Netherlands/Berlin Trip - Leiden      9th July:

Just One of the Bike Parks by Leiden Central Station

    Despite the predicted brighter day today, the skies looked ominous, and of course showers continued. However, by the time we had fixed the sea toilet which had been spraying water out over the heads, the skies were brightening up, though the temperature had noticeably dropped. Ham, onion and cheese omelette for breakfast was appreciated by all and drove the blues away.
    We set off for Leiden, catching the small ferry that operated 24x7 from the small island of Kaag over the Vaartring, and seemed to be always full of foot passengers, cyclists, cars, vans and even a lorry. Our bus stop was over on the other side next to the ferry. It was also next to a chandler. We needed some new wiper blades for the boat, and the chandler did have some, but were they the right size? The only way to find out was to go back to the boat, remove one and bring it over.

"De Put" Windmill

    
    I stepped out of the chandler's to see our bus speed off; we had missed it whilst inside. Never mind, we'll get the next one. I retrieved one of the wiper blades while Rex and Meryl remained in the premises. By the time I had returned Rex had bought two new ropes. Hmmm .... there had been talk of Rex making a set of reins for me to keep me out of the way of mad cyclists.

Morspoort

    The new blades were ideal, so I returned back to Duonita and stowed them away; another job to do this evening. The ferry man must have been delighted with all the trips we'd had sorting out those purchases.

Artwork in Rembrandtplein

    As we waited in the cool fresh breeze for the bus, a peloton of cyclists passed by, two chaps in yellow outfits, the rest in blue. "Allez, allez, allez!" I shouted as they passed by. "Allez!" they all shouted back in unison. They all looked as though they were veterans, a very fit bunch too.
    Our bus did arrive eventually, and there was only one other passenger. On explaining to the driver that we wanted to get to the Nieuw-Vennep train station, we were informed that the bus did not go there. "OK, drop us off at the nearest bus stop, please," we said. We were transported through some delightful countryside, following a long straight canal for most of the way, lined with evenly spaced trees, very much like a scene from a Monet painting. Every inch of land was utilised; no space for hedges here. Boats gliding through fields betrayed the huge number of waterways criss-crossing the land. Herds of cows and sheep came into view, but the land was mainly arable, with cereal crops and legions of flowers growing. In a short while we were traversing an industrial estate and retail park in what seemed to be a brand new town. Now I will never know what went wrong with that communication with the driver, but the bus actually dropped us off at the train station.
    The station was brand new too. Slick "sprinter" trains sped through, as well as Intercity lines and the Eurostar. We boarded our train and sat in a carriage that contained a fair number of students. The train whispered its way out of the station and was soon hurtling through flat countryside.

Doelenpoort

    We alighted at Leiden Central Station, a modern building with massive cycle parks outside it. Fortunately the tourist information office was right outside too, and in next to no time we were armed with maps and a guide to the Leiden Loop, a self-walking guide of the city. As we sat by the Rijnsburger, a short stretch of waterway, eating sandwiches, large, angry gulls paraded in front of us expecting titbits, and scattering any jackdaws that intruded upon their patch. One enormous gull obviously controlled the path, and stood just a couple of metres from us without any fear whatsoever. He would have a long wait to get anything out of us.
    We looked forward to our explore of the historic university town. In the middle ages Leiden, was one of the most ancient towns in Holland, situated on the so-called Old Rhine, the sluggish waters of which flow through the town in several canal like arms. It received its city rights in 1266 and became the centre of the Dutch textile industry when the "Yperlinge" (weavers from Ypres) settled here after the great plague (1347-1350). During the 16th century Leiden sustained a terrible siege by the Spaniards, which lasted from 1573 to 1674. William the Silent caused the South dykes to be pierced, and with the country being thus inundated, he relieved the besieged by ship. According to a popular tradition Willem, the Prince of Orange offered to reward the citizens for their gallant conduct in the defence of 1574 by exempting them from the payment of taxes for a certain number of years, or by the establishment of a university in their city. The latter alternative is said to have been preferred; at all events, the prince founded the Leiden University in 1575. Its fame soon extended to every part of Europe, and it is still famous today. In the 17th century the Pilgrims lived in Leiden, the first settlers of New Amsterdam, nowadays New York, before they departed by ship to the New World.
    Strolling along the pretty Galgewater, lined with renovated barges, we came across the "De Put" windmill, named after the miller Jan Jansoon Put, owner of the mill that stood here in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in the 1980s here on the north bank of the Old Rhine.

