December 28th - Leiden

The sun is out!  There's blue sky!  Can't waste this so I hurry to get ready to go out.  Just have to decide where to go to take advantage of this good weather.  It's still windy and cold once I get outside but it's so nice to see the sun.  It doesn't get light until 08:30 here. 

 

I decide to hop the tram and go to the Hague Tower.  I passed it the other day and realized it was something I had read about.  Apparently from the top there is a fantastic view of the area.  You can see for miles.  After having a little difficulty finding the correct door in to the building I discover it doesn't open until noon.  It's 10:30 so I head back to the centre of town and go to the visitor's information in the library in order to print my ticket for the Peace Palace that I bought online.  After doing that I walk around and then head back to the Hague Tower.  42 floors.  I go to the top and decide to have lunch there.  A bit of a splurge but heh...I'm only going to do it once.  I order a glass of Prosecco and a Penthouse Burger.  With a miniature bottle of water and tip there goes 30 euros.  Yikes!  After I finish my lunch I am told there is a balcony you can go out on and take pictures.  Yup! 42 floors up and the floor is like open grate.  Scary!!

I then head back to the train station and hop the train to Leiden which is only about 20 minutes away.  Now normally this would only cost 3.50 euros each way but I misunderstood and didn't "tap" my card when I boarded the train.  Bang!  There went 20 euros off my card!  I went to the train information people and they were very nice but said they couldn't do anything about it and I would have to call in and they would fix it.  Great.  When I got home I called....20 minutes on hold and then I got the nicest person who said they could refund my 13 euros....all I needed was a Dutch bank account??  Really??  They can't put it back on my credit card that I used to load the card?  They can't credit my transit card?  She asked that I call back when I get the account number of someone who has a Dutch account....well I'll get right on that!  Say goodbye to another 13 euros.  This is getting to be an expensive day.

I walk in to Leiden which is very picturesque. I see that there is a company that provides boat rides on the canals so I thought this would be a good way to see the general area.  It was an hour long and was quite nice.  They had the boat enclosed so it was warmer than walking about.  I was the only one that didn't speak Dutch so the fellow operating the boat had to repeat everything in English just for me. 

Would you believe the Hudson's Bay department store is here in the Netherlands??  Here it is in Leiden and there is one in Den Haag.  I thought it was only in Canada eh?

By the time I was back on land it was getting dark so it's time to head back to Scheveningen.  Train to Den Haag and then tram to Scheveningen.  I remember to tap in, tap out.  Not going to screw that up again.  At the train station in Den Haag they have a Starbucks so I decided to get my souvenir now.  A Starbucks mug from Den Haag.  Every time I have my coffee once I am home I will remember my trip.