Here at the end of Zeedijk is the Jolly Joker coffeeshop. The playful name reminds me of a fictitious pub named "the Inebriated Gremlin" from an episode of the Avengers, in both cases the names may reflect what is to become of their customers.

The Jolly Joker has maintained a good reputation as a cozy place with a modest assortment of hashish and weed for sale at good prices. They have a good location overlooking the Nieuwe markt ( a large market area) and the 15th century Waag: A castle-like building which functioned as a gate house and weigh station through past centuries.

Around the immediate area you will find China town, Nieuwe markt and the famous Red Light District. There has been a recent make over in much of this area as it heads toward Centraal Station. The streets along the canals are in good shape, with a lot more pedestrian traffic heading to the bars and shops along Zeedijk. The new feel makes the whole area worth poking around.

Large windows all around the Jolly Joker capture the daylight, and on days where the hanging moisture is struck by sunlight the Jolly Joker glows.

The Wild Style Café in Amsterdam as it once was before the ruling in 2007 which forced Café/Coffeeshops to choose either sales of soft drugs ( marijuana and hashish) or alcohol. Notice our pictured partyers smoking, rolling and drinking beer. It's not that this practice has gone away in Amsterdam, it's the way it takes place that has changed. The Wild Style Café is now Rick's Coffeeshop, adopting the role of coffeeshop only while partnering with Rick's Café next door which functions as a full bar.

The day started at the Tig Barra for breakfast and a Guinness. Roaming around town it became obvious that there were changes taking place at some of the coffeeshops. The deadline of being a bar or a coffeeshop had arrived. In the case of Rick's Café and the Wild Style Café, I sat and watched a workman as he finished hanging a sign which read 'Rick's Coffeeshop'. While ordering some "Moroccan cream" from the budtender, we had a brief conversation about the new protocol of smoking and drinking at the two places. I found out it is alright to smoke a joint at Rick's with a beer including their terrace along the canal but alcohol was off limits at the coffeeshop and its terrace. The trade off didn't seem so bad after all. "The 'Moroccan Cream' is just crumbles, how about 'Super Polm'? asked the guy after inspecting the small tupperware boxes of hash. "Sure" I replied. -AW Journal Entry 2007

This painting is based on an earlier posted sketch of the same subject. The changing nature of coffeeshops in the face of new rules and restrictions will continue to bring new scenes forward and make those with seemingly subtle differences appear nostalgic.

Another aspect to the party scene in Amsterdam which does not require smoking or drinking is eating! The site of the former Chocolata coffeeshop is now an Abraxas location. To those frequenting Amsterdam before the change, Chocolata was renowned for its cannabis edibles-chocolate bon-bons, cakes and muffins.

(oil on canvas 20cm x 30cm)

Thankfully the Abraxas coffeeshop has continued the tradition. In addition to a make-over in its inimitable Abraxas style, "space" cakes and other edibles have stayed a tradition with the location. Just-in-case you need reminding about the potency of the cakes or are unaware that "space" preceding anything in Amsterdam means you are going to get high, edible hash and weed products from Abraxas have a warning label:

“!WARNING!”

Always start with a small piece!
Wait for the effect (45 -90 min) So you don’t take too much

Commence par predre un petit morceau!
Attend pour l’effet (45-90 min) Avant prendre trop

Cominiciare un pezzo piccolo
Aspetta di effeto (45-90) prima mangiare troppo

We opted for a brownie and a blueberry muffin. The staff informed us that the brownie was made with a half a gram of hash, the muffin contained a half gram of weed . It turns out the place was still under a bit of construction and the old “Chocolata” sign was tucked away in a corner. I was tempted to make the staff an offer for the old sign, out of nostalgia. Perhaps I will run into it in the Hash and Marijuana Museum, for my sake it belongs there as a tribute. We split the cakes, each taking a half, and saving the remaining halves for later, it took real effort not to quickly eat the delicious snacks all at once.( one more aspect to be careful with when judging the dose of space cakes and brownies) - Andy Journal entry

Three friends enjoy a relaxing afternoon inside while the city outside is buzzing on such a beautiful day. They sit in the famous GreenHouse coffeeshop known for it's exotic interior and award winning strains of marijuana. These three have found their spot and their smoke, a study of their body language lets you know they are in no rush to change their situation. Amsterdam has its own way of keeping you on the go, so it is especially nice to settle into a well needed break. After any vacation there will be special moments to consider, for this trio it may well be "that afternoon at the GreenHouse".

(Oil on Canvas 30 x 40)

Part of the Amsterdam experience is wandering around the neighborhoods and seeing what will be around the next corner. Coffeeshops here are as varied as the neighborhoods and the people which they serve. Many times it is a great surprise to find that a small neighborhood shop is just the ticket to a well spent afternoon of taking it easy. A customer chose to park his bike on this particularly bright hazy day and spend some time in his local coffeeshop, aptly named "Relax".
( Oil on Canvas 18 x 24 cm)

Get off the street - out of the rain - out of the night. The coloration of this painting is a warm invitation to come inside. The weather can get pretty dreary here in the Netherlands. Gray rainy days come in long stretches, it's nice to find an inviting interior, to enter and relax. Inside a customer will experience the vibes of the visitors and staff, the music and decor, and the effects of their chosen smoke. This particular Rokerij coffeeshop is located in the "Jordaan" area of Amsterdam.
( Oil on Canvas 18 x24 cm )

Young couples set against a colorful wall mural smoke their joints and watch all types of people pass by. Here is the World famous Bulldog coffeeshop, now an institution in Amsterdam. Say what you will about large commercial coffeeshop enterprises, but keep in mind their notoriety has not been achieved easily. Efforts by early marijuana pioneers including those of the Bulldog paved the way for the coffeeshop scene as it exists today. This particular Bulldog coffeeshop is located in the heart of the "Red Light District" along a scenic canal, which affords its customers a view not only of the activities along the street but on the water as well.

(pastel with underpainting 50 x 65 cm)

 

Nothing is better than going out to have a great time in Amsterdam and where it happens after all may surprise you. -aw