We touched down in Amsterdam at approximately 06.30am. Schipol Airport never looked so goooood! Misty, hazy, yet the sun already breaking through. After the airport formalities we exited at Doors G and stood opposite the taxi rank where there are some grey concrete seats and a large water feature. We sat down on one of the seats and drank some bottled water and lit a cigarette. The news and weather was up on the big screen across the way and as we watched and listened we knew we were in for a hot one as Amsterdam was suffering from a major heatwave. Well, it was August and we were on our Hols! Heavens, it was good to be back.
Next was the decision of how to get to the hotel. Train, tram or taxi? Hubby was eager for a doobie yet it was still quite early. I wanted to get to our hotel and check it out yet I knew it was gonna be about 35-40€ to get to Centraal Station by cab…
Sod it, I’ll have another ciggie and enjoy just being here while we decide. In the end we went by taxi.
Our choice of accommodation had been a source of extreme consternation when we had organised this holiday. We had stayed at the Y Boulevard on Prins-Hendrikkade the year before and, without saying too much, I didn’t wish for another experience like that so I had quite a few butterflies as we pulled up outside the Di-Ann. It’s a huge place on top of a row of shops on Raadhuisstraat. A small entry door leads to a very steep flight of stairs going up as far as the eye can see but it IS Amsterdam and I’m a game gal so I prepare to haul me and my luggage up. Just in the nick of time a young guy RUNS down and smiles and takes my bags. I like this place already.
The reception area is clean, smart and a cute Oriental girl chats to Hubby and sorts the arrangements out. I know for a fact the hotel has a few more floors up and I can see these stairs a-beckoning. The thought runs through my mind of how on earth am I gonna get up there when I’m stoned as a ****!!! I hear the words Room 201 and I wonder where the devil it is…. To my absolute surprise it is the first door away from reception. Mumbling a few words under my breath which I think mainly consisted of …thank you…and …Jesus….we entered the place which was to be our abode for 5 days. It was gorgeous. Yes, small. Yes, pretty basic but scrupulously clean, an inviting double bed, a fridge, a safe, table & chair and a balcony!! Oh, how I fell in love with that balcony. A good view of the Singel, right on Raadhuisstraat, opposite the Ajax football shop. Literally a stones throw from Grey Area! A cute green patio table and two chairs next to the huge sash window of the room. Life doesn’t get much better than this.
Amsterdam makes me feel sooooo horny I really wanted to take Hubby to bed there & then but he was gagging for a spliff so we unpacked, got sorted and started our holiday for real.
After making our way over a couple of bridges we cross Spuistraat, look in awe at the Palace, turn right past the Albert supermarket and head into Dam Square. It looks so familiar, so wonderful. I can see its essence, feel it, hear it, almost taste it. And god knows I wanna taste some of that essence so we head towards Warmoesstraat. Now, unpopular as it may be, I’m the sort of bird who doesn’t go the masses and strange as it may seem to you, one of my favourite places to sit is the Grasshopper on Oudebrugstraat. I like the views from the outside seating, I like the cute Dutch girls who serve you, I like hearing the canal boats coming in & out. Hubby went and bought 3 pre-rolled Grasshopper Specials for 15€ and couple of Loozas. We had picked up a Smokers Guide from a shop (4€) and sat happily for a couple of hours reading and discussing our plan of action for the next few days. We had done the touristy things the year before, I had had a crap time the first few months of the year with a change of job and my Dad dying so I really wanted a relaxing time smoking, drinking & walking round my favourite place in the world. The pre-rolled joints were rather good I found with a nice giggly rush to them. I slipped my sandals off feeling the cold damp wood beneath my hot feet and played a bit of footsie with Hubby, smiling at him, silently promising him a grrrreat time later on.
About 15.00ish we headed off towards Nieuwmarkt looking for a coffeeshop we had found the year before but couldn’t remember the name of. Now we still laugh about this.
On the aforementioned first trip we were extremely naïve about coffee houses and their wares. Hubby smokes quite a bit at home and I partake in a little bit, probably 1 joint a night and a bit more at weekends. We arrived not knowing where 1 single coffeeshop was or how to buy or in what volume. We discovered our first shop and bought 2 cokes and some hash which Hubby quickly made into a ciggie. We sat on a couple of barstools at the bar chatting to the owner. All I remember is quite some time later I realised I was staring at the floor. I looked at Hubby and his eyes had disappeared into his head(!) and he looked very strange. I started to laugh really loud and somehow couldn’t stop. He just looked so weird. When the giggles finally abated I managed to ask if he was okay and I remember him saying deadpan as you like.. ”No.” That started me off again! The next thing was my feet and calves had pins and needles in them and my body felt awfully heavy. Perhaps it was the wrong thing to do but at that point I got off the bar stool. Well, slid off the damn thing really and caught his sleeve to keep me up. My legs were like jelly, I felt disorientated and looked to my better half to help. To be honest he still looked worse than I was feeling so we hobbled back to our hotel luckily without major incident.
Anyway back to 2003 and our quest to find this shop again. Hubby took the He-Man role of Chief Navigator and showed me the “excellent sense of direction I have”. We aim for the Oude Kerk, cross Bloedstraat then turned right into Zeedijk and walked slowly down. And there it was. Xperience. That “excellent sense of direction” was proven to be spot-on. Dammit. LOL
It had changed hands since the year before but the girl was nice and chatty and we bought a few grams of Afghan for 5€ a gram and sat in 1 of the 2 tables outside. I had my usual Looza, Hubby had a coffee and he skinned up. I put my sunglasses on, hitched my skirt up and sat enjoying the glorious sun. I love people watching and there is such a diverse, cosmopolitan cross section of people in the Dam we sat for ages just looking at them, commenting on them and smoking. The downside was the Afghan was absolute crap and nothing like the mind bending stuff we sampled the year before so after another drink we packed up and wandered back to the Di-Ann.
Back in our room I found some English news on the TV and felt rather smug to know even though the temperature was 85 degrees in the Netherlands it was even hotter back in old Blighty and a front was coming in that could topple all previous records and break the 100 degree barrier. So even though I was hot, sticky and permanently thirsty my friends and family had it even worse and weren’t even on holiday!! Ohhh I’m such a cow but it is fun being me!
After a nap, shower and a change of clothes we sit out on our ( my beloved ) balcony and Hubby breaks up the last joint from the Grasshopper and mixes it with the Afghan and makes some smooth and scrummy fags for the evening. As we have a smoke we survey the comings & goings of Raadhuisstraat. The cars, the bikes, the trams thunder by. Tourists walking slightly abjectly, heads moving as they take in the sights, locals more focused walking with a purpose of getting to where they want to go.
It’s now about 21.00 and we follow the afternoons route back to Dam Square. We stop at the Majestic, a large umbrella laden bar right on the square and have a beer. It’s cold, frothy and, to me, tastes like shit. Hubby assures me its good though so I believe him and sip it abeit unenthusiastly. He finishes his, mine and we wander over to Damrak and stroll in and out of the gift shops.
We decide we fancy steak and get down to about Teasers. There is an Argentinean steak-house there that we frequented last year and I do believe the same guy is outside beckoning and enticing tourists in. We need no real encouragement to step between the outside tables, take a pew and agree to view the menu. We both order steak, fries, salad and a couple of cokes. I chose a big rib-eye. It’s perfect. Tender, juicy, tasty and I realise we haven’t eaten since the ciabatta roll thing we had on the plane 05.30am that morning. I wolf it down…. how ladylike am I ??????
A cigarette and another coke later we head off again past The Grasshopper, through the narrowing streets, pointing things out to each other as we past the Adult shops. We agreed, before we came, to spice up our toy and DVD selection and we smile at each other in anticipation.
We aim for the Skinny Alley place where the Ladies are and have a stroll up and down the alleys. Its still hot as **** and the Ladies are all in bikinis and looking very fetching.
It’s all much and after supping a Looza at the Bulldog at the bottom of Trompetterstaag we move on and head back to the hotel again.
That was Monday Day 1. Watch out for day 2 …. Funny People and the Casa Rosa.
Foxie.
Life thru my lenses by Foxie
-
Bohannon
- mega power poster
- Posts: 16240
- Joined: Fri Jan 24, 12:30 am
- Location: "Home of the yellow snow"
First, Thanks for the great report! But....right in the beginning you state that you are "a stones throw" from the Grey Area yet all you managed to smoke that first day was some crap afghan from Xperience and prerolled mystery weed from the grasshopper. I am expecting better on the second day! LOL.
Pax
Pax
What a cool report Foxie, just what I needed today for my Amsterdam fix. The balcony sounds great, i tried for one down the street at the Nadia a couple of years ago and none was available, oh well. I hit the Grey Area first thing myself and picked up some ak47 and dark hash. Looking forward to your next report. I'm so ready for my next trip, hopefully in a couple of months, for sure next july .
-
LastHamlet
- mega power poster
- Posts: 3210
- Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2:09 am
- Location: Dim Corridors of My Mind.
NICE.
This was a really great read Foxie, I really like the way you word things and can't wait for more installments. Your British style and lenses are just awesome... Thanks a bunch...
-
Newbie Doo2
- power poster
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Fri May 02, 11:28 am
- Location: A small coastal village in England
-
LaTristesseDurera
- super power poster
- Posts: 2390
- Joined: Fri Jan 24, 6:45 am
- Location: Lookin at the peaches
Great first day...I wonder if you were there when we were (12/8-20/8) Although our paths so far would not have crossed. I did walk by the hotel Di-Ann on a number of occasions, I actually was looking at the pictures of the rooms they have outside, the prices and stuff and I thought it would be a good reccommendation for our friends who want to come up for a few days when we do our 18 day trip in April. How was the service?
-
wolfdangler
- power poster
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Tue Jul 22, 8:18 pm
- Location: Hollywood
- Contact:
-
fatty's finest
Excellent!!! Your report is just the fix to get me through the next TWO days! I'm leaving on the 24th of Sept, arriving on the 25th at 10am and hope to be high by 11!
I look forward to the rest of your report! It has just a touch of spice and I was personally disappointed that the report had to end (just like a good book) :)
I look forward to the rest of your report! It has just a touch of spice and I was personally disappointed that the report had to end (just like a good book) :)
Return to “Channelites Trip Reports”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests