Day 1, 31st May 2006.
Beep, Beep, Beep…… That’s the alarm, it’s 4.00 am and I’ve bearly slept. Maybe it was excitement, maybe it was that feeling that your alarm might fail and you’ll miss something amazing. It’s cold and the wife is pulling the Duvet back over her head, she just hates the early morning thing. Anyway, a coffee, a shower and a slice of toast later and we’re off, just a 25 min drive to the airport. We’re checked in and get a coffee in the airport….. then, Bing Bong “We are sorry to announce that flight LS206/31 for Amsterdam is delayed, more information will be announced in 15 Mins.” OK let’s hit the bar. A bottle of Coors for me and a White wine for the Mrs….. a check of the board…. No info till 7.15 am. Bing Bong “Passengers on flight LS206/31 please make your way to gate 4 for boarding”…. Hang on it’s 7.00 am…. We’re off! Woo Hoo. The plane takes till About 7.35 to get off the ground…. A delay of only 35 mins…. But we must have had a tail wind because we touched down at 9.15 at Schipol which is exactly when we’re supposed to. It never ceases to amaze me how vast this airport is!
I don’t think my wife quite understands why I’m rushing and eager to get on the train…. I’m 3 steps ahead all the way….. and then when we arrive, more of the same…. The hotel is around 5 minutes walk from CS….. and I do it in about 3. We’re checked in, bags ditched and off we head. “What do you fancy then lovey?” , it appears this wasn’t the best question because she’s hungry and cold….. OK, I can wait another 30 mins…. It’s only 11.00 am. So Pancakes it is…. Opposite Greenhouse Centrum. Pancakes done and I may as well hit Greenhouse, being as it’s just there. A gram of the Diesel and a couple of beers….. The diesel is as Grapefruity as it comes…. Too much for me really, it’s an overpowering aroma and taste, but it’s a pleasant High… a couple of joints and another Beer and it’s off to show the Mrs around a bit, but it’s still cold so we duck into Stones for a quick beer, we’re the only ones in! A quick stop in Grasshopper just to show the Mrs what it’s like and cos we have time to kill and cos it’s on the way to where I’m aiming for…..Beer drank it’s off to 420! It’s always warm in there. Another beer and a g of White Widow please (6 Euros! Bargain). Now maybe it was the lack of sleep, the heat and the early drinking but the Widow had me holding on…. I even went a bit pale. Time for a walk….. more of a stagger actually but the cold weather soon had me back to my old self.
Time to explore a little…. Had a great walk around and then back to the Hotel… the rooms are ready at 2.00pm. Time to recoup some energy with a power nap!
Showered, changed and out again by 4.30, not to much of the day missed, let’s see where the mood takes us, seems it took us to Hunters. Hunters has had a face lift since I was last there…. Very modern it looks too! But not comfy. The music is much to my wife’s taste and she likes it in here. I fancy something a bit more regular to smoke so I try the Purple Haze, how much? 4.50 Euros…. Oh well…. This could be a bargain and a half…. Unfortunately it grinds down to a tea leaf consistency and taste’s like shit, what else did I expect? Let’s Eat.
Wok to Walk! What a place…. What a bargain, what a tasty treat…. And the the pastry shop opposite 420…. My wife instantly falls in love with this place. Now a short stroll to get the digestion happening. We pass Kadinsky, I remember they had excellent cakes, excellent cakes indeed! But they’ve sold out…. They have 3 space bon bon’s left so I take them… We eat one each immediately and I don’t rate the flavour. A quick stop in stones for a beer and a smoke and back to 420, it’s not to busy and there’s a nice relaxed buzz about the place. The Mrs looks so tired, so we have a couple of games of cards and she tells me that she’s very light headed, it’s her first space product ever! I think it’s best to get her back off to the hotel.
Back at the Ramada I find the last Bon Bon in my Jacket pocket…. I eat half and give the other to my wife, the flavour has completely changed now the bon bon has warmed up to room temp and I’m getting a very pleasant buzz, I don’t mind watching the BBC and drifting off, it’s been a long, long day and I don’t usually like to be in the hotel this early (10.30pm), but it’s all good.
More to come…. However I took no notes and I’m struggling to remember much of Thursday.
The Gonzo's Trip report 2006.
Good work DrGonzo...
I know that feeling where you haven't slept but still you are full of life, that is until it and the smoke catches up with you.
Don't worry if your reports are filled with every detail, it's just nice to hear that a fellow toker has been and enjoyed a visit...
Rez
I know that feeling where you haven't slept but still you are full of life, that is until it and the smoke catches up with you.
