Leiden, the sea, and other things that are the bomb

The sun is the bomb.

   It is amazing how much more beautiful this country is in the sunlight.  Also, how much happier I am.  Vitamin D is totally underrated.

Sand dunes are the bomb.

    And so are the WW2 bunkers still intact along the walking trails just up from the North Sea.  While the bunkers are heavily damaged from weathering, graffiti, etc. and are mostly filled with sand, it is nonetheless fascinating to see them, and to recognize how much a landscape can change over the course of 70 years.  Where the hidden German bunkers once had a clear view of the sea, they are now mostly uncovered from the sand that once camouflaged them and have a minimal view of the sea, if any at all.

The North Sea is the bomb.

    It is absolutely beautiful and has gorgeous dunes around it.  As a perk, the aforementioned sand dunes keep the areas inland safe from flooding.  Win-win.

The beach is the bomb.

    Turns out that the two weeks I chose to come to the NL coincide with North Holland work and school holidays.  As such, the back-half of the beach was completely packed, even though we went on a Monday afternoon!  I had never seen anything like it before.  Nonetheless, Carole and I found a spot, and I got to stick my feet in the sea!  (Actually, to be more accurate, I ended up knee-deep in it during a walk along the (cold) water.)  The beaches are a lot wider than the beaches I've been to in the US (that is, the sea is farther from the dunes), and they are completely covered in people.  People as far as the eye can see!  There are food trailers (pulled by tractors), selling refreshments, ice cream, etc. that make their way up and down the length of the beach.  There are seasonal beach restaurants and beach houses that literally get taken down at the end of summer and are then built back up again the next year.  These Europeans don't play around with this stuff.
     Also, they have totally different senses of modesty.  Bare-chested women, naked children, men in speedos.  This is definitely not Kansas (or even Florida).

[no picture here...you'll have to see these in person!]

The shoes I bought near the beach are the bomb.

     I love a good pair of shoes.  These are a good pair of shoes.  I am thrilled.  I want to kiss whoever made these shoes.  And I want to thank the Dutch for having similarly narrow, long feet, and while I'm at it, for being tall.  Maybe I was actually adopted from this country?

Biking is the bomb.

     It is so awesome to bike in a country that actually supports biking.  There are bike paths, bike roads, and even garages to park your bike in!  You can bike to the beach, bike to the store, bike to work...  You can bike just about anywhere, and the Dutch do!  The parents are the best...they don't just bike, they get around with multiple children attached to their bike!

An efficient train system is the bomb.

    Today, I went to two separate cities--Leiden and The Hague--and it only cost me 15 euros and 45-60 minutes of travel time!  It can cost me that much to park in the French Quarter and/or takes me that long to get there via streetcar...if the streetcar even ever comes.

Leiden is the bomb(-diggity).

    Granted, I was only there for a mere 4 hours, but Leiden quickly became my favorite city in the Netherlands.  The city is small enough to walk, old enough to invoke awe, touristy enough to speak English, quiet enough to enjoy, and beautiful enough to run out of batteries in my camera.  On top of all of that, the city has its own app (called "Leiden Loop") that you can download for free from the app store.  It takes you to 24 different significant places in the city (never farther apart than a few blocks), all of which come with a notification sound when you get close to the landmark, a brief synopsis of the location's importance, and one or more pieces of media that enhance your understanding of the place.

     Also, Rembrandt painted in Leiden, the Pilgrims spent time in Leiden, liquid helium was discovered in Leiden, and Descartes and numerous Nobel prize winners spent time at the University of Leiden.  At one point, I found myself thinking, "Oh man, the likelihood that Einstein and I have stood in the same place has never been this high!"
     Yes, I am aware that I am a nerd.

Palaces are the bomb.

     I don't care how terrible absolute monarchy is.  One thing we are sorely lacking in America is old palaces.  Versailles is still my favorite (I mean, the gates are literally made of gold!), but I must say, the palaces I've seen this week, like the Vredespaleis in The Hague (which houses the UN International Court of Justice, among other things), were not too shabby.

Being back home is the bomb.

    No matter how amazing a trip and adventure may be, there is nothing better than getting back home, using the bathroom for free, and putting my feet up, all in preparation to share just how good of a time I had.