Yep, i'll take a small vacation, from the 25th to the 29th of March

Any specific places i should see? Any particular precautions i should take?
More importantly, is there the chance to make a mini allegro-con with a fellow member?

When I went to Amsterdam a few years ago, I managed to wander through the red light district without noticing anything to do with sex, I went past many cafe's without noticing any drugs. They were there, I was just blind.

Was your blindness caused from the drugs?

Have fun!

Nope, though I did get some novelty sunglasses which had a green holographic smiley in each lens. They drew some stares.

I have to check my agenda, but good idea in principle. It's been a while since I visited the capital.

edit: edited

I have a workshop to attend to at the same time, so I probably don't have time to meet up with anyone (although the workshop is in Amsterdam - which reminds me, I still need to prepare for the workshop). I may be able to squeeze something in on the 26th, but no promises. Remind me a couple of days in advance.

Depends on what you like to see. What I can recommend you to do is take a boat tour. You'll get a very quick overview of the city and a general idea on where you might go.

As anywhere, beware of pick-pockets. Check in advance when the last trams leave from any particular location (usually around midnight) and where the night bus stops are.
Above all, make sure you don't wander over the cycling lines. Most cyclers here (myself included) are so fed up with tourists who don't realise that they're on a cycling lane that they simply ignore the fact that they're there and run them down.

As for coffeeshops, do as you like with those, but if you decide to go there, make sure you don't end up taking enough drugs for a lifetime in one shot, as some of the tourists (especially British tourists) seem to do.

Woo, congrats

http://www.moviepostershop.com/item_img/hum201.jpg

I've just booked at the Vondel Park Plaza hotel, it should be quite near the city center... does anybody know it?

Having a boat trip seems like a nice idea, and as for coffee shops i'll surely visit them, more for curiosity than anything else (i don't even smoke normal cigarettes ).

I don't know the hotel, but a hotel at that location sounds like it would be expensive...
Near to the centre is a relative term. It's about half way from where I live (which is fairly close to the outskirts of the city) to the centre, which isn't too bad, and you can probably cut through the park, which can be quite nice (but I don't recommend it at night if you're alone). Tram connections from there to the centre should be very good, but I don't know about the night bus. Then again, it shouldn't be more than half an hour walk from there.

It's not a prerequisite; I know people who smoke (or smoked) weed but have never smoked tobacco. As pubs go, Coffeeshops aren't great. The smell is rather nauseating if you don't like it.

Mmm... An allegro-meetup in Amsterdam. Give me a shout if something gets organised...

Anyway, here is another thread about visiting Amsterdam.

I've also known non-smokers who first smoked weed, and then started smoking ordinary cigarettes.

AE.

I can make it. Somebody (more knowledgeable about Amsterdam than me) pick a nice quiet pub to meet and have a few drinks. Saturday 25 would be most convenient for me.

Thanks for all the information

Saturday 25th would be good for me, i'd also get the chance to know Amsterdam a little better.
Who can leave me his cellular phone number (by PM), so i can contact him in case i have problems reaching the pub?

I knew about the red light area in Amsterdam, but I had a great laugh, when I saw a hotel named "Multatuli". Forgive me, all Dutchmen here, but it is a bit bizarre. It is Finnish and it means... well...

"I ejaculated"

In dutch it means nothing. In latin, multatuli means something like "he who suffered a lot"

Well, I usually don't suffer...

Multatuli is Latin for `I have had much to bear'. It is the pseudonym of an important and famous Dutch writer (his real name is Eduard Douwes Dekker). He wrote Max Havelaar, a name which is now used by fair-trade organisations to indicate that the farmers who grew the product (typically beans, bananas and things like that) received a fair price for it.

As for a meeting on the 25th, I can probably make it, but I'll have to double check.
What sort of place are we going for? There is an Irish pub that I rather like that should be fairly easy to find, but we can also meet somewhere (Leidseplein, say) and decide where to go from there.

Van Gogh has a museum there, if you're into that sort of thing.

Evert: I have no preference, let's go to that Irish pub. Where can we find it?

It's hideously expensive though.

The Irish pub I was thinking of is on the Rokin and they very conveniently have a website: http://www.thetara.com/index.php?page=location
What do we do for the time and how to we recognise oneanother?

Well Van Gogh is one of my favourite artists so if it isn't that much expensive i'll gladly see it.

As for the time: 9:30 - 10:00p.m.? Too soon, too late?
To recognise ourselves i say we could carry something like a piece of paper with ALLEGRO written on, or something like that

How about tinfoil hats?

I'd prefer a bit earlier, or I'll just sit around, waiting. Maybe 19.00?

Our plane arrives at 19:45, the best i can do (after leaving luggage at the hotel) is 21:00

Ok, that is a good reason :p. So 21.30 then.

Count me in!

Seems like a good plan. If things get a bit too loud, we can always go outside and wander around.

I'll probably wear a dark-blue T-shirt with a big Atari logo on it. Also, bear in mind that my hair is currently somewhat shorter than the picture on my a.cc profile-page.

That's fine with me.

AE.

I think i'll be able to recognise you from the photos, anyway i'll probably bring with me a piece of paper with ALLEGRO scribbled on, just to be sure.

So 21:30 it is

I was thinking of bringing a small pluche alligator, but I don't have one. Anyway, I trust people will recognise me from pictures

Can you guys take a pic of the event so you can post it here after you meet? It'd be nice to see you all together (I cannot attend as I am a bit far -- more than 10000 kms.)

I'll be only ~30km away, but yet so far... need to attend a rehearsal in Leiden. Anyway, have fun.
And about the van Gogh museum: if you're into fine art, and you manage to find a quiet day (mid-week), it's well worth the money. But since you only spend the weekend, I wouldn't do it, there are better things to do.
Be sure to take an early-morning (before the other tourists crowd the streets) walk around the inner city.

Actually i'll stay till the 29th

Anyway i think i'll bring along a very geekish t-shirt (there is no place like 127.0.0.1)... just to be sure you recognise me.

too bad i have the flu .. and that i am in Apeldoorn right now. Else i would've attented there for sure. Amsterdam is around 30 minutes travel for me

Are there more meetings like this?

Btw, i did not know there are so many dutch Allegro users here! wow!