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Den Haag: Coffeeshop Jukebox?
Posted: 2007-01-28, 2:42 pm

michaeloSupporting Member
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Posts: 80
Location: New England
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Greetings,

A few years ago, I visited the Escher Museum, and smoked at the Jukebox, nearby. I believe it may have been Paniked's words that I copied from this board to my journal, then:

the Jukebox, Spekstraat 6, Den Haag

find Escher Museum
with your back to the entrance
(you now face the long, tree-lined avenue)
go right up the narrowish street
(called Deneweg)
Spekstraat at 3rd intersection

I remember being there, but I don't remember tracing these steps because I was, duh, stoned. I hope to repeat the experience almost exactly, and if I found it before, I can find it again.

My question is, please: does the Jukebox still exist? I searched here, and Paniked's last posts turn up from 2004. The FreeUK site's latest comments are from 2005. I got hits on a search engine, but didn't turn up much more than the same name and address.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Escher Museum, and it was good to have a comfortable shop in which to toke up, first (even if it does degrade the memory). Paniked wrote about good weed at the Jukebox, so of course on this trip I shall have to sample their wares.
Re: Den Haag: Coffeeshop Jukebox?
Posted: 2007-01-29, 10:42 am

paniked Power Kat
Posts: 1376
Location: Amsterdam
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t'was I indeed; Jukebox, despite it's bright interior, was always a favourite. I haven't been back since 2004, but I would be very surprised if it was closed.

-paniked

_________________
"De kinderen fietsen naar school, zij roken dikke sigaren en slaan de leraren. Ja, dat is Amsterdam!"
"So high you couldn't reach me with a fuckin' antenna"
Re: Den Haag: Coffeeshop Jukebox?
Posted: 2007-03-15, 9:43 pm

michaeloSupporting Member
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Posts: 80
Location: New England
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The Jukebox is still where it always was. Only this time, I went there after the Escher Museum; I was astonished to have completely forgotten how to "find the Escher Museum." That's the trick: Paniked's instructions are spot on. Here's the rest.

I remember the open space outside the train station, except Den Haag Centraal Station is a completely new building and complex, a multistory, adjacent to an angular, steel high-rise that is undergoing construction on the upper stories while being occupied below. The not-open space is different.

Indeed, I consistently find the pace of construction in Holland to be astonishing. Everytime I come here, the last thing being built is finished, and something else is new or being renovated. Infrastructure under constant repair, renovation or design. Whole sidewalks suddenly blocked off. Trams rerouted, uh-oh. I remember the discomfort of discovering this phenomenon once before in Amsterdam.

I don't remember taking a tram last time from CS to Escher in het Paleis.

I followed my nose from the open space, found a public square in the quadrant I thought I'd been in before. Here's the MauritsHuis. Politie standing in front. "Excuse me sir, can you direct me to the Escher Museum?" He was a polite lad, but he'd never heard of it. Asked me if I knew the address. (Of course not, silly me; a cop could pinpoint anywhere by address, probably even right now with a handheld.) I told him it was in the Paleis. "The Freedom Palace?" Nope, not that one. He asked if I was looking for the MauritsHuis. I gestured toward it, shook my head. It was closed. (I sensed he was hoping I'd say yes, so he could savor the humor of replying, "It's right here, but it's closed.")

So I traipsed all the way back to the train station, waited in line at the information booth, got directions to take Tram 6, 16 or 17 "one stop that way." She pointed toward Delft. I checked the tram map: the Paleis was not far from where I'd already been, but it was four stops up lijn 17. I first got on a tram going in the direction the lady pointed. One stop took me somewhere I knew was wrong. Two stops back the other way, I didn't get off the tram: which was now correct now, her directions or the map? I spotted the Paleis in a sudden flashback outside the tram window, as the tram took me somewhere off the map. At the next stop, I got off the tram, followed the tracks back around the curve to the Paleis square, and observed that the tram tracks past the Escher Museum were now barricaded off, and fresh bricks and rails turned a former curve into a straight.

If you're feeling museum'ed-out in Holland, the Escher Museum is worth finding. Escher was a Dutch artist popular in USA in the 1970's among people who were into things like weed. At that time, he was a living artist, and his geometric prints were informed of things that speak to one while high. The Escher Musuem just opened a few years ago, in the Lange Voorhout Palace, which, it sez here, "has been owned by the Royal Family for almost a hundred years." The gallery space seems larger with more pieces displayed than I remember, but hey, I've got a lot of bread dain cells. The galleries cover two floors, with a cafe in the basement. There's even a gift shop, when I was actually looking for one: yes, they have a poster of Still Life and Street, 1934. Is that opium or hash that Escher portrays? (He has recurring themes in his work, and one is matches and pipes and Job papers.)

Hopefully, I remember the experience better this time, because I didn't visit the Jukebox until after the museum. It's still a local haunt, narrow, only about 5 tables, where one shares space accepted by strangers. Wall-length mirror on one side, a cool, old jukebox (turned off) on the other, two channels of MTV with the sound turned down, a mix of modern groove sampling old soul from the speakers. Two women shop keepers had polm for 6 euros, nice looking, but I wanted to try the weed. They had Jack Herrer for 7.50, White Widow for 8, and Diesel Haze for 9. I like the sativa, so I tried the Diesel Haze. Sticky bud. A cappuccino came with table service, a smile, and two sugar cubes. Nice high lasted all the way back to Amsterdam. It made amusing a standing-room-only situation on the 17:29 Sneltrain. Most of the people got off at Leiden, then I sat and stared out the window all the way "home." The daffodils are in bloom.

Here's how to find the Escher Musuem:

-find Den Haag CS
-from there take Trams 6, 16 or 17 one stop in the direction of the open space
-or, take the left footpath into the open space; turn left into the buildings at the Finance Ministry (currently under construction)
Re: Den Haag: Coffeeshop Jukebox?
Posted: 2007-03-16, 2:43 pm

paniked Power Kat
Posts: 1376
Location: Amsterdam
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michaelo,

glad you made the trip -- thanks for the report!

a few more tips on the location of both the Escher Museum and the Jukebox. The museum is sitauted on the Lange Voorhout (there's a funny joke in there for German speakers), right near the US Embassy (one of the ugliest buildings you shall ever see) and others on "embassy row". Coming from CS this is "behind" the Plein, Mauritshaus, the Binnenhof and Hofvijver.

I think you can take the 7 tram to Kneuterdijk as well (get off by the ABN AMRO) -- you are the opposite end of the Lange Voorhout to the museum.

cheers,
-paniked

_________________
"De kinderen fietsen naar school, zij roken dikke sigaren en slaan de leraren. Ja, dat is Amsterdam!"
"So high you couldn't reach me with a fuckin' antenna"


Last edited by paniked on 2007-03-16, 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Den Haag: Coffeeshop Jukebox?
Posted: 2007-03-16, 3:08 pm

michaeloSupporting Member
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Posts: 80
Location: New England
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Of course, the Plein. The Paleis may have been a figment of my Escher flashback, used with poetic license. (It's hazy to reconstruct what you think you saw on a map.) Although the Lange Voorhout is an actual royal palace, the Queen doesn't live there at all anymore, and save for the museum signs, you wouldn't pick it out of a lineup. Nice of Her Majesty to lend a s'-Gravenhage residence to Sir Escher's legacy. (It's cool how many names The Hague has. It's a place I find myself drawn to, by the sea, at the end of the lijn.)

I've always meant to launch a side-trip to Scheveningen; if the weather holds, I may do it on a sleepy Sunday morning. A sign said Scheveningen was 4 kilometers in the direction of the open space. How do you say that? Not that I would be so rude as to attempt speaking Dutch, but you have to tell the tram driver and the politie something.

One more thing about the Jukebox: on the back wall, behind the counter, hangs a wooden hammer at the end of a long, spiral cane. A regular shillelagh it is; I'd imagine it's handy to keep a robber at arm's length from the till. One could also bonk somebody over the head at the closest round table, should they get unruly. I noticed that the local gent with dog was not required to remove his skull-and-crossbones cap indoors. (I am conditioned to taking off my wool cap no later than one step inside a shop keeper's door.)

Thank you for replying, Paniked. Your old stomping ground remains vibrant, and even you may find it different.

Kind regards,
Michael
Re: Den Haag: Coffeeshop Jukebox?
Posted: 2007-03-16, 3:44 pm

paniked Power Kat
Posts: 1376
Location: Amsterdam
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Quote:
I've always meant to launch a side-trip to Scheveningen; if the weather holds, I may do it on a sleepy Sunday morning. A sign said Scheveningen was 4 kilometers in the direction of the open space. How do you say that?


definitely do -- I used to live in Scheveningen, near the end of Geyvers Deynootweg (the long street that runs parallel to the beach, along which you find the famous Kurhaus at the other end) just a few minutes from the beach. There is/was another coffeeshop called The Box on Havenkade right near the intersection of the Badhuisweg/Geyvers Deynootweg -- less than a minute from the tram stop that is right there.

how do you pronounce Scheveningen? very carefully :) skhray-fan-ing-ah -- that gets you kinda close.

There is a tram that goes past the "open space" (Malieveld), past Madurodam, out to Scheveningen. And there is another that goes past the Vredespaleis and along the Scheveningseweg. I don't recall the numbers offhand, but 7 and 8 at least I think.

-paniked

_________________
"De kinderen fietsen naar school, zij roken dikke sigaren en slaan de leraren. Ja, dat is Amsterdam!"
"So high you couldn't reach me with a fuckin' antenna"
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