Don't worry if your reports are filled with every detail, it's just nice to hear that a fellow toker has been and enjoyed a visit...
Rez
"I laughed so hard I nearly had a whitey"
Carla 4/21/2009
Carla 4/21/2009
Day 2, Thursday 1st June 2006
What a restful sleep….. wait it’s past 10am we’ve missed brecky…. Oh well, another excuse to find somewhere new. Showered and dressed we set out, full of anticipation for a new day in Amsterdam. We hit Barney’s brassiere around 11.00am it’s fairly busy so we sit at the bar, I’m used to the pace of these things so I’m not worried that 6 or 7 minutes later we still haven’t been acknowledged….. that’s just the way it is. We’re served, espresso and juice each and order some food, just as a table becomes free. The food arrives and it’s good, the service is, well, what it is, that’s just Barney’s.
Sustained and ready for action we head down Kalverstraat so my wife can check out the shops, I’d rather get it out of the way early and without being stoned as I tend to look anything but interested in that frame of mind. So we stop off for some cash and there seems to be a problem… no money! Trauma, trauma, panic, hyperventilate and all that other stuff you go through, let’s get online and check this out. Easyinternet café, great value, 2 euros for 1 hour and it doesn’t have to be used at one sitting. Money transferred to current account and we’re off. The wife enjoys the shopping and vows to try on some stuff before she leaves, I know she won’t…. we’ll not be heading back that way if I can help it!
A nice stroll to Old Church is in order but it’s cold so it's more of a brisk walk. Arriving there the whole of the upstairs is free, cool, 2 Juices and what do you recommend for a cool daytime smoke? Try the Jack Herrer, OK I will, 2 grams for 12 Euros, I didn’t realise just how much of a bargain this was to be, what a smoke, a pleasant high with a great feeling of well being which lasted long after the high had gone. Great OJ too by the way.
Enter blurry hour or two, I can’t for the life of me remember where we went next… I know it wouldn’t have been far but hey ho. I think we must have checked out where our evening meal was taking place.
Somehow we end up back at the hotel for a “Rest”, PS the Jack really aids this sort of “rest”.
We have dinner reservations at Cassa Di David (recommended by Lctricity) at 7.30. We’re out and looking for a smoke and a drink or two by 5.30. Let’s check out Nes. I’m so glad we did, it’s a great place with a great atmosphere. A couple of Joints of the Jack and a pint or two of Gulpner and I’m ready to eat. We hit Cassa about 7.15 and it’s very busy, which I take to be a good sign. We’re lead to a table upstairs and I order up a spag bol and the wife some sort of Pizza, I’m two hungry and stoned to make it a formal 3 course with wine etc. Anyway spag bol is my measuring stick for Italian places, you just don’t get it that good and to be honest I make better myself, but not better than this, this was a taste sensation, Ok I was stoned but it was still great. The wife’s pizza was awesome too. 35 Euros and about 40 mins. later we were off again…. I reckon they knew we wouldn’t be in for the long haul so they hurried us on which was cool. I’d recommend this place to anyone, take your partner here…. “For sure”.
We head back uptown and we happen to pass Kadinsky again, and guess what, they’re fully stocked up on that lovely cake. Two slices please…. But one slice is for two people…… I’ll take two then. Half a space cake each for desert and it’s time to find a comfortable place, the Mrs wants to go to Hunters, why not, I’ve got enough decent smoke to last. The music’s back to my wife’s liking and we’re having a giggle, but after a while I can see the Mrs. descending into a stupor so I suggest we leave and head back, It’s about 10.30 ish. I get her out of the door and she’s in hysterics, I have to literally hold her up all the way down to Baba cos she can’t stop laughing…. This is setting me off too, must have been a site. Anyway we negotiate the longer than usual trip back to the hotel, I now realise if she laughs in the foyer I’ll not be able to hold on but luckily we make it to the lift with not much hassle, then someone gets in the lift with us, it takes every ounce of concentration I have just to stare at the floor and not laugh, once the guy gets out at 3, and the doors are shut I completely brake down. We make it back to the room and it seems a perfect time to split the other cake. Thursday night (politics) on the BBC has never been so funny!
What a restful sleep….. wait it’s past 10am we’ve missed brecky…. Oh well, another excuse to find somewhere new. Showered and dressed we set out, full of anticipation for a new day in Amsterdam. We hit Barney’s brassiere around 11.00am it’s fairly busy so we sit at the bar, I’m used to the pace of these things so I’m not worried that 6 or 7 minutes later we still haven’t been acknowledged….. that’s just the way it is. We’re served, espresso and juice each and order some food, just as a table becomes free. The food arrives and it’s good, the service is, well, what it is, that’s just Barney’s.
