After you are high what do you do?

[twinkles]

I am retired and one of my favorite activities is to tour Europe. And one of my favorite places to visit is Amsterdam, which I visit at least twice a year. I have a buddy who is floundering in his new retirement. I have encouraged him to try my hobby. I just got back from a 16-day trip to Europe, seven days of which were spent in Amsterdam. My buddy asked me what do I do in Amsterdam. So I thought that I would think through “a day of my life in Amsterdam.”

I stay on or near Warmoesstraat, because what I like to do is near there. (More about what I like to do is below.) On my last trip I stayed at the Luxer, and it was great. I had not been to the Luxer in a couple of years, because I had been seduced by the Barbazon and the Krasnapolsky, but Barbazon was being renovated, and Krasnapolsky had irritated me on my last visit. I loved the Luxer. It wasn’t quite as comfy as the higher end hotels, but it was just so much fun to walk out the front door and “be there.”

When in Amsterdam, I sleep relatively late, because I go to bed high as a kite and I have no agenda. Moreover, the best restaurants for breakfast open at 9:00 or 9:30. So I tend to get up between 9:00 and 10:00. The first order of business is to decide where to eat. I tend to favor places offering a “full English breakfast,” notwithstanding that on my last trip, I never ordered the “full English breakfast.” But I infer that if they offer that, they have other full breakfasts on order. A new place for me on this trip was Greenwoods, over on Singel. Very nice with attentive service. You will probably have a challenge getting in on the weekends. But Greenwoods’ eggs benedict is very good.

After a leisurely breakfast, a lot depends on the state of my stash. If replenishment is needed, I head toward Amsterdam Central to grab a tram to the coffeeshop of the day. Today we are going to visit 1eHulp. I often put my fate in the hands of the budtender. I tell him that I like an indica high, and I want it potent. I buy his recommended bud and some hash to stir into the mix. I get a sparkling water, an espresso, or a Redbull depending on my mood.

My first buzz of the day, having been established, I like to explore. (An indica high does not have to be a couchlock if you move.) Maybe I head to Herengracht and look at cheese shops. I am not going to buy, but I like to look and smell and take pictures.

Now it is time to get back to Warmoesstraat. Perhaps I need to stop into the room for a little respite, it is convenient, after all. But by now, it has been at least an hour since I got high, so it is time to for a booster. Hunter’s smoking bar is just across the street. It is clearly after noon, so it is also time for my first beer.

A beer and a smoke later, it is time for more exploring. Well the window girls are just around the corner, and a lap or two is always pleasant entertainment. Along the way, I think that a tasty beer might be fun, so why don’t we stop in at the Old Sailor and get a half pint. Then we can finish a second lap of the windows.

By this time, it is clearly time for another toking booster, but it is now mid-afternoon. Hunters in going to be crowded, and I might have a hard time getting a table. So I head to Route 66. It is just down Warmoesstraat from the Luxer, it is very well run, and they almost always have a table available. Oh, what the devil is another beer going to hurt, anyway.

After three afternoon beers, it is probably a good time to head back to the room to relieve the bladder. Your own bathroom is always so much nicer that any public restroom isn’t it?

Am I hungry? Then how about some Chinese at New Season. Not hungry, another lap around the windows, perhaps? Or maybe head over to the Singel area for a look at the old ladies—just for fun. Or maybe another toke. This day, I decide to have another toke, and a Redbull. I will just go across the street the Hunters. I have been tipping the girls tending bar all week, I will bet you that they will clear off a table for me.

As I am enjoying a joint and a Redbull, I think to myself, you know, I feel like something fancier than Chinese tonight. There is a Michelin, Bib Gourmand—Bistrot Neuf—a short walk away. It will be fun to have a fancy dinner stoned. I am so early, that they won’t have any trouble finding a table for a single. I start with a glass of Champaign. Then I order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert and ask the waiter to do a wine paring with each course. After dinner, I have a nice alcohol buzz on, but it is definitely time for a toking booster.

So I head back to either Hunters or Route 66. I have enough alcohol in me, that I don’t need another beer. Maybe a sparkling water is the right choice? So a joint and a San Pelligrino is the ticket.

After that, is it late enough to do a window lap and see the night shift girls, or do I want to head back to the room and check the markets. Tonight, I think that I will go sit on the round bench outside Oude Kerk and just watch the tourists on their first visit to the Red Light District. I sat on that bench with my mommy a couple years ago when I brought her to Amsterdam—those days are now over, while she is still living, there is no way she could now do an international trip. Mom had no idea that Window Girls were just a few steps away. It always feels nostalgic to sit on that bench and watch the world go by.

Oh well, I have a big day, getting stoned, tomorrow, so I think that I will head back to bed. But first I need another joint, and what the hell, let’s have another beer.

[spidergawd]

Nice one Twinkles, If I was your buddy I'd be asking "when do we go?"

I've been retired four years now and I dont think I floundered for a minute. loving the freedom.

[Black-King]

Nice read! Thanks for sharing. Reading this makes me wanna go to AMS right now!

[LLMReb]

Twinkles, great post. I very much enjoyed reading it. My absolute favorite thing to do is smoke and walk around. AMS experienced an incredible amount of history, and it was the same streets and buildings that created the scene for that history. The entire city is a museum, and the fact that you can smoke and walk around in freedom is so, well, the English language does not have the proper word.

This trip will be my 10th to AMS. I'm acting like a little kid in anticipation of this trip. My wife asked why I'm so excited and what I look forward to doing the most. The response is simple - walking around the town and people watching. Paris is good for walking around in a historical setting, but for me, AMS is just a little better. Maybe it's the smoke, maybe the excellent beer, bicycles, canals, or something else I just cannot determine. Regardless, AMS is simply magical. Every visit opens possibilities of a new life-long memory and experience.

Thanks for the post. I will check out that little bench at the Old Church and think of you and your Mom.

[MinnBobber]

Nice read twinkles,

I've only been there once and loved it---way way more than I expected as I don't normally love big cities. But Amsterdam seems more like a giant village to me, in a good way!!
Bikes rule---is so cool.
Going back in May and hope I love it as much this time!!

[twinkles]

Minn, here is my advice. Use google maps to draw walking maps between your hotel and coffeeshops, bars, restaurants, museums, smoking bars, and anything else you want to visit. Print them out and take them with you. I have been to Amsterdam about 12-15 times over the past five years, and February trip was the first time that I printed out little maps like I suggest. It made everything so much easier. It is so easy to get turned around, even after a number of visits. I had a long list of smoking bars, restaurants, coffeeshops, and specialty beer bars that I wanted to visit. I was in Amsterdam for seven days, but I still had way more things I wanted to do, than I had time to do. I can't wait for my August trip.

If you wanted to visit anything more than about a ten minute walk, you can buy a multiday tram pass that will encourage you to use the trams. This was the first time that I ever did that also, and it made a big difference. Please feel free to contact me for any suggestions that you might be interested in. I have extensive notes that I made, that I can easily send you.

[OneHighMofo]

I just love to amble around the city in a stoned daze finding new streets and new sights. I often ignore my tram pass in favour of just strolling from CS to CS window shopping, grabbing bites to eat, listening to snatched conversations, watching the tourists getting busy getting loose and the locals getting busy getting annoyed with the tourists getting busy getting loose

One of the the moments I savour the most in any trip is the rosy glow of that just landed first joint at Voyagers.

