Told ya i couldnt fuckin afford it!! LOL
Yea mate, amsterdam has had its day now mate,
fingers crossed that the Czech Republic pass the bill to have coffeeshops ;)
Truth - since the euro happened everything has become more expensive. Whilst it would be class if .cz opened coffeeshops, .nl is 45 min flight or 4/5 hour drive for us UK farmers...
I wouldnt' say Amsterdam has had it's day though...it's just entering the next phase of development imho....evolving and changing, as any business does over time (and weed/coffeeshops is relatively recent). The coffeeshop 'brand' is becoming a much stronger proposition to the consumer, whereas imhe it used to be more about the gear ("gotta try double zero" etc). Now's it's "gotta try the Cheese from X, or the SSH from Y" - i.e. breeding and quality is now much more overtly associated with the brand of coffeeshop than it is the strain of gear itself.
Also, as we somewhat older caners grow up, we don't necessarily want grungy coffeeshops to enjoy our smoke in. The whole Haarlemerstraat development of Barneys (x3), Greenhouse and Dampkring is the expensive end of town with trendy designer interiors rather than caner inspiration...giving new options and revenue streams (15eu for breakfast? and packed from 11-3 sat and sun? Whilst smoking 14eu G13 Haze? That's awesome business...). Sure, you can still hang out in the earthy loveliness of Greenhouse in the RLD (oudejids nurburgwal? can never spell that one), Rokerij or Abraxas....or in the leather and downlighters of Barneys/Greenhouse/Dampkring and everythign in between. Choice is goooooood imho..
And of course there's the DNA-GA connection, which for me is the winner....it could be in .nl, .cz or on the moon and I'd travel there for a test drive and take home ;)