The historic university city of Leiden

Last Monday we visited Leiden, the oldest university city in the Netherlands, and one of Europe's most prominent scientific centres in Europe for four centuries.   Leiden is also twinned with Oxford.

Leiden has been a university city since 1575.

Unfortunately it was an extremely hot day last Monday so we sort of dragged ourselves around the city.   We also had problems with the trains going to Leiden and returning to Utrecht, which were caused, sadly, by 'accidents' on the line.   In other words, people jumping off platforms in front of trains.  I am not sure if the heat contributed to the people's mental problems.   

Anyway we set off very early, 9.30 am and should have arrived in Leiden by about 10.15 am.   Instead we arrived in Leiden at 12 o'clock, having gone to a Bodegraven, where the train then went back to Utrecht and onto Den Haag, where we changed to another train for Leiden.   

Our first view of the first canal, and the windmill at the end.   We stopped at a cafe for two very cold non alcoholic beers, plus lunch,

   

for me an uitsmijter, three fried eggs, on ham and bread.   Not really suitable for a hot day though.   Walter ordered an enormous club sandwich with chips.  We obviously needed a bit of sustenance after the long journey.

Then it was off to explore Leiden.    A cool scene in the shade of the trees.

We have found that all the cities we have visited have the same jagged canal surrounding the oldest part of the city.   Plus inner canals and rivers that run through them.   I am not sure if it was part of the defence system or just part of the overall waterway system for barges and sailing boats.

I think most of the students in Leiden had finished their studies for the year, or were busy completing their last assignments as there were mostly tourists walking around the streets.

The beautiful Catholic Church in the centre of Leiden.   Most impressive.

And when we went inside we could see it was a very traditional church.

Another city scene.   Lots of bikes.   Interestingly I finally learnt after this trip, about crossing a road which has bicycle lanes on both sides of the road, plus vehicles in the centre.   Kylie very kindly sent me an article about crossing roads. 

It goes something like this:  If there is a pedestrian crossing, it will usually be on the car part of the road, where vehicles are meant to give way to pedestrians.   If there is a pedestrian crossing on the bike path, then it is important to let the cyclists know you are intending to cross the road, as they will slow down, and go around you.  Up until I read the article I tended to dither, which then confuses the cyclists.   The cyclists of course do not really want to stop.   Too difficult.   I have now become an assertive pedestrian.   Mind you, one has to keep an eye out all the time for cyclists as they seem to come from nowhere.   To step back without looking first is quite often a step into a moving bicycle. Ouch.

An old weighing house, which is now a restaurant and bar.

There are plenty of cafes lining he canals.

The town hall.

Lovely old narrow streets, which were a little cooler on this hot day.

Another church.   I did not make any notes, sadly, so of course now I cannot remember the name of the churches.

Walter standing outside the entrance to the botanical gardens, which was our main destination that day.

The Hortus botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in Western Europe.   It was founded in 1590 and planted in 1594, and since its foundation the garden has belonged to the university.   Most of the plants come from eastern Asia, that is China and Japan and through to Australia and New Zealand.

A view of the gardens beside the university building.

The usual Yukkas, looking a little forlorn.

A Cordyline from New Zealand.

These trees and shrubs are placed in the Orangery during winter time.

We have this twiggy plant in our garden, and it grows up into the nearest shrubs.   A plant that is very invasive, as it has a root system like couch.   It is going to take me ages to get rid of it when I get back.   The one in the photograph below has been grown in a pot.   At least I now have a name for it.  Ephedra equisetina Bunge from Siberia, China

The high walkway in the glass house, which was installed a couple of years ago.

Beautiful tropical flowers.

Giant lily pads in another hothouse.

A shady view of the canal.   We sat here for quite a while in order to cool off a bit.

The Chinese garden, with medicinal plants from China.   I picked up a very interesting brochure about this garden and the plants in it.

After the gardens we made our way slowly back to the railway station.  We decided then and there that our next visit to Leiden will be on a cool day, when the museums are open!

A short trip to Utrecht, plus a pleasant Sunday

A short trip to Utrecht, which turned out to be a visit to Primark.   Primark was not initially on our list of places to visit here, however we seemed to have done very well at this shop, and have returned many times.  We have stocked up for the future, for sure.

The photos below were of our first visit into Utrecht.   The visit left us speechless at the amount of redevelopment of both the railway station and the shopping centre, Hoog Catherijne, which was attached to it. In fact on the first visit we only managed to see the shopping centre.   

I can remember the dowdy looking area, before the transformation.   First the chip shop, then a series of small shops plus a covered walkway over the road, before reaching a large department store, Vroom and Dreesman, and the streets of Utrecht.   

Now it is a very smart shopping mall.   

The railway station has also had a revamp, which makes it light and airy, and reasonably warm in the winter.   There was now a huge covered open space, surrounded by restaurants, where once stood the narrow passage way and chip shop.    

Walter posing inside the light and airy shopping mall.

There was no longer a road under the shopping mall, instead it had been changed back into the canal it once was, many years ago.   A stunning whale made out of plastic old plastic containers adorns the canal.

Another view of the mall.

And Primark, the busiest shop in town, I think.   Sadly Vroom and Dreesman went out of business a few years ago, another old and traditional shop which was bought by a ruthless business person and allowed to run down until it could not longer remain a viable business.   Primark and another retail store, called Hudson Bay, use the shop space.

Finally a topic that is opposite to retail shopping, and that is a pleasant Sunday spent out in the countryside here.

Our initial intention was not to cycle so far, but due to trying to satisfy our need for coffee, we cycled some distance in the morning.

We started off by cycling to Vroog, a cafe with delicious cakes and coffee, not too far away.   However, it was closed due to renovations as a result of a fire in the kitchen.   That was a bit of a disappointment.

Walter looking fit and healthy and ready to cycle far.

Then we cycled to Fort Vechten where there was a cafe, but it was also closed, due to a family function that was going to take place on the Sunday.

We were getting a little desperate so decided to ride to the centre of Houten, which took us via a beautiful tree lined road,

and the remains of a Roman fort.   The display board,

and the outline of the Roman fort.   Fascinating.

Then back through the woods, with people going on walks or running, or just out riding their bikes in the sunshine.   It most certainly was a beautiful day, and the need for people to be out and about was certainly there.

We finally made it to Houten where we went to our favourite cafe, and celebrated the long bike ride with a huge piece of apple tart each, plus coffee.   We certainly needed the caffeine after such a long ride.

We were feeling very fit and healthy in the afternoon, so decided to ride back past the Restaurant Vroeg to the park behind it, in order to have pancakes.   Abi and Raphy came with us.   It was extremely busy there,

but luckily we managed to find a table.

Walter, Abi and Raphy ordered banana pancakes, which were delicious,

and I ordered what I thought was the healthier option, a mozzarella salad, which came with huge chunks of the restaurant's bread. 

On the way back to the campsite that evening we were accompanied by a brilliant sunset.   The perfect end to a lovely day.

Lets say, our legs were a little tired the next day, due to extra cycling.

Cycling festival

During last week in Houten there was a bicycle festival, and this culminated in a cycle ride on Sunday for the people of Houten.   It started at a point just inside the Rondweg, or the circular road for vehicles which surrounds the city of Houten, and finished a bit further around, at the sports centre.    I guess we cycled about a third of the way around our part of the Rondweg.    I should say there were many different types of wheels, as can be seen by the photographs below.

Raphy, Abi, Kylie and a friend who insisted on being in the photograph as well.   All ready to start.  We needed to stand in the shade as it was a beautiful sunny day but also very warm.

The band were fantastic, not only were they musically very good but rode this multi seated bicycle together, whilst playing their instruments.   The man at the back used a huge horn and used his feet to play the drum at the back.   He did not pedal!   They turned the bike around on some very tight corners, and lead the procession of people on wheels all the way to the sports centre.

I think there was about 600 people taking part in the event.

Kylie took the photographs below of the different forms of bicycles and scooters.   There were also a large number of people on roller blades.   I also saw a small child in a pedal car, but am not sure how far he went, as that would have been hard work.

Thank you Kylie for allowing me to use the photographs. 

The bakfiets, a two wheeled bicycle with a box on the front.   It requires good balance on the part of the rider, I think.

The mayor of Houten, giving a speech before the ride.   

I am not sure what the little wheel is used for on the bicycle above.

A stable bicycle with a box on the front, as it has three wheels.  This was a very colourful participant.

A bicycle with a trailer, more my type.               There were plenty of these scooters with large front
                                                                              wheels and smaller back wheels.

Another bakfiets with a child sitting happily in it.   Plus a shared bicycle.

The following two photographs were taken by an official photographer.   Kylie and Raphy starting off together.   Both looking very happy.  I am behind Kylie.   I think that Raphy had very tired legs by the time he reached the Sports Centre.

And that is me, looking very serious.  I found it scary at first, due to riding in amongst so many people, with children darting in and out around us.   The Dutchies were quite unconcerned, I might add.   I started to relax about five minutes after this photograph was taken.

Abi, on her roller blades, at the finish.   She of course found it all very easy, as she goes to ice skating lessons every week.   She has great balance and poise.

Just a couple of photographs of bicycle paths in Houten.   The city is a peanut shaped with a vehicle road running around the outside of it.   There are roads leading into each suburb, with a speed limit of 30 kmh, so it is possible to drive to the carpark by your house, but impossible to drive from one suburb to another.    Much of the city is vehicle free, except for scooters, and little electric cars.

This bicycle path is the one we take to get to Aaron and Kylie's house,

and this one leads to the shopping centre.

The shopping centre in this part of Houten, with the railway station at the rear, plus the shopping centres on both sides of the cycle path.   No cars!

In this bicycle heaven there are a couple of problems, one is the increasing use of electrically powered bicycles, which in this country often do not have speed restrictions built into them, and the other are the young people on scooters.     The scooters shatter the peace, and the riders tend to ride quite carelessly and the fast electrically powered bicycles are just going too fast, especially in the mornings when there are also children riding to school. 

After talking to Kylie this evening, I have found out that there is a government concern, and one idea is to have a fast cycle lane, for the fast cyclists on super electric bikes.  And I guess for the scooter riders also.

But in the meantime life cannot be perfect, but it nearly is in Houten.