So you’re saying you have a problem with F1? HUH?
Yeah, Twisty. Too bad you can’t make it! This better be some important family venue, like a funeral or something. Although those aren’t usually planned two months in advance. 
it will be 20 years since my maternal grandmother died on the 18th, and a family shindig is planned. Should be about 100 at it. (there is 108 living relatives left. should be interesting.)
Wow, that’s quite a big family! You can leave THAT to the Irish, I suppose
Hmmmmm…maybe because you’ve taken Fraulein Superfreak all to yourself? ( must remember to use winky smilie when joking with Snormy)
Naw, seriously, for some reason all your mails bounced back to me, so I sent it via web-based mail and it finally got there. Must be one of those weird things. Or maybe that other guy I’m stalking at your work put a block on me?
And Malaysian Grand Prix? I didn’t even know they had friggen cars in Malaysia! So, if you guys are going to watch it, I suppose I should plan to be alone until about 4 or 5 pm Sunday afternoon. Or will I be all alone then, too, because it’s the Lithuanian Football Final Thingy?? 
Don’t mind me, I’ll be fine. Really. Sniff, it’s not as if I’m flying all the way in from a foreign country for this or anything!
And I’m sorry to hear that your Grandmother died JL. Uh, what does one say to that? You know what I mean. OTOH, from the way Clogster is talking you won’t be missing anything you couldn’t be doing in Dublin…
Not to worry TaterToots, the GP is in the wee hours of morning. Think 4 AM or so.
that weekend is the aniversary. you will have a great time! Make mudslides and climb under the stairs, for old times sake!!
**I’ve seen you sleep, Clogster! You sleep like the DEAD! **
We’ll be lucky if you guys are up by 3!
It’s okay, really it is. It’s not like you broke my heart yesterday by nixing the pea soup & accordian boat idea. Oh, wait you did. At least it’s not like you wouldn’t go to Keukenhof with me and get your official People Pages pic taken in the giant wooden shoes. Oh wait, you did that, too.
Goddam, you’re a bastard!
Tell you what, I’ll drop the guilt trip, and EVEN keep myself amused until 2 pm Sunday afternoon, if promise me we can do one outrageously cheesy, touristy, totally craptacular thing while I am there. My choice, of course, although I am open to suggestions. 
Does anyone (meaning Coldfire, I guess) have any idea if it’s possible to get from Hamsterdam to Charleroi airport in time for a 13.45 flight? How far is it?
Just playing with different ideas at this stage; a £30 fare is attractive but on the whole I don’t think it’s worth a long drive/train journey after a late night.
By the way, it’s a busy travel weekend from Ireland so flights need to be booked early (like now).
Charleroi??
Dude, why don’t you take the CAR and drive over
Charleroi is on the Belgian-French border, some 350 km’s from Amsterdam. I’d advise against it, the train ride will be about 4 hours. You could consider Rotterdam (an hour by train) or possibly Eindhoven (1.5 hours) as a destination.
For a crap touristy thing I vote for visiting the Hash museum. There’s a Yank there who has a HUGE and I mean HUGE bowl which he fills with pure TetraHydroCanabinol using a atomiser. It makes all the other touristy things almost bearable.
It’s also smackdab in the centre of the red light district and there’s a really nice bar right across the road/canal from there.
That or the Anne Frank house. They’re actually quite similar.
I’m going to eat so many croquetes I’m gonna puke
Are relatively low-posting and obscure dopers allowed to attend? I’m in Prague and might have to make an A’dam trip around then.
Is that English comedy group/restaurant still going? I had a laugh filled night there last time…Or did they just suck and I was high at the time?
I checked ebookers.com, and they have flights from Dublin to Amsterdam from 157 IEP, tax excluded. That’s not to bad, I think.
Speaking of, Snormy, how are you planning on getting there? Are we still going to try and do the party over the border thing? 
Yoji I want to do something really touristy like watch them make cheese or plant tulips or something. I dig that shit, man.
And I’m offended by the very idea of drugs, so we’ll have none of that, if you please.
Tom, of course you are welcome! Mail me, and I’ll send you the first official mail & I’ll be mailing out a list of hotels/hostels so that we can decide where to stay. Even if you haven’t decided to come yet, you should probably still make reservations, A’dam being what it is.
You jest, but I’ve been seriously considering taking the car. I drove to Brussels and back last February, and also to Brighton and back via Edinburgh so you can gather I quite like long drives. It’s a bit costly though!
I’ll check out the fares on the Harwich to Hoek route and get back to you. Anyone want a lift?
By the way, AA reckons 3 hrs 5m from the Amsterdam to Charleroi.
By car, sure. The train ride is different, though. I reckon you’d have to switch trains at Brussels. Hence the 4 hour estimate.
Tomcat: you’re more than welcome to come! Are you referring to “Tomblers”, in the Hilton Hotel basement? They’re still open, and occasionally run shows with furreners.
I know people who did the Charleroi thing and they all say they are going straight to A’dam next time.
That would be a bitch of a wkend if you’re driving. Aer lingus are looking for ~£180 with no stopover. I think the extra cost is worth it. I’m a low hassle type person.
And tater sorry about the drug thing. I realise a innocent lady such as yourself might find that sort of behaviour shocking. Please forgive me. To make it up to you I’ll buy you lunch when we are there. I got a really nice mushroom pizza and so good muffins the last time I was there and I think you’d really like them
Last year when I was there, there was a comedy troop called Boom Chicago playing in some theatre in the Leidseplein.
I was too wrecked to go but those that did said it was very good. Don’t know if they’re still there.
Is this doopfeest going to kick off on Friday? When should I aim to be there?
BTW I’ve decided to go for the sensible option and book a flight with Aer Lingus.
I think we’ll kick off on Friday night, with dinner perhaps? We’ll let ClogMod decide where to go, although I think Yoji will insist on croquetes. Maybe we’ll eat at a gas station!
Early to mid afternoon would probably be the best time to arrive, that way you have time to get to the hotel and freshen up, ect.
BTW, has anyone talked to baglady about buttons? I haven’t seen her around lately.
Arriving in the afternoon will do nicely.
I have space for about two or three people to crash, logistically. Yojimbo’s one of them - are there any more takers?