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Day 2: Thursday 18th April 2013 - part 1

Wake up to find a blue sky out of the back of the apartment. The weather gods are smiling on us again. Time to get to Utopia.



J and I caught up with the party at Utopia. A good-sized group had assembled in 420 Café earlier and made their way here.


Utopia


Utopia

As usual, we're all made to feel very welcome and plied with free hot drinks.


Utopia


Utopia Menu

Got some Champagne Haze and joined the mass roll-in. A perfect start to the day.

From there we wandered to Grey Area.




Grey Area Menu

There were a few seats available and some of the crew sat down to start more rolling. Others remained outside on a sunny corner. We didn't stay there long.



Coming next: some garish colours from Electric Ladyland - "the First Museum of Fluorescent Art".

Another great installment. Nice to see the menus. Also, I loved the old report from the smaller cities that you linked to on another thread. Thanks for the great reporting.

Actually I already posted all of the menus here: https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/viewt ... 10&t=23488. Personally I like the big pic of Utopia with all of the little containers of buds and last years' Hestia Cup.

Yeah, but I like seeing them in context. Makes it easier to imagine being there.

You can add pics of me if you have any bud :/

Thanks for the permission Bishy. Actually, I didn't take many pictures of people this year.

Day 2: Thursday 18th April 2013 - part 2

From Grey Area we all make our way to Paradox and settle in for another serious session. This is one of my favourite shops in a very pretty part of town. We commandeer the large table in the corner and make ourselves comfortable.

This mural wraps around three walls. The left part of the picture is from 4-20 2011 and the final part from this year.
Click for full size >

Very close to Paradox is "Electric Ladyland", which describes itself as "the First Museum of Fluorescent Art". Here we're talking LOUD colour. Eye deafeningly loud!

At street level it's a shop selling fluorescent pictures. Most of our group stop there but a few of us pay the small fee to enter the museum. We are issued with foam slippers and climb down into the basement.

The slippers are so that we can walk around this part of the exhibit. Inside are buttons to press and little windows to peer into.





In other parts of the room there are display cabinets full of fluorescent minerals.







Some mineral fluoresce different colours in shortwave and longwave UV.


Our host reveals the hidden images on driver's licences, passports, currency and so on by shining handheld shortwave and longwave ultraviolet lamps on them.





On the wall is a collection of pictures that are almost monochrome until they have one of the UV lamps shone on them.







This is the same picture with the shortwave and the longwave lamps shone on it.


Fairyland in a glass box





Next up: Eerste Hulp.

"Electric Ladyland", which describes itself as "the First Museum of Fluorescent Art". Here we're talking LOUD colour. Eye deafeningly loud!

Another reason to return, thanks for sharing

can't wait for the next installment. Thanks for the great report!

Willjay wrote:"Electric Ladyland", which describes itself as "the First Museum of Fluorescent Art". Here we're talking LOUD colour. Eye deafeningly loud!

Another reason to return, thanks for sharing

Pretty funny clip about that place on The Layover...dude and his wifey are total flower childs...great little place.

Day 2: Thursday 18th April 2013 - part 3

As we walk from Electric Lady, I spend some time boring people by explaining that 1e as in 1e Hulp is not pronounced "one ee" in the same way that 1st is not pronounced "one ess tee".
1e is eerste, meaning first. Sometimes you can translate Dutch just by saying the words - eerste hulp sounds like 1st help so it means First Aid.

OK, I may be a pedant but the coffeeshop is great!



The boss?

Just in case we're not blitzed enough already, we launch into another major session.

Lots more people join us at 1e Hulp. For instance, Back2thedam is waiting for us when we arrive and Bleak, Tutti & Ohm roll in while we're there. The gathering builds up to at least 20 of us.

At some point the owner of the shop comes to join us, brandishing some kind of BHO, a Sheldon Black Glass oil rig and a blowtorch. He makes sure that everyone gets a hit.

I've never tried one of these things before so I'm a bit apprehensive. The flame-thrower and BigGuy coughing his lungs up are not encouraging. I suggest to BigGuy that he has a drink of water and that seems to work.
I take my turn and find that it's not so bad. More like a vapouriser than a bong. Quite smooth.



Having gathered so many people together and with more joining us we decide to abandon the plan to move on to Funky Munky and stay at 1e Hulp instead.

Trad and me, again.



In the evening J and I arrive at Nes just as several of the crew are leaving. We hang out with Occasional Bowl for a while over a few beers and spliffs. Nimrod comes in just as we are leaving. Some hellos and goodbyes as we're about done for today.

Our first full day comes to an end with a satisfied, stoned smile. A good day.

That is a great picture of Trad and yourself

Love 1e Hulp, especially that spot where you and Trad are sitting. Great place to hang and smoke.

Nice shot of Rizla! That's his favorite spot I think.


Another nice installment. Great pictures.