Sustained and ready for action we head down Kalverstraat so my wife can check out the shops, I’d rather get it out of the way early and without being stoned as I tend to look anything but interested in that frame of mind. So we stop off for some cash and there seems to be a problem… no money! Trauma, trauma, panic, hyperventilate and all that other stuff you go through, let’s get online and check this out. Easyinternet café, great value, 2 euros for 1 hour and it doesn’t have to be used at one sitting. Money transferred to current account and we’re off. The wife enjoys the shopping and vows to try on some stuff before she leaves, I know she won’t…. we’ll not be heading back that way if I can help it!
A nice stroll to Old Church is in order but it’s cold so it's more of a brisk walk. Arriving there the whole of the upstairs is free, cool, 2 Juices and what do you recommend for a cool daytime smoke? Try the Jack Herrer, OK I will, 2 grams for 12 Euros, I didn’t realise just how much of a bargain this was to be, what a smoke, a pleasant high with a great feeling of well being which lasted long after the high had gone. Great OJ too by the way.
Enter blurry hour or two, I can’t for the life of me remember where we went next… I know it wouldn’t have been far but hey ho. I think we must have checked out where our evening meal was taking place.
Somehow we end up back at the hotel for a “Rest”, PS the Jack really aids this sort of “rest”.
We have dinner reservations at Cassa Di David (recommended by Lctricity) at 7.30. We’re out and looking for a smoke and a drink or two by 5.30. Let’s check out Nes. I’m so glad we did, it’s a great place with a great atmosphere. A couple of Joints of the Jack and a pint or two of Gulpner and I’m ready to eat. We hit Cassa about 7.15 and it’s very busy, which I take to be a good sign. We’re lead to a table upstairs and I order up a spag bol and the wife some sort of Pizza, I’m two hungry and stoned to make it a formal 3 course with wine etc. Anyway spag bol is my measuring stick for Italian places, you just don’t get it that good and to be honest I make better myself, but not better than this, this was a taste sensation, Ok I was stoned but it was still great. The wife’s pizza was awesome too. 35 Euros and about 40 mins. later we were off again…. I reckon they knew we wouldn’t be in for the long haul so they hurried us on which was cool. I’d recommend this place to anyone, take your partner here…. “For sure”.
We head back uptown and we happen to pass Kadinsky again, and guess what, they’re fully stocked up on that lovely cake. Two slices please…. But one slice is for two people…… I’ll take two then. Half a space cake each for desert and it’s time to find a comfortable place, the Mrs wants to go to Hunters, why not, I’ve got enough decent smoke to last. The music’s back to my wife’s liking and we’re having a giggle, but after a while I can see the Mrs. descending into a stupor so I suggest we leave and head back, It’s about 10.30 ish. I get her out of the door and she’s in hysterics, I have to literally hold her up all the way down to Baba cos she can’t stop laughing…. This is setting me off too, must have been a site. Anyway we negotiate the longer than usual trip back to the hotel, I now realise if she laughs in the foyer I’ll not be able to hold on but luckily we make it to the lift with not much hassle, then someone gets in the lift with us, it takes every ounce of concentration I have just to stare at the floor and not laugh, once the guy gets out at 3, and the doors are shut I completely brake down. We make it back to the room and it seems a perfect time to split the other cake. Thursday night (politics) on the BBC has never been so funny!
When the going gets weird, the weird get going!
That's a good bit of infor there Dr. Us brits could easily boil over inside whilst sitting waiting patiently not look like we are aware of how long they are taking. But now we know that that's how they are, we can just chill and wait with confidense that a good feed is on the way.DrGonzo wrote:I’m used to the pace of these things so I’m not worried that 6 or 7 minutes later we still haven’t been acknowledged….. that’s just the way it is. We’re served, espresso and juice each and order some food, just as a table becomes free. The food arrives and it’s good, the service is, well, what it is, that’s just Barney’s.
I've never been before but I'm sure I will check it out on my next visit....Another useful tip and double recomendation.DrGonzo wrote:We have dinner reservations at Cassa Di David (recommended by Lctricity) at 7.30...I’d recommend this place to anyone, take your partner here…. “For sure”.
Sorry it's such a long quote and reply but that has got to be just about as good as it gets. I could just imagine having that same fun with my wife... A bloody good day you two, coolDrGonzo wrote:We head back uptown and we happen to pass Kadinsky again, and guess what, they’re fully stocked up on that lovely cake. Two slices please…. But one slice is for two people…… I’ll take two then. Half a space cake each for desert and it’s time to find a comfortable place, the Mrs wants to go to Hunters, why not, I’ve got enough decent smoke to last. The music’s back to my wife’s and we’re having a giggle, but after a while I can see the Mrs. descending into a stupor so I suggest we leave and head back, It’s about 10.30 ish. I get her out of the door and she’s in hysterics, I have to literally hold her up all the way down to Baba cos she can’t stop laughing…. This is setting me off too, must have been a site. Anyway we negotiate the longer than usual trip back to the hotel, I now realise if she laughs in the foyer I’ll not be able to hold on but luckily we make it to the lift with not much hassle, then someone gets in the lift with us, it takes every ounce of concentration I have just to stare at the floor and not laugh, once the guy gets out at 3, and the doors are shut I completely brake down. We make it back to the room and it seems a perfect time to split the other cake. Thursday night (politics) on the BBC has never been so funny!
Rez
"I laughed so hard I nearly had a whitey"
Carla 4/21/2009
Carla 4/21/2009
will be checking out kadinskis for their cakes then!!! but will be heading to ' dam tasty' for pizza....eating in amsterdam is more of a chore than something i want to sit down and take time over...takes up smoking time :p
so cold in june?!?!? hope its not the same in august!
sounds like your having a blast!!!
so cold in june?!?!? hope its not the same in august!
sounds like your having a blast!!!
Loads of takeaway pizza places (and other sorts of food as well) that don't require much thought or money.
Don't think I ever sat in a proper restaurant in Amsterdam and I absolutely adore Spag Bol (got to be meatballs though and not just plain old mince)
Second day sounds great. I often wondered how ladies would feel about Amsterdam as a holiday destination (seems much more of a guy place) but I haven't seen any complaints from any members of the opposite sex about the place on this forum.
Don't think I ever sat in a proper restaurant in Amsterdam and I absolutely adore Spag Bol (got to be meatballs though and not just plain old mince)
Second day sounds great. I often wondered how ladies would feel about Amsterdam as a holiday destination (seems much more of a guy place) but I haven't seen any complaints from any members of the opposite sex about the place on this forum.
thats awesome! the perfect place to be in the perfect condiotion to be in.it takes every ounce of concentration I have just to stare at the floor and not laugh,
My Mrs. doesn't smoke these days (used to hold her own back in the day) but she says next time in the 'dam she says "i have to get wasted"...stories like your make it even harder to wait.
Day 3, Friday 2nd June 2006
8.30 and we’ve remembered to set an alarm today as we’re planning a trip to see how little Anne Frank faired 60 some years ago. Brecky at the Hotel is good, eggs, bacon, pancakes, meats, cheeses, pastries, coffees, juices, breads…. And I tried em all….. I’ve still got a very cloudy head from that space cake the night before.
And off we go…. This is the first time I look like a tourist, map in hand, I reckon we’re in for around a 20 minute walk, and this morning it’s bright, which is a nice change…. It’s about 50/50 sunny/cloudy. We negotiate the short walk, it should be just round this corner…. And it is, marvellous, it’s 9.50 and there’s a shortish queue. We get in and the cover charge of 7.50 is fairly cheap. The museum is certainly eye opening and it is a tragic story but I can’t help thinking it’s just one of millions. The wife studied it in History so it’s really interesting for her. I was also struck by how much room they actually had up there above that warehouse…. About 5 or 6 rooms in total. My only advice about this place is get there early, it’s an immensely popular attraction and the last snippet is don’t have a smoke before you get there or it might just become stuff to fall over or bang your head on. There’s also some awfully steep stairs.
It’s now about 11.00am and I’ve still got that cloudy head that only a the night before in Amsterdam can provide. I need some coffee and some great OJ pronto….. I can’t really remember where we went….I’m sure we stopped in at Bulldog, purely for their freshly squeezed juice and to sit in the sun. I seem to remember checking out the Erotica Museum…. Not worth the 5 Euros in my opinion, but a laugh never the less. A bit more wandering for sure and I know we ended up at Nes shortly after 1.00pm.
