Amsterdam Weekender June 2016

[topgearwascool]

I arrived in Amsterdam Sunday the 5th of June 2016, left Amsterdam 10am Tuesday the 7th of June 2016..

My trip:

Day 1...

The Stock Exchange... Is where my hotel and favourite coffee shop is and; Feels like my home; 'This bull statue's on my street out there.'

Settling in...

Day 2...

Me in my favourite coffeeshop after that...

There are many reasons why this one is my favourite coffee shop that I won't bore you with now, and the fact that it's next to my hotel... Is just an added bonus to it all like a very nice cherry to top off the already perfect cream.

Then during this I noticed the time... 16:15... I ordered a joint to go, told the guy what time it was, ran around the corner to Dam Square... Hot, nice, lovely weather, arrived @ 16:19 (it's that close to me/where I know/go/stay)... That I was greeted with an added surprise of having a minute's grace to settle in and get comfortable, which I happily did, then I like great clockwork was ready at 16:20 to celebrate 4/20 last Monday the 6th of June 2016 @ Dam Square... this was taken @ like 16:28 that day after having already celebrated and enjoyed my 4/20.. (glad I remembered and got to do that, LOVED the weather then there that day compared to England too)!

Snapshots I took there too (I was still a tourist afterall)..

I then went gift shopping... I bought someone I know a slice of Dutch Cheese because they like continental cheeses anyway and all the Cheeses were good to go/pack/travel with.. I then found myself way across town from my bearings and lost hunting for Ajax merchandise for someone else to gift to..

I randomly discovered a park... and wanted to cut through (without knowing the park too much)... Within yards/metres/whatever (not long at all)
went for a run, this run was done with that Dutch Cheese gift in gift bag in hand wearing my jeans... so not exactly planned, I didn't even stretch, it was just go time; plan was, run through the park and come out through the other side to run up the street to Dam Square/home/hotel... Big park, but that's okay, I expected that... Got to the other side, slight error... I had I unintentionally had started heading away from my destination; I had to find my way back/plus I needed the wifi of my hotel to save the run for me otherwise I feared it wouldn't save and map the run for me... so I ran, and found my way back all at the same time.

I love to run and stumbled upon a neat little (what I thought was a neat little) run.
What should have been a 2/3 mile run was a lot longer because I thought I was facing the opposite direction when I set off...
A snapshot I took that I would have never would have seen if it wasn't for getting lost on my run in Amsterdam.

Got back, showered, changed, freshened up (after you know, drinking water and having a much needed stretch and; feeling really good/pleased with myself and that I did that and that it worked)..; natural high...

Later/after that, when I came back out; I ran into an old friend.

This cat actually belongs to the hotel next to my one and I met him last time and, he came up to me when I was smoking outside so I caught up with him and pet him and stuff.. This time I took a picture of him too... This cat did something pretty ballsy too last time I was in Amsterdam that I was genuinely impressed with him for doing it thinking 'this cat's got balls; , so needless to say, I remember that cat... Cool cat.

Day 2 / last night in Amsterdam..

Like a mini car/golf cart thing that they have all over...
They come in all colours cars do but this/a red one driving around kept on catching my attention still. (This time and last time/first time I went to 'Dam too)!..

- So I took pictures of it.

Spoiler

I even pretended it was mine sort of (just to not attract too much attention) later on, as I smoked my bedtime spliff; All leaning up on this red golf cart/car - - When it was still parked there when I went back out/after my this trip I took pictures of..; It was parked pretty close to my hotel still.. and you're not allowed to smoke inside the hotel; Last time I was in the shower and someone somewhere did and set of the fire alarm!.. Me and this other guy from somewhere else were running around the halls pretty much half dressed when we heard the all clear. .. So can't smoke inside.

Last night of pics with just me and 'Dam (after all the coffeehouses had shut/closed..
This green T Shirt of Amsterdam I actually bought in Thornton Heath at a thrift shop before I ever went to Amsterdam... I like it and didn't want to lose it in Amsterdam so I didn't take it with me last time/first time I went.. But this is me, in it, 'showing it' around it's home and repping it etc..

Selfie with one of those lion statues at Dam Square.

I'm like 50% sure that this is the branch/location I bought that gift cheese I ended bringing with me on my run..

The guitar shop I know/go to in the NL, I like it, the owner is the coolest/mellowest anything but a stoner Dutchman.

Selfie of me trying to climb up for an picture of that sign with my phone in selfie mode by accident and me liking the selfie... so I took it.

Then I went back...

Then I went out 1 last time @ like 3/4am and...
Found a place not too far called King's Cross cafe with coolness in the window that I took a snapshot of for my instagram.

On my way home...

I woke up/got woken up that day with'
Coach is coming to pick us up in 10 minutes!..

Rolled out of bed, got dressed/got my shit together, checked out, went from my hotel to Amsterdam Central Station (not far).. Like a 5/10 minute walk.. I walked through 'Dam/Amsterdam to my coach...
and then settled in for the journey back to Vauxhall in London;

... Via 20 minutes in P&J in Veurne, Belgium
(got stoned, had a little fun there, in Belgium, for the first time in my life, 2nd time going there). and Calais, France

to catch the ferry for a Channel crossing Calais - Dover..

[video=youtube;zZKrZH-TbhY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZKrZH-TbhY[/video]

Gifts I got myself from Holland unpacked at home

(Not the gifts I got for other people).