LX - February 2022

[mdhfc]

On checking, this was my 60th trip to the 'Dam.
Had I known that I may have made it more special.
Was very last minute so had next to no time to plan/prepare.
First attempt at trip repot.

Thursday 10/02/2022

Pretty smooth process at Edinburgh airport. Had all my doc's and only took about 30 seconds longer than usual.
701 days since I last arrived and first time through Schiphol since full Brexit. Couple of extra questions re: purpose of visit. Much the same otherwise.

Landed at 5.30pm, train to Lelylaan, tram 17 to 1e Hulp, tram 19 to Hotel via AH for snacks, water & beer. Really should have found somewhere nearer hotel to stock-up as that added an hour to my trip.
Still, even standing in the less than picturesque environment of under Lelylaan station waiting on the tram was a 'thank god I’m back' moment.

Q-Factory Hotel on Atlantisplein. Tram 19, stop Oostport. Nice, clean, modern (even has a lift), warm, en-suite, fridge, kettle, wifi. Seems to form part of an Arts centre with spaces to create and perform and the like.
Bit of trek from my favoured spots to be honest and the 'balcony' for my room was a shared terrace on the top floor with no cover and was absolutely baltic. No indoor smoking obviously.
Glad I tried somewhere new but back to the Abba for budget trips in future.

Tram 19 to Weesperplein, Metro to Waterlooplein, Burger Bar on Reguliersbreestraat for Dinner. (NHS, for me) vaccine QR code required. Stroll through flower market and down Leidsegracht. City definitely a good 50% quieter than I recall February being.

I have a soft spot for Dolphins. In 2004 (when I wasn't a regular (2 visits '96 & '02) a friend and I came over for one night to see Tom Waits at the Carre; when we landed he went straight to the Irish bar on Leisdsequare to watch the Old Firm game; I recalled being at a CS off up to the left somewhere and ended up there.
Downstairs has never had any space whenever I've been by in years; so when I saw some I dived in (c.9pm); and only after I'd paid did they say the lounge was closing. Knew there was another reason I'd drifted away from them.

Stopped in at, perennial favourite, Rookies for a Looza and a smoke. Being unsure of rule changes since my last trip I stuck to the herbal mix per all the signs and it wasn’t busy enough to spot what others were up to. Rolled a couple of sneaky tobacco ones for later but respected the signs.

Wandered back up to Rembrandtplein and the RLD after closing as fancied seeing them deserted at a decent hour. Partially sizing up photo opportunities for later in the weekend. Everywhere was still rammed with all the folk who'd been kicked out at 10 (lockdown time).

However, I did notice a few side street bars, as I was walking home, with folk standing right outside smoking. After 10. Without coats. In February. In Amsterdam. Now, I've been in many Amsterdam bars at closing time over the years and been treated to a lock-in. So I began to wonder...

Anyway, for tonight back to hotel. Despite packing 2 books to read I settle down for a bit with a 3rd I bought at the airport.

1e Hulp
White Widow (7)
Amnesia Haze (7)

Dolphins
Cheese (7)
Lemon Haze (8)

Rookies
Thai Stick (7)
Himalayan Gold (tbc)


Friday 11/02/2022

10pm closure in mind I'm out by 9am which is frankly unheard of for me in in Amsterdam. Quite bright and sunny so just stroll up and through the Oosterpark lazily.

Het Ballonetje is the first stop. Set up camp here for a bit and read some more. 4 folk downstairs, 2 upstairs as am I. QR code required but not scanned.
First time I came in here they were playing gabba mid-afternoon and it was unbearable. Been a bit of a favourite for the last few years though; great for a morning/early afternoon chill.
The gabba is long gone. Still on the herbal mix.

Weesperplein->Nieuwmarket metro and go to the toy shop near Bluebird. The boy requested a hand puppet over a duck this time. And I got (him) a pen shaped like a shite. (4)7 years olds...

Booked a ticket for a museum on Amstelstraat so head back to Reguliersbreestraat (for a sausage roll. Bakery is shut. Go to AH for sandwich. Collect from CS Kooi (I forget the exact name of the strain).
Opposite CS Kooi is the Our House museum of Electronic Music. 20e. In February 1988 (aged 13) I hated any music not made with 'real' instruments. In March 1988 I heard the Blue Monday '88 remix. What does a guitar tree look like anyway?
Thought I'd love this but was a bit of a let down. They have a fantastic display of old tech behind glass (303s, 808s, 909s etc) and a couple of large (one takes up a whole wall) toys where you can manipulate beats (much like a typical DAW).
That's it. I think it's located in a club (Air?) and they've come up with a pish excuse to make some extra cash during the day.

Back to hotel for a rest and freshen up. Out for dinner with a friend tonight. My December trip had supposed to be staying at the Nadia, so most of my research was towards the west. So we went to Plato Loco, Caribbean restaurant. Had the Lamb Curry stew. Lovely but could have eaten twice as much.
Then went to De Nieuwe Anita for a few beers. A bar I'd been meaning to check out for a while. Cool place. Loads of tram-works from tonight so was major hassle getting there. Walk to Marnixstraat and get a tram (5) to Leisdesplein.

In case of repercussions, I won't name names. But the suspicions raised the night before were confirmed. Holed myself up in a bar from 9.30. And the doors did close at 10. Wasn't sure when trams stopped so left at __ and got one back to the hotel.

Het Ballonetje
Fruity Punch (7)
Amnesia Haze (8)

Kooi
?Diesel? (8)


Saturday 12/02/2022

Wake up, see if I can access live TV on hotel wifi using BBC via iPad using my (UK) log-in. Can't. OK, will have to find somewhere to watch Arbroath v Hibs in the cup at 1.30.

Tram 3 to Fredriksplein and walk down to Albert Cuyp market. I know they're tat but I keep trying to get up to a collection of one fridge magnet per trip. Also get some incense cones & sticks.
Really I'm just wasting time convincing myself I'm doing something worthwhile before heading to Club Media.

Bit of a hassle as they won't take my Post Office Travel Money card as it's Mastercard so I need to nip back out to the cash line. All sorted and settled in my perch near the street window soon enough.
Start researching where to watch the game. Nowhere. It's tomorrow. Doh! No museum booked. Will have to do nothing all day. Oh. No.

Media is as good as ever. For me. Some early 20s lad is getting some hassle from the budtender/barmaid for his age, his deodorant & his staying too long.
Apparently under 25s aren’t encouraged (I wouldn't know) and there's a 1 hour limit... Never heard that before. I have (and did that day) spend way longer than an hour there.
I think this place gets really busy in the evenings but I tend to go in the afternoon and it was as busy as it ever is then.

Head toward Katsu and grab a hearty roll from the Italian deli on the way. It's mobbed inside so sit outside Katsu with a couple of coffees and spliffs; watching the world go by and daydreaming.
Would stay longer but Feb chill gets to me. Head back to hotel via AH and grab a couple of rolls, some salmon, crayfish, cheese and salad for dinner before going out later.

About 30 mins to Funky Munkey from hotel by tram. Pretty much door to door though. This has been my favourite CS space by some distance for some time.
Airy and spacious, friendly and chill, decent mix of locals & tourists, not too close/not too far from the centre. Pool table has gone (took me an hour to notice what had changed) and new budtender (when I was there).
Stayed here til closing so no bars tonight. Now knew trams were running til midnight-ish so went for a wander.

This was the night loads of clubs had got together and announced they'd be actively defying the 10pm lockdown for one night and staying open late (I believe the Dutch po-po's response was, roughly, "Fair enough - we'll have more important things to be doing than stopping you").
I'd read about this and heard it was select venues having ticketed events; EVERYWHERE was mobbed with massive queues waiting to get into the lot of them. Amazing.

When I do go to get a tram home there's an incident with 2 Tram 4's locked together blocking the line so I jump off and half-walk/half-taxi it home.

Beers & spliffs on the terrace* in my heated gilet, with my hot water bottle, hat and gloves.
*There was actually a tiny small patio/space as the room had a sliding glass door, a space big enough for a very basic chair and then a glass door to the terrace.
So you could ram yourself in there and keep fairly warm with the previously mentioned accoutrements late at night.

A fellow guest staggered onto the balcony about 2am blaring House music out his room. Tremendous to see.

Club Media
Champagne Haze (9)
Girl Scout Cookies hash (tbc)
Sherb Strawb Diesel (8)

Katsu
NL Silver Pearl (7)
Pollen Nepal (tbc)

Funky Munkey
Pineapple Haze (7)
G13 Haze (8)



Sunday 13/02/2022

First stop Het Ballonetje. More reading. End up staying way longer than intended but could only think of the Smoking Bull to watch the game and didn't really want to drink so was paralysed as to where to go.
Went to check the score after 5 minutes on my phone... and got the broadcast of the game! Excellent. New plan. Watch first half on 4g on phone (HB require Facebook login for wifi so I cant access theres) and then head to wifi for 2nd half.