Academiegebouw

Hortus Botanicus

Pieterskerk

    A little to the north of the mill was the impressive looking Morspoort (Marsh Gate). At one time Leiden had ten city gates, two of which were still standing, the rest demolished in the 19th century when the city was extended. The Morspoort was at one time called the Gallows Gate, as it led to the Gallows Field.
    Crossing the ubiquitous white lifting bridge by the "De Put" windmill, we entered Rembrandtplein. Rembrandt van Rijn was born in 1606 in the Weddesteeg where we stood, and he lived here until 1631. He was trained as an artist in Leiden where he produced his first masterpiece. The house where he was born was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century to allow the extension of a printing business, but a plaque set into a wall commemorates this famous artist.
    We continued south until we hit the Groenhazengracht (Canal of the Green Hare), where we turned left and followed it. This canal was where the local red light district could be found in the 17th century; apparently a prostitute who lived here was nicknamed "The Green Hare". The Doelenpoort (Doelen City Gate) was located along this canal. This gate led to the training ground used by the two civic guards in Leiden. The civic guard was made up of armed citizens who defended the city in times of war, and played an important part in maintaining public order. The sandstone gate was designed in 1645 by city architect Arent van's Gravesande, and is crowned with a sculpture of St. George slaying the dragon.
    The Rapenburg that we walked down became the city's most prestigious canal during the 17th century, a place where rich merchants built their houses. Along this canal we stumbled across the Academiegebouw (Academy Building). Holland's first university was founded in 1575 in Leiden. The new state of The Netherlands needed its own educational institution. The Academiegebouw was the former chapel of the Dominican nuns, and was the first building to be used by the university. It is still in use today for lectures and official occasions.
    Right next to the Academiegebouw was the Hortus Botanicus. A botanical garden was established behind the Academiegebouw shortly after the founding of the university. Carolus Clusius, curator of the botanical garden in Vienna, designed the layout and planted the first tulips in Western Europe. A wisteria behind the entrance gate was planted by Clusius.

Gravensteen

    The most southerly point on our walk was the Van der Werf Park, a quiet, green oasis in the bustling city. The park was created out of a catastrophe. On 12th January 1807, a ship loaded with gunpowder exploded at the Steenschuur, the street on the other side of the canal, destroying an entire residential district. Some 160 people were killed and 2000 injured. Buildings all over the city were damaged. Nothing was rebuilt for a long time. In 1884 a statue of Mayor Van der Werf was erected on the so-called Great Ruin, surrounded by a park. Van der Werf was regarded as one of the heroes of the Spanish siege of Leiden in 1574.
    Heading back up into the city, we stopped off at Pieterskerk, where we took a break and had a light lunch; Meryl needs regular food breaks, I am notoriously the opposite and often forget to eat. In 1121 the Count of Holland built a chapel where the church now stood, dedicating it to the apostle Peter. The Peter's Church became Leiden's first church, and has been extended many times over the centuries. The keys that Peter carries in his role as guardian of heaven's gates also appear in the coat of arms of Leiden.
    Near the church was the Gravensteen, dating from the start of the 13th century, originally the prison of the Counts of Holland. In 1463 the building was transferred to the city of Leiden, and served as a city prison. From the gallery to the front of the tower, sheriffs and magistrates had a good view of the execution site, popularly known as "pure sorrow" or "the green turf".

Koornbrug

    Heading east we came across the Stadhuis, a proud example of a 17th century building. On a cold night in January 1929 this town hall went up in flames. Only the facade was saved.
    Near it, crossing the Nieuwe Rijn, lay the Koornbrug (Corn Bridge), the place where grain was traded for many centuries. In 1834 a roof was built over the bridge to keep the merchandise dry. Corn was stored under the roof, with holes in the ceiling for ventilation.
    We crossed the bridge and visited the Burcht. This Citadel is unique in Holland and is an example of a motte castle. The hill was erected as early as the 11th century, and was topped by a wooden palisade. The Citadel offered protection against the rising water of the Rhine. But, as the city expanded rapidly around the Citadel, it was no longer possible to provide protection against invading enemies. From the 17th century the Citadel became a city park. Meryl was flagging a little when we got there, so it was just me and Rex who scaled the steep steps up to the summit, where we were afforded excellent views of the city from the ramparts.

Hooglandse Kerk from the Burcht

    Nearby stood the Hooglandse Kerk, founded in 1314 as a wooden chapel, dedicated to St. Pancras. In 1366 construction on a gothic church was started, but the building was never completed. The Hooglandse Church served as water supply to the local citizens. The roofs of the church caught a lot of rain water that was stored in large reservoirs to provide the people around the church with drinking water in times of drought.
    We wandered in a northerly direction, passing the Heilige Geestweeshuis (Holy Ghost Orphanage) of 1583 on the way. On the gate are an orphan boy and girl. The gate led to a courtyard with the former girls' and boys' wings on either side. The orphanage was extended several times during the 17th and 18th centuries. The orphans came from other cities too, such as Aachen and Liege, to learn a trade. The textile industry made use of them. Older orphan boys often learned a craft, whilst the girls acquired domestic skills. Orphans were still living here up to 1961.
    The Waag was our next port of call. Unlike most old Dutch cities, Leiden has no central market place. Goods entered the city on flat-bottomed boats and were hoisted onto the quays where they were sold. It was therefore logical for the Weighing House to be built at the water's edge. In an age when cheating with weights was common practice, the Waag had an important role to play; the weights were officially calibrated here and buyers could be sure they weren't being cheated.

Heilige Geestweeshuis with Orphans above the Gate

    Crossing over the waterway by the Waag, we came to the Hartebrugkerk. In around 1825 church buildings were constructed using state subsidies because the churches themselves were very poor. The state looked for reliable experts who would ensure that the subsidies were used wisely. Engineers from the Water Authority were able to provide this service, and were already spread throughout the Netherlands. This explains why most church buildings from this period were described as "Water Authority style". The poem in gold letters on the front facade of this church said: "Hic Domus Dei est et Porta Coeli" (This is the House of God and the gateway to Heaven). Local people referred to it as the "Koelikerk", from the Latin word "coeli" meaning "heaven".
    Up by the canal by the Oude Singel stood the Lakenhal. Leiden was famous for its cloth industry. Before being shipped, the cloth first had to be approved by inspectors. In 1639 it was decided to build a special Cloth Hall (Lakenhal) along the Oude Singel, where the governors of the cloth industry had their headquarters. Some rooms of the present Lakenhal, such as the Pressing Room, reflect the original style of the building. Sadly time was pressing and we had no time to visit the museum inside.
    Our final port of call on our walk was where we had eaten our sandwiches earlier by the Rijnsburger. Here proudly stood the "De Valk" windmill. For a long time the city walls of Leiden were topped by mills. The higher the mills stood, the more easily their sails could catch the wind. This mill from 1743 was built in two and a half months. Grain was ground here until 1925, and in 1966 it was converted to a museum.
    Our walk around the city had been most enjoyable and informative. I liked Leiden, it was so vibrant and full of life, probably due to it being a large university city.

Waag

Hartebrugkerk

Lakenhal

    Whilst returning back to Duonita, Rex went into Victor Meldrew mode when the bus meandered through Nieuwe-Vennep's retail parks; his antics can be quite funny.
    It took a wee while to assemble one of the windscreen wiper assemblies. Much cursing echoed the air as a spring just refused to stretch. Fortunately there weren't many Dutch ears around to hear my words.
    In the evening, we practiced our Dutch with the locals, which usually resulted in laughter and English replies, and sometimes complements.
    I asked the harbour master if the water around here ever froze over during winter. "Maybe once every five years or so," he said. "With the ferry running across the Vaartring all the time, that part never freezes. People go skating on the Kagerplassen in winter. One girl even drove a car on it. She was crazy," he laughed.
    We learned none of the boats in the marina were lifted out during winter. Ice would present no problem to steel hull craft, but fibre based boats take their chances. The marina was owned by a cooperative of 180 members who had a business-like policy - any berth holders not paying up on time would be evicted. The harbour master then went off to cut the grass; he worked very long days during the summer.