The view from Coffeeshop De Tweede Kamer

Amsterdam Blog: Observations by an Amsterdammer

“Good Shit”

Though small, De Tweede Kamer has built a reputation as one of Amsterdam’s finest coffeeshops.

That’s coffeeshop as in ‘a place where you can legally buy and use soft drugs such as marijuana or hashish.’

Mind you, they serve coffee as well; very good coffee and espresso indeed — which is why I drop by when I’m in the neighborhood.

On a recent visit I found the place near empty. Not that unusual for the time of day, certainly not since the weather was beautiful.

While the narrow alley in which De Tweede Kamer is located does not allow for direct sunlight to touch the dark-wood interior, the street was flooded with light.

In one corner, close to the bar and facing the door were two hippie-types who – given the satisfied look of love, joy and peace on their faces — had already been there long enough to sample the wares. One was rolling a joint. The other was smoking. Life was good and about to get better.

While enjoying my espresso and talking with the guys behind the bar, a young, attractive women breezes through the front door. She’s a regular, and just dropped by to say hello.

Having done that — capturing the attention of the five men in the place — she left, briefly pausing in the open door. The door leading to the sunlit street.

We all noticed, of course. Seen from our vantage point in the ever-so-gently illuminated shop, for the briefest of moments the woman’s dress was sufficiently diaphanous to show off her well-shaped legs all the way up to her fantastic buttocks.

I think we all held our breath at the glimpse of the back-lit, heart-shaped opening at the top of her legs.

All of us that is, except for one of the hippie types who — not quite sure whether he could believe his eyes — looked at his joint, then at us, and said, “Now that is gooood shit!”

— Jan de Lommert

What you should know about Amsterdam’s coffeeshops