The Dolphins

Just one more post about Amsterdam, before I shut up about it. The evening we arrived I directed everyone down to my favourite coffeeshop in Amsterdam, The Dolphins. Site of my first proper mega paranoia experience (a story I may or may not share one of these days) it has become a favourite because it's so chilled. No doubt you could find an equally chilled coffeeshop hang-out in Amsterdam, and I've trialled many of them, however I keep coming back to this one because - well, I don't know - it's just kinda nice. Anyway, just one anecdote from the four or five visits we made to the place on this trip:

We were happily ensconsed on one of the downstairs sofas. Peacefully chatting and dreaming and doing what you do in a coffeeshop. And this American guy - no, dude - let me call him the dude - turns up with his two home-boys. I use this language because he was, like, speaking the home-boy jive talk man - it was like, Will Smith ... but without any of the charm. Weird. He was wearing a suit - all buttoned up; more out of place he couldn't have looked. However this did not seem to phase him from poncing about as if he was king dick, posturing to his mates as he sidled up to another group to ponce a cigarette, shouting into his mobile phone (making a deal, you know). And - you know - just generally being a prat. I suppose he seemed so out of place because one of the things I love about these coffeeshops is that you can relax and chill and be who you are without pretense. Not like one of those "it" bars in which you have to be wearing the right outfit, with the right people, paying through the nose for drinks, paying a guy in the loos to take a piss - that sort of thing (you know the ones I mean). No. Coffeeshops are relaxed and easy-going places, which is why I was so relieved when Mr Tryhard left, shouting into his mobile that he had to go now (no doubt to make his deal with his homies or whatever buggery bollocks he was spouting). It was a relief to see him go.

Every other time The Dolphins was a haven of chilled out relaxation. I wish there was a place like it somewhere close to home...