Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

I set myself the mission of remembering as many of the names of people I met as possible. Limited memory capacity meant that was always likely to be at the expense of forgetting everything else.

So, here's my list of people I recall saying hello to (in alphabetical order):

08-420, Arsonist, AzLaker, BigGuy, Bleak, BlueBerry, Cammam, Cattales1960, Chillers2, Cisco, Colina, Dave J, DC, DHBlues, FlyByNite, Ftcarer, Gapie, Hestia, HighlyBlessed, HullDJ, Hunter, Islandgurl, Kermit, Lafe, LiquidSwords, Marco, MK101, Nizzle, Ohm sweet ohm, Philly-Rich, Rasa, Red Eyed Indian, Rufus, SeniorHippies, Soulrider, Steven, Stuart1976, Trad, TuttiFlutes, Twichaldinho, Uncle Ron, Willjay, WolfDangler, Worsall, xLuckyLisax, Yogibear.

Sorry if you were there and I missed you off this list. You were all great company. Thanks for being there.

Saturday 16th April 2011

Our greeting was a "welcome home!" at the familiar Escape apartment. This made my, already broad, grin, even wider. The weather looked great and anticipation for The Gathering was rising. Home indeed. Life is good.

Impatient to get in the right frame of mind, as it were, and having picked up a few basic provisions from the AH supermarket, I dragged the girlfriend into Basjoe so I could stock up. I doubt James recognised me and I didn't have time to explain. Soon back across the canal to the apartment, I rolled a joint and began typing a quick message to the Forum using the PC on the landing. The joint was Heaven Haze in a king size paper using Jamaican as a filler. As a one-time tobacco smoker I grew up with mixed joints and enjoy this nostalgic style. I managed to type one paragraph into the first post of my live report whilst I smoked that first joint.

In my neighbourhood of prohibitionland, weed is whatever I can get when it's going so the concept of a menu is still a sweetie shop for me, even after 20 or more years of visiting Amsterdam.

Everything after this for the following week is a bit hazy ...

A quick dinner and we headed for the Nes and our first T&T, the "4-20 Opening Party". Rounding the corner into the narrow street after which the NesCafe is named, I had a slight feeling of apprehension. With any T&T there is always the chance that nobody will turn up.

On walking in I immediately recognised AzLaker, BlueBerry, DC, Gapie, Hestia and Islandgurl and was introduced to Arsonist, BigGuy, Philly-Rich and Trad. Later Bleak and Marco joined us. So, rather than nobody turning up, we had a fantastic turnout. Looking back in Travel Plans I see about a dozen people said they'd be there and, in the event, about a dozen turned up. Not necessarily the same dozen but, hey, still gratifying after I billed this gathering as the "Ultimate T&T" in honour of FBN's presence.

Within no time I had a pint in one hand and a Volcano bag in the other, courtesy of DC. Cheers mate!

From then on a serious session ensued. All kinds of pipes, bongs and joints were in circulation. And then there were the Volcano bags. Oh, those Volcano bags. DC and his crew seemed to be running relays, bringing out bags two-at-a-time.

You want bud reviews? I have no idea. It was all good and, in combination, indescribably so. Thanks everyone!

I see Arsonist posted this pic of a few of us there that night:

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/viewt ... 79#p222779

In the next exciting episode we all have dinner at Hestia's and get pics of The Cup. Stay tuned!

Nice write up, it was good to meet the man behind ACD and I look forward to reading more

Good to meet you, if next year happens i will track you down with my lump of crude and make sure you remember none of it.

Sunday 17th April 2011

At some point in the Nes the previous evening Trad and I realised that the early start to watch the Formula 1 race wasn't going to happen, whatever it said in the itinerary. We made a new plan to try to catch the re-run. Someone told us that we should be able to find it on some channel about 2pm so we agreed to meet at Popeye. Trad was staying out west so this was a convenient place.

J and I arrived at Popeye late and there was no sign of Trad. We stood in the doorway looking around and considering where to go for breakfast when Trad and BigGuy arrived.

The girl in Popeye tried for some time flicking through channels on the TV but we couldn't find F1 so the four of us sat down with coffees and smoked a spliff or three.

After a while hunger took hold and we wandered along to Barney's Uptown for breakfast. For some reason the staff wouldn't let us sit at the nice table at the back. Boss's orders apparently. We probably should've said we were ACD correspondents and demanded to see Derry but instead we settled for the next nearest spot in the sunshine at the rear of the shop.

Barney's is very "corporate" these days. The girl recited a speech to us, including about keeping cigarette packets out of sight. The food was good but so it should be for the prices they charge.

We got to know Trad and BigGuy a bit that afternoon. Really nice guys. After food and more spliffs we all took some photos along the Brouwersgracht. This was my effort:



Before parting we discussed Hestia's invitation to dinner that evening. We were all unsure of the time or place but agreed that we'd be there later if we could figure it out.

Having found the address of Hestia's apartment we set off via the Albert Heijn where we stocked up with beer, cider and wine. Although the address was easy to find, the selection of doorbells presented a challenge. Eventually some of the crew hung out of a window above us and let us in.

We presented Hestia with the wine only to discover that she doesn’t drink. Nevertheless, she fed us a delicious dinner. Thanks Hestia.

Trad used this occasion to unveil the Cup. I'd seen a picture of it earlier but I think this was the first time Hestia was aware that her competition now had a real cup.



Gapie filled it from a bag of homegrown leaves he'd brought along for Hestia to make cannabutter with.



Here's the inscription:



It was a well fed and grateful rabble of us that tumbled out of Hestia's apartment and into Solo. After a bit of shopping there (can't remember what I got, sorry) a few of us stopped in Lost in Amsterdam for a drink and to smoke our purchases from Solo.

There was a beautiful big moon in the clear sky that night.





Goodnight.

Keep it coming lemming, nice write up and great pictures...
Seems like a nice stash of smoke in that cup, and was good of gapie to donate it..

Great stuff Lemming! Hope our paths cross sometime, would like to share a spliff or two.

Keep it coming!

Love the pic of Brouwersgracht.

Amazing write-up and killer pics.. If we mention ACD to Escape do we get a discount?..

Bravo on the pics. Makes me wish I was there.

Great read and love that last pic.

Thank you.Nice read.Moon in Amsterdam is always someting special for me... Will wait for the next part of a story

Nice one Lem

Thanks people, I'll try to get the rest of the trip written up soon.

Regarding the pics, I think my favourite is the one with Trad thrusting the Cup into the air and Hestia staring wistfully at it. I wonder what she was thinking, "Wow, a real cup!" or "Shit, what have I started?" ?

Incidentally, Trad and Hestia, I hope you're OK with having your pictures here. You already appear elsewhere on the Forum so I assume you don't mind. Let me know if there's any problem.

I've got lots of other nice pics. There's one of Rasa and BigGuy shaking hands in Grey Area with Gapie, Trad, Hestia and 08-420 in the background, Ohm and Tutti outside Amnesia, lots of people with the banner, Cattales and DH on the boat, Chillers and LuckyLisa on a boat, BlueBerry and WolfDangler and many more. I know Winnie and Lafe don't want their pics displayed but I assume everyone who was in front of the webcam isn’t shy. Let me know if you do or, more importantly, don't want your picture displayed.

I have to confess that I can't really take credit for the last shot. J took it on her fancy camera, although I did take her to the bridge and suggested it might make a good picture.

Were you in the 420 when they passed those fuckin giant joints round?. If so any chance a pic was took of me having a go of it as a couple of friends would love to see a pic of me with that giant joint if 1 was taken?.

Great pics and report, Lem; always good to see you and J. Have some fabulous pics of the two of you if you don't mind my posting them. Knowing you I didn't think you would but I like to get permission first. Can't wait to party with y'all again, you're great company and J is the best... love hanging with her.