So back to Club Media. Any excuse. Notice there's a Thrill Grill opposite now. They do an option where you can make half of any burger mushroom instead of meat. Noted that for post-game food.
Settle down in Media, connect to Wifi. Can't access game. Turn off wifi, can access game. WTF! Ends up having no impact on my data use but still annoying. And I missed a goal in transit.
Still, we in. In the end.

There's a Kevin Bridges stand-up bit where he's learning how to say 'A table for 4 please' in Spanish. Then ruminating on a restaurant owner in Spain watching 4 folk walking in and thinking 'Hmmm... I wonder what they want?'.

So I walk into Thrill Grill and the waitress says, in as confused and befuddled a manner as you can imagine, "Do you want food?".
"Er ... Yes".
"Sorry we're cleaning the oven now. That takes about 45 minutes".

Why are you doing that while you're open?
Does it need to be cleaned several times a day?
And you're the Thrill GRILL, not the Thrill OVEN.

Breathe. I go to Burgermeester instead. Notice I can't see the big Bazaar sign on the Albert Cuypstraat. Hope that's not gone. Great food. Tram, hotel, rest, shower, out.

Back to Funky Munkey for the evening but leave early enough to get to a bar. Catch the last tram.

Het Ballonetje
Blueberry Haze Hash (tbc)

Club Media
Banana Kush (8)
Honey Melon Haze (tbc)

Funky Munkey
Warm Oortjes (tbc)
White Munkey (6)


Monday 14/02/2022

Midday check-out. Extra point to Q-Factory. Straight to airport.
Check-in desk a nightmare due to folk not knowing or having the paperwork they needed.
One couple were at the desk for half an hour - after I started I timing them.
And breathe.


Tuesday 15/02/2022

Hear 10pm lockdown is gone. Ahh f***. Where's that KLM voucher from December?
See you in August baby (fingers & toes (and other appendages) crossed).

[Ghost]

Many Thanks for the write up there Buddy have really enjoyed reading it Nice to see a new travel report to have a gander over. You made some nice selections there and sounds like you had a good time considering the circumstances etc. Funky Monkey is also my Fav shop for chilling in and have spent many an hour in there getting baked up, shame about the pool table mind as we used to play winner gets to pick something off of the menu which the loser had to pay for, was good fun.
Thanks for sharing with us all man.

[djreign]

Thoroughly enjoyable read, thank you for posting.

[Lemming]

Brilliant travelogue! Thoroughly enjoyed reading that.
Fantastic pictures on Flickr too.

[starcatcher]

That was such a great report, and probably the most articulate work of literature by a Hibee I’ve read since Trainspotting

60 trips? dam bro, you should get a prize or something. thanks for sharing your insights!

[choppermike]

Good read man , 60 fridge magnets, what fridge you got ? , Does it have an ice dispenser and everything ?

[mdhfc]

Cheers folks - all booked up for mid-August now. Hotel Larende. 10 min walk to Funky Munkey.
Can't wait for a full-on trip - fingers crossed no further complications arise.

Flickr stopped me adding more pics some time ago - keep meaning to delete some other stuff and update the 'Dam pics.

Literature? You flatter me.

60 trips... amazing how they add up over time.

Wish I had pics of the virgin '96 trip. Would do write up of that if I could remember any of it... must have been good.
* I was 21 and VERY green (in the naive, as well as the footballing sense)
* I know we got the overnight train there from Paris and the overnight bus back to London. 2 or 3 or 4 days in town.
* It was July and I remember sitting outside bars on the canals drinking and smoking until closing for a few days but also, randomly
* Madam Tussauds had a lift with doors on both sides. We walked in one side and when everyone got out the opposite door we stood there for a good 30 seconds staring at the door we entered through wondering why it had got so quiet
* We went to see From Dusk Til Dawn at the cinema. In English, with Dutch subtitles. So wasted I'm trying to read the subtitles rather than listening to words I understand. My mate was sure he saw a colony of bats fly under a bridge. he may have started reading Poe around then.
* Mates had been before but I was solo on the last afternoon, totally lost, yet still suddenly found myself close enough to the hostel to find my way. Many of us will have been there.
*Think I spent my last guilders (yes) on a shake mix from what either was, or became, Trinity on Sarphatistraat. Defunct now, I think.

Fridge is about as tall as me. No ice dispenser. It does have a water one which we filled when we got it and have never used since. Has magnets from all sorts of other places as well as the blessed land and they get knocked off and broken with irritating frequency. But still, I have to keep it stocked with beer just to stop them tipping it over.

Wowspremium, I dunno what to say... sorry.

[gratakate]

I wish that I could be like you