Last weekend we enjoyed a getaway to not one, but two Dutch cities: Leiden and Delft. We figured our "formula" for our Haarlem trip worked so well, we might as well replicate it. While we opted to voyage via public transit this time, the general structure of sight-seeing by foot and pinnacling the weekend with a boat cruise served us well yet again. Toss in some authentic Italian pasta and a few Instagrammable hotspots, and we've got ourselves another solid weekend in lockdown. Itinerary below! Sittin' on TrainsTo make our way to Leiden, we took the Intercity train from the Amsterdam Lelyaan station, a 7-minute bike from our apartment. The process of catching the train could not have been easier, and the best part: our bikes got to come with. All we had to do was register them in advance and buy them each their own transit ticket, and on they rolled. The train itself was super clean and nearly empty, and a mere 19 minutes later we arrived at Leiden Centraal. As you may have anticipated, our first order of business was obviously coffee. Jack enjoyed his cup at Chummy Coffee, located on the corner of the perfectly-picturesque Pieterskerk-Choorsteg. While he was delighted by the tiny digestive cookie given out with every order, I wasn't in the mood to do my peanut allergy song-and-dance so instead took my flat white at Borgman & Borgman, just across the canal. Despite encountering quite the line, if there's one thing I've gained patience for since moving abroad, it's being willing to stand around and wait for a well-crafted latte. Whereas in the States this felt like an inconvenience, I now think it's half the fun! De Burcht van LeidenCoffees secured, we next made our way over to De Burcht, an old fortress in Leiden that dates to the 11th Century. Perched atop a hill, it was accessible via quick flight of stairs which presented some pretty incredible views of the city and the neighboring Hooglandse Kerk. We might've almost blown over in the wind as we walked around the perimeter, but I'm glad we dropped by. Those archway photos, complete with the church spires debuting in the background, ended up being some of my favorite captures from our weekend. Up next, we ambled over to Leiden University where I daydreamed about what life might've been like as a college student in this cute little town. As much as I love Notre Dame, I must admit the canals of Leiden have quite the leg up on the aesthetics of South Bend... We also walked by the Hortus Botanicus, which proudly proclaims itself as "the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands." Though closed for COVID, the snippets of foliage we observed peeking over the perimeter cemented it as a must-see next trip. Since moving abroad I've fully embraced my new identity as a "Plant Mom," so spending a day surrounded by gorgeous flora sounds like it'd be right up my alley. As we wound through the city, we also caught a few stops along the "Wall Poems of Leiden" route, a city-sweeping literary project that made this English major swoon. You can read more about the 110 poems included in the collection on the project's website. While we spotted many during the course of the weekend, you'll find pictured below works from Pablo Neruda, Shakespeare, and e.e. cummings. Wind-Millin' Around After a quick lunch canal-side on the Beesenmarkt, we then biked over to the attractions of Morspoort, Molen de Put, and Molen de Valk. I never knew I was a big windmill gal, but in a country as flat as The Netherlands, these berthy behemoths really do spice up a city skyline! That said, in these photos, I still think our Swapfiets are the stars of the show. No Ifs, Ands, or Boats About ItUpon dropping our bags at our hotel and allowing time for a quick regroup, we made our way over to our good friends at Sloepdelen for another rental. Now a certified boating expert after his last seafaring venture, Jack needed no time at all to reacquaint with his vessel. The wind definitely picked up by the end of our 2 hour loop, but a good time was still had by all. We've also now officially identified the best placement of our portable speaker for max acoustic enjoyment (propped at the bow, facing inward). I hope the Dutch appreciate Jimmy Buffett! 🙈 The OG O.G.Anyone who knows us knows our love for Olive Garden runs deep, so when we learned Leiden boasted an Italian restaurant by the same name, we instantly knew where we were going for dinner. However, we weren't prepared to realize just how similar the establishment was to our beloved US chain. I mean.... I'm pretty sure this logo has trademark infringement written all over it, but with pasta as delicious as the one I consumed, I'm not ratting them out. A Dabble in DelftAfter a restful sleep in our hotel and our first introduction to Scandinavian-style duvets (my assessment: genius), we were up and at 'em the next day for our train ride to Delft. After watching no less than 10 bikes topple over by the strong morning winds during our morning coffee stroll, we decided to leave the bikes behind this time and traverse Delft by foot. While I pride myself on my planning abilities, a combination of being too busy at work these past few weeks to create an agenda for the day -- paired with a desire to see the city a bit more organically -- led to our afternoon in Delft being wonderfully unstructured. We spent about 2.5 hