than me, the only thing I'm diving into is my bed.

[djreign]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this HTMN, you clearly had a great time.

For me, I had a great time reading all a out it

Now, I must book my annual March trip

[HitTheNorth]

Thanks Lemming, Starcatcher, Macky and DJ Reign.
@macky We're oldies too, got a private room, too old for dorms
@djreign thanks for reading man

Couple more days to come...

[kalima]

Awesome write up and sounds like you had a great time over there.. I look forward to reading the write up for the last couple of days

[HitTheNorth]

Day 4

It's our last full day and the weather has finally broken. The sky is grey and a steady rain falls. We start the day in Rookies with coffee and,

Durban Poison - €13.50

This is an old school strain I never tried so I had to give it a go. It was pretty tasty with a nice head high but burned with black ash. A little more care and this could've been real nice.

We head up Leidsestraat and the heavens well and truly open. We take shelter under a canopy until it subsides a little but we're both drenched. While it's still raining we go for a bite to eat at Schuim. A tosti, joint and a little people watching and we head off. We pass Rosmaristeeg and I spy Kadinsky, not been there in years. It's pretty busy and there's a gaggle of tourists with luggage which is irking the tender and he offers them a slice of good old fashioned coffeeshop brusqueness. We manage to secure window seats and I go for

Caramelo- €10.50

A soft, fudgy piece with a shiny exterior, enjoyable for the price. We have a couple smokes and hot chocolate and we're starting to dry out. Kadinsky hasn't changed much over the years, it's not a bad shop just not one I'd hit every time.

The weather, although still damp, has cleared enough for us to venture out again. We head through Dam and cut through the RLD to Solo. There's lots of windows up for rent I notice, the family we'd sat with in Suzies a couple of days ago said there had been a one-way system in place around the RLD, like Ikea but with more boob implants, no sign of it when we cut through though. I'd be miffed if I had to deal with that, makes the whole thing a bit Disneyland and I just want to get where I'm going.



It's the guy with the beard serving who is happy to answer my questions and show his wares. I enquired about Sour Betty, nose the tub and ask him if it has a diesel in it, he looks it up on leafly and looks up with a smile, "your nose is correct" haha I like that turn of phrase, it's not really the profile I'm looking for though, I opt for

Malibu OG Gold - €12

I ask after some hash too and he advises on

Hiya Primera - €10

We take a seat and drinks and chill for a bit. Cracking shop is Solo, the vibe here is so laid back, I've never felt rushed at the counter or steered towards something more expensive, my only minor niggle is the lack of proper coffee etc but hey, plenty of bigger shops operate this way and as I say it's only a minor gripe.




The Hiya is a sandy coloured piece of Morrocan which softens in the hand, it was very pleasant. The Malibu OG was a very interesting bit of weed to me, the only way I can describe the flavour is that of Turkish delight, not fruity or gassy or piney but I dunno, exotic. Pretty unique.



From Solo we head across town, back to Brouersgracht - it had been dark when we were there yesterday but it was light now so we could take the scenery in a little more.

Along the route we stop off at Siberie, I can't believe I've never been here before, Siberie is definitely my kind of shop. It reminds me of a time that is slowly fading from view. I feel that many coffeeshops can lose their soul when they get a refurb, I find little charm in plastic seating but I guess it's easier to wipe down after the inevitable tourist whitey. Siberie is the opposite of this, it reminds me of much missed shops like Anyday or even Greenhouse Effect on Warmoesstraat. There's a certain intangible homeliness about the place. I like it.

The young budtenders are sound, I take a gram of

Blueberry OG Kush - €13ish I think

We take a table at the very far end near the counter and skin up. This Blueberry Kush is a treat, burns with a near white ash and was good and tasty too. A steady stream of punters comes and goes. One thing that was a delight to see was how much the staff seemed to enjoy working with each other. A young lady came in and presented them with a huge bouquet of flowers, I got the impression she was from a local florist and these were her end of day bits, made a lovely, fresh display. Cool. Onwards.

It's time for food and an ATM so we cross onto Haarlemerstraat, under protest, the mission is: get in, get fed, get out. H St doesn't do it for me, it's too busy and I'm not a fan of the coffeeshops along here. We are looking for a suitable place to eat when I spy him. Advancing from the far end of the street was a man on a mission, his filthy joggers barely clinging to his skinny frame, a mad look in one eye, the other a glassy, white blank. He seemed completely detached from his surroundings whilst at the same time sharply focused. His taught hands are outstretched, ready to grab anything, he sees a bottle of water protruding from a tourists rucksack but shuns this opportunity. I take hold of Mrs HTN and let him get ahead of us, a few yards up the street and he's dived in a bar and come out seconds later with what looks like a burger, then again in a deli a few doors up. It's the kind of brazen thievery of a man who doesn't give a fuck. Poor guy.

We soon rock up in the ubiquitous steakhouse for a feed. I can't remember the name of the place but the wall murals were a sight to behold, it was one of those surreal Amsterdam meals where you end up giggling a bit too much and the atmosphere is weird and the whole thing was a hoot.




Mission accomplished we get back on to Brouersgracht and back to 137 as we'd enjoyed it last night. On arrival the budtender says "You were here last night, ice cream cookies", nice that he'd remembered what weed I'd had. Mixed it up tonight and went with

Kosher Kush - €16

Taking a seat it strikes me how laid back this shop is. Tubs of weed are piled up on the counter and the tender is outside, he has no problem with a rather green tourist taking photos. On both visits there were a constant stream of locals asking for the Champagne hash which he'd recommended, reassuring. As we left he made a point of saying bye and gave us a free lighter.





Next stop is 1e Hulp. This was Mrs HTNs first cs but it's been refurbed since then. Onto the menu and I ask the tender about the genetics of something or other and I'm returned with a blank stare. Jeez this is a great start. Never mind, give us a gram of

Tropical Cake - €14

Buzzed into the back and we take a seat. It's pretty quiet, there's a few people but still plenty space. Relax. A guy a few tables away catches my eye. He has all sorts of paraphernalia out and keeps producing more, massive pre roll cones for filling, putting together skins, he's a real hive of activity without actually getting anything done. And it's fascinating. It reminds me of that scene in Mary Poppins (I think) and she's pulling all sorts out of her bag. Anyway after while these young English lads come in and sit down, they realise they haven't got a grinder and so turn to Mr Paraphernalia at the next table, "Excuse me mate, any chance we could borrow your grinder please?", gesturing towards the mobile headshop strewn over the tabletop. Mr Paraphernalias response rang loud and clear.

"NO!"

It was so abrupt that everyone in the room stopped. Everyone felt awkward you could tell. All eyes fall upon Mr Paraphernalia,

"Ask someone else" he doubles down, and returns to his tinkering, he utters not another word.

Those poor lads felt so embarrassed, I was just about to hand them my grinder when someone else did so they were sorted but man I found the whole thing real funny. I'm so used to people in coffeeshops being sound and accommodating that you just assume he'd be like yeah no worries man, but he was so terse. Now I've thought about it and perhaps his grinder was full, after all it did look like he was preparing something. But if so, and he clearly spoke English well enough, why didn't he explain that instead of being so abrupt? Still I found it hilarious.

We're not fans of the refurb and the music was dreadful but the weed was decent and burnt white ash. An interesting visit but I don't think it's what it used to be. Also, RIP Rizla the 1e Hulp cat.

We walk back to Leidseplein and hole up in Rookies for a nightcap

Jelly Cookies - €15.40

I've no notes on this one and truth be told I can't remember anything about it. Time for bed. On the way back we see two very smashed girls, one more smashed than the other, so much so that she had attained a rag doll-like lack of physical control. Her poor mate desperately trying to keep her upright, in the end she decided enough was enough and slung her mate onto her shoulder, fireman style, and staggered off. I hope they were alright.

[Ghost]

Fantastic write up have really enjoyed reading your trip report and looking at the Fab pictures also. Thanks very much for sharing man and taking so many notes - Thumbs Up

[Strawberries]

Very entertaining.

[courtjester]

Excellent read. "Bet it fucking stinks" made me laugh.

[KrazeUK]

Brilliant read. Making me want to get a trip booked!

[HitTheNorth]

Day 5

Booooo another trip comes to an end. I break from the norm and hit Easy Times this morning.

Moonshine Haze - €13

Crappy machine coffee and some breakfast weed, sat outside. The weed is a decent haze, grey ash. It's pretty strong and zingy and a decent pick me up. The weather is much better today too.




I head back to Mrs HTN, we check out and make use of the bag storage until later. I'm taking her to de Kade this morning as I think she'll like it. The walk there seems to get shorter every time. There's some works going on outside the shop at the moment and I'm hoping they're putting some nice benches in or something, we shall see.

At de Kade I have a look at the sativas and end up with

Strawberry Marshmallow - €15

Into the back with drinks. The weed burnt with a grey ash but was smooth enough and tasted nice. It's possible that another customer let out an audible fart, and in an act of consummate maturity we end up in silent giggles.



Back to pick up the bags, all week I've been tripping up on cobblestones - this is usually a moment of intense physical comedy as 6foot 4 of gangly limbs goes flying, this time it's Mrs HTNs turn, she's going to the toilet and doesn't spot the inch high step on the way in, she goes flying and nearly goes head first into the tiled wall.

There's time for a final tosti at Schuim before a last smoke. Being near to Centraal and enjoying our previous visit we opt for Siberie. Same staff as yesterday, same cool atmosphere. We take a seat at a table adorned with the flowers that arrived yesterday. I order

MAC - €15.50

Hard hitting, pale grey ash, strong finish. Good showing again from Siberie, I can see this becoming a first stop in future, being near the station and all.

Speaking of which, it's time to go.

Summary

How wonderful to visit in summer, I normally come out of season - often midwinter - so it really was a treat to picnic in Vondel, take a canal cruise etc The city was busier than I'm used to but not as busy as it can be, however I will never understand why people come to a beautiful city like Amsterdam just to wander round with their heads in a phone.



Shop-wise, de Kade, het Ballontje and Solo still kicking out the good stuff, it's good to add 137 and Siberie to the hitlist too.
Rookies has upped it's game on the weed front which is good to see, Tweede Kamer on the hand proved a disappointment on this trip, I popped in at least once a day but bought nothing, I also saw a staff member giving a customer a load of grief over some monetary mistake, he was really going in on him and it was offputting to see a member of staff so aggressive, shame. On the whole though I found staff/budtenders to be really friendly and helpful, especially at 137, het Gelderse, Solo and Johnny.

We went in the cake shop opposite TK one night, stood there for ages before the owner emerged from the back with his bare torso and hairy shoulders visible under his apron, I swear they do it on purpose because they know you're high, and you have to complete the transaction without laughing.

Ah, laughing. What a simple pleasure it is, and much of it was done. The tears rolled down our cheeks and we could barely breathe. I love laughing with Mrs HTN.

I think a combination of good weather and not boozing, and so spending most of the day in Suzies or the Batcave, enabled me to get out and soak up the mundane aspects of A'dam life which in turn are trivial and bizarre and scary and hilarious and thought provoking and serene and rebellious and innovative and... just Amsterdam. Every trip the coffeeshop scene has changed just that little bit more, taking it further away from those half retained memories of yesteryear. Shops will rise and fall like ancient empires and they too will pass into the realms of myth and legend. Every trip is important, every trip is a history lesson for future stoners. I will never tire of this city.


Wonky in 137

Thanks for reading. Peace x