big smiley hellos to all and sundry from a positively glowing amsterdam on this fine sunny tuesday.

ive enjoyed a very relaxing day here which started off with a visit to the kashmir lounge on jan pieter heije straat for some of their jack herer. somebody was asking recently about where to find a good batch of jack and i was waxing lyrical about the touche shop on kwakerstraat. well the new ice cram tub full on offer (at 6.50a gramme) from the kashmir beats it. big chunky buds, sticky and sweet smelling. tasty!

after breakfasting on croissants on the balcony i burned a man-sized joint of jack herer/PP mix and contemplated the day - 40 minutes or so later i was contemplating the amstelveenseweg in search of green bushland, that of amsterdamBos to be precise. this huge area of woodland lies just to the west of the city proper at the opposite end of amstelveenseweg to the vondelpark. as the name suggest this is out in the direction of amstelveen which lies about 7.5 k's outside of the centrum of amsterdam. as you approach from the main road and head right you first come across some marina type areas (nautical marinas, not the naughtycal type i normally prefer) before hitting woodland the like of which you would struggle to find elsewhere in this city. the reason for me writing this little note about the place is to encourage more folk to get on-yer-bike when in amsterdam as there are some really beautiful green areas to discover as i have been finding out since living here. everybody here probably has an idea of where the vondelpark is, right? well amsterdam bos is about 10 minutes cycle ride further on, 15 at most. whats more is there are far fewer people than in the vondelpark so if youre like me and appreciate nice chilled out places to enjoy a book and a few smokes on a quiet afternoon youre onto a winner.

cycle paths snake their way in and out of the tree canopies often skimming the edge of glistening lakes and waterways whilst geese and herons sweep magestically back and forth. there are watching posts set up for those interested in ornathology. ive already had a word with the chaps down there about a similar construction in the wallen. you even have moo cows out here. i sat a while and watched some guys fishing and thought how convenient it was for some of these folk that they could collect the numbers off the incoming schiphol planes at the same time as hoisting a winning pike for dinner - like an english 1950s suburban wet dream.

i whiled away an hour or so in the bos, with a weighty tome and a heavy reefer, before jumping evas metal bones once again and heading for the city. vondelpark this afternoon was positively mouthwatering. stopped off at the blauwe teehuis for a swift ale and eyed the serengeti like scene below me, building a healthy appetite for dinner. now my thoughts are turning towards the meal itself. and thats where ill leave you - im off down to the wallen, via the singel. as for the pijp, i shall have to watch my step down there after getting told off by the police for cycling on the path by the ladies windows instead of the road. at least he smiled at my suggestion of his taking pity on my poor eye sight ;-)

regards from amsterdam

withnail

Had a very weird conversation with a Dutch bird once about whether cows
Moo or Ooo. Dutch cows go Ooo, apparently...

nice one withnail..it was me asking about the jack..i got some really good quality dirty jack herer at pink floyd last week..bos and vondel are just the ticket when you need to chill from the big city!

DELETED

A nice mix of Jack and PP- did you actually manage to twist one without tobacco in it ?

Re : your re-post of NYE report, I forgot about the 60 gram cap, I would not have believed it had I not seen photographic evidence with my own eyes, she was a beauty.

You ought to head out to Nol's shop in Haarlem one afternoon, he always has something tasty on the menu and offers good value for the money. Say hello to Wim for me .

Pura Ganja

Í'm headed to the Bos in just a few minutes, withnail.
In cs Carmona at the moment. Finished rolling up another 3 hash/toasted tobac j's
for use in the park. Another sunny day here, perfect for biking and toking!

Thanks for the nice Bos review. I'll try to remember to post one of my own.