Leiden is such a nice city to wander in. In the last month we've been there 2 or 3 times. It is different to other Dutch cities in that the center is kind of scattered around the water, and along one main street, but the canals are not all over the place like they are in Amsterdam. It is a beautiful medieval city, its renowned university is the oldest of the country, founded in 1575, and Queens Juliana, Beatrix and soon-to-be-king Willem Alexander have all been former students. Funnily enough, the half-moons on the cornice of the façade of its City Hall, in the BreeStraat allude to the 'Sea Beggars' slogan: "Rather Turkish than Papist" (Liever Turks dan Paaps).
If you find yourself there, don't miss the Boerhave Museum or ice-cream and chocolates. I also recently discovered that the 2nd-hand bookshop De Slegte in Leiden* is huge (I mean 4 floors high), and full of surprises (there is even a section dedicated to books in other languages, and you can get novels from 2 or 3 EUR). Flying Tiger just recently opened a new shop in the Breestraat (on number 139) and I fell in love. It has all kinds of cute colorful and design things for the house (flower pots, washi tape, mugs, paper goods and everything in between) for some really good prices. While it is still a small city, it has its charm and lots of hidden treasures, like walls with poems in Catalan, Spanish, French and Italian scattered around. I dare you to find them!
*De Slegte in Leiden is at Breestraat 73.
I have never visited The Netherlands but I really do need to. I have a friend in Gerderland and you show such fascinating places.
ReplyDeleteYou really should come ! And when you do you can totally stay with us (if not with your friend). We'll take you everywhere!
DeleteOh, Leiden is really a lovely city! Reading your posts always makes me nostalgic for my days in The Netherlands. And second hand bookshops are a real danger for me...get me in one, and I could get lost for a day, even in another language! I'm glad you're taking long lovely walks and making discoveries to help get past the waiting.
ReplyDeleteI know, those places are so so dangerous. And like you I could stay there the whole day. In Barcelona (well and France, Switzerland and Belgium) they have this huge bookshop / media shop (there is also music, games, computers) called the Fnac and I would just go and spend 3 or 4 hours on Sunday afternoons. They had seats and a cafe (the Waterstones in London near Russell Square had that too)
DeleteHow pretty! I can't get over how gorgeous the buildings are and how tranquil the water going through the city is.
ReplyDeleteThe buildings are so pretty. The first time I saw Holland I thought I was in a dollhouse dream, and the water in Leiden is very quiet (except in the summer where everyone takes their boat out for a ride :) )
Delete