Nes is a great place, we meet Dave, get some drinks, get some Super Silver Haze (wow) and get out a backgammon set from besides the pool table….. Dave’s a real nice fella, you can tell he loves his work, strikes me though that it’s a lot of balls to keep in the air on your own throughout the day. Anyway, the SSH is a great smoke, a really giddy high (I always loved hazes anyway) this aided the backgammon playing a lot (I’m sure my wife’s a witch, she seems to have some magic power over the dice, which made things hilarious) . Dave pointed Rev over and we said hello, seems like a nice lad…. It’s always awkward meeting someone like that especially when you’re pretty stoned…. And especially when you realise how embarrassing your screen name is….. I think I’d rather use my given name. Shortly after B.I.G. came over and said hi…. But he was on his way elsewhere. Still nice to put names to faces. Must have spent 2 or 3 hours just playing backgammon and watching the pool experts do their thing…. I personally like a game of pool and I’m not bad… but those big American tables are so fast and I really didn’t fancy any penalty for getting 7 balled! (in my local you have to cross the street and drop your strides)
Time to introduce my Mrs to Vlaamse (sp?) Frites! Which go down a treat…. Followed by another delightful pastry opposite 420. A short trip back to the hotel to freshen up and we were back out, and now I’m all blurry on the details again. I know we ended up back in Nes and stayed until around 9.50 ish and then we had to go, the SSH and the Jack Herrer finished it was time for a walk around the RLD…. The missus found it very amusing. We finished the evening with an espresso back at the hotel and then a DVD on the portable player back in the room, I think I still had some White widow left to smoke….. DVD finished (Green Street) and I was still wide awake… the Esspresso really was doing it’s voodoo… but luckily for me, Kevin and Perry Go Large was showing on BBC, so I had a giggle at that and a few smokes till about 1.30.
Another satisfying day.
8.30 and we’ve remembered to set an alarm today as we’re planning a trip to see how little Anne Frank faired 60 some years ago. Brecky at the Hotel is good, eggs, bacon, pancakes, meats, cheeses, pastries, coffees, juices, breads…. And I tried em all….. I’ve still got a very cloudy head from that space cake the night before.
And off we go…. This is the first time I look like a tourist, map in hand, I reckon we’re in for around a 20 minute walk, and this morning it’s bright, which is a nice change…. It’s about 50/50 sunny/cloudy. We negotiate the short walk, it should be just round this corner…. And it is, marvellous, it’s 9.50 and there’s a shortish queue. We get in and the cover charge of 7.50 is fairly cheap. The museum is certainly eye opening and it is a tragic story but I can’t help thinking it’s just one of millions. The wife studied it in History so it’s really interesting for her. I was also struck by how much room they actually had up there above that warehouse…. About 5 or 6 rooms in total. My only advice about this place is get there early, it’s an immensely popular attraction and the last snippet is don’t have a smoke before you get there or it might just become stuff to fall over or bang your head on. There’s also some awfully steep stairs.
It’s now about 11.00am and I’ve still got that cloudy head that only a the night before in Amsterdam can provide. I need some coffee and some great OJ pronto….. I can’t really remember where we went….I’m sure we stopped in at Bulldog, purely for their freshly squeezed juice and to sit in the sun. I seem to remember checking out the Erotica Museum…. Not worth the 5 Euros in my opinion, but a laugh never the less. A bit more wandering for sure and I know we ended up at Nes shortly after 1.00pm.
Nes is a great place, we meet Dave, get some drinks, get some Super Silver Haze (wow) and get out a backgammon set from besides the pool table….. Dave’s a real nice fella, you can tell he loves his work, strikes me though that it’s a lot of balls to keep in the air on your own throughout the day. Anyway, the SSH is a great smoke, a really giddy high (I always loved hazes anyway) this aided the backgammon playing a lot (I’m sure my wife’s a witch, she seems to have some magic power over the dice, which made things hilarious) . Dave pointed Rev over and we said hello, seems like a nice lad…. It’s always awkward meeting someone like that especially when you’re pretty stoned…. And especially when you realise how embarrassing your screen name is….. I think I’d rather use my given name. Shortly after B.I.G. came over and said hi…. But he was on his way elsewhere. Still nice to put names to faces. Must have spent 2 or 3 hours just playing backgammon and watching the pool experts do their thing…. I personally like a game of pool and I’m not bad… but those big American tables are so fast and I really didn’t fancy any penalty for getting 7 balled! (in my local you have to cross the street and drop your strides)
Time to introduce my Mrs to Vlaamse (sp?) Frites! Which go down a treat…. Followed by another delightful pastry opposite 420. A short trip back to the hotel to freshen up and we were back out, and now I’m all blurry on the details again. I know we ended up back in Nes and stayed until around 9.50 ish and then we had to go, the SSH and the Jack Herrer finished it was time for a walk around the RLD…. The missus found it very amusing. We finished the evening with an espresso back at the hotel and then a DVD on the portable player back in the room, I think I still had some White widow left to smoke….. DVD finished (Green Street) and I was still wide awake… the Esspresso really was doing it’s voodoo… but luckily for me, Kevin and Perry Go Large was showing on BBC, so I had a giggle at that and a few smokes till about 1.30.
Another satisfying day.
When the going gets weird, the weird get going!