Once those first few hits begin to light up my synapses I just love to slowly walk down through the RLD listening to the excited tourist babble blazing a fat one, the stank adding to the ambience for any first timers. That first whiff of something exotic and illicit, their first view of a CS interior or a stolen glimpse of a Kamer. I've mentioned it before here but I love to see the look on the younger travellers faces when they catch their first sights and smells of the RLD. They're often travelling with parents and are noticeably lagging a few steps behind so that they're able to give everything the eagle-eye without giving too much away. "Of course I don't know what that smell is Father". I LOVE seeing these guys and girls, knowing that right there in that moment they're planning how long it will be before they're able to get back here without the parental chains.

My other quintessential Mokum experience has to be a midnight stop at the bridge on Korte Niezel at the top of either Voorburgwal or Achterburgval.
I always do this on my first night in the dam - I have a couple of G's rolled into a huge doob and just ease back against the railings and chill. Blaze and watch the madness ensue - I often recall the first time I ever saw those glowing ruby red canals and how exciting it all seemed. How massive and rabbit warren like De Wallen seemed. How easy it was to get lost - for hours. It seems like such a long time ago and the city seems so much smaller these days now I'm so familiar with her streets and canals but the moments mentioned above are always magical for me; reminiscent of my first moments wrapped in the Dam. I love her with a passion.

Roll on 420

[Willjay]

When the wife and I go we become culture vultures, the museum card makes this real easy and affordable, their are a lot of smaller museums, the "Pocketbook" museum was an unexpected treat.
The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museumkaart is good through the country that leads me to our second adventure exploring the rest of the Netherlands, there are lots of great small towns and villages a short train ride away. Years ago you could get as a tourist a rail pass for the Netherlands, made this activity more affordable

[Fat_old_dwarf]

When the wife and I go we become culture vultures, the museum card makes this real easy and affordable, their are a lot of smaller museums, the "Pocketbook" museum was an unexpected treat.
The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museumkaart is good through the country that leads me to our second adventure exploring the rest of the Netherlands, there are lots of great small towns and villages a short train ride away. Years ago you could get as a tourist a rail pass for the Netherlands, made this activity more affordable

I'm pissed off that the museum card is now only valid for a month if you're not Dutch. I was thinking of buying another one this year, in hope of managing the odd trip whenever the opportunity arose, and finally to make it to Groningen and Utrecht. Not worth it now. And it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

[twinkles]

Maybe I will look into a museum pass on my next trip in August. I have been to Ann Frank three times (once solo, once with my wife, and once with my mother). I have been to the Rijksmuseum once, and the Van Gogh Museum, but maybe it is time to revisit those, because it has been many years ago. Thank you for making me think about that.

[LLMReb]

My wife and I highly recommend the Museum Pass (Museumkaart).

Best advice from my perspective - pop into the AMS Historical Museum. If you have never been, it is a fantastic museum. Purchase the card there. The lines are always short, and hardly anyone is ever at that beautiful little museum that is full of AMS historical information. It is near the Begijnhof if you are unsure of the location. Anyway, I like going there b/c of the non-existent lines.

Then you can visit all sorts of places.

https://www.museumkaart.nl/

http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/museumkaart/

We like it b/c if we find ourselves around a museum at any time of the day, we can skip lines and pop in. I cannot tell you how many times I've discovered that I wandered over to the Museumplein, and the Rijks is only open for 30 more minutes. With the museum card, I just pop right in for a little culture. Without it, I'd have skipped or wished I went to the museum.

We go to the Van Gogh every year. This Friday it is open from 7 until 10 p.m. If you have never been at night, it is a wonderful experience. Go over to Paradox, purchase a spacecake around 6. Ingest and leisurely walk over to the Van Gogh. Enjoy for a solid hour or 2.

Then you have all of the other museums that you would likely never pay to visit, but you will attend if you have the museum card. The Catholic Church in the Attic is really amazing. Max Euwe's museum is neat to pop in and visit. Allard Pierson, Bible . . . the list goes on and on. There are countless you can visit. The Rijks and Van Gogh are 2 of my top 5 museums in the entire world, so it is worth it just to be able to visit multiple times for a short duration.