At De Haven where we spent the night, the second B of the B&B didn't apply. They weren't serving breakfast. Come to think of it, their internet description, "access to a peaceful Holland-themed garden", didn't seem to apply, either. At least I didn't see any windmills, clogs or tulips there. It seemed to resemble all other backyards around the world which are used to store things that haven't found their proper place.
Our B's garden, one B because we got a bed but no breakfast.
We packed up and rode into town, first for breakfast, then some sightseeing. We had plenty of time for Leiden - fortunately, since there is much to see - before we were scheduled to arrive at our friends in Den Haag in the late afternoon.
We cycled to the center, entering through Leiden's east gate, the Zijlpoort.
We wandered the streets, took pictures and cycled along with the hordes of students on bikes in Leiden, which is a university town. For some, the many bicycles seem to be a plague. At one point, an elderly gentleman appeared out of his front door and reprimanded us for parking our bikes in front of his house. If one bike parks here, soon there will be dozens, he said. In spite of it all, he was very friendly and told us not to miss the unique National Museum of Antiquities with its Egyptian (including a complete Egyptian temple), Greek and Roman collections before we left Leiden.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.We started the day out right, however I don't know if we finished it as the saying recommends.
Across the street from our breakfast table: This dog had his own chauffeur. Once the tricycle was locked, the driver opened the front door to the dog's cabin and he could step out.
One of the many lovely grachten (embankment, quay or canal) lined by 17th century houses. Leiden has reportedly the second largest 17th century town center in the Netherlands.
Altlhough I read that Leiden has 12 exceptional museums, we singled out just one for this visit. It did indeed boast an entire Egyptian temple, but a rather small one compared to ones still standing on the Nile. Nevertheless, the collection was fantastic.
A bite to eat and we were off for Den Haag. It wasn't a great distance and since we were so close to the North Sea we made a detour to Scheveningen, a modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. Coming from land-bound Bavaria, we are always happy and excited to get our first view of the sea.
As we enter Scheveningen we get a rather futuristic impression.
If we started the day eating like kings, we certainly didn't finish it eating like paupers. With Jaap we enjoyed an amazing meal with grilled salmon in his lovely garden.
Today's ride: 30 km (19 miles) Total: 90 km (56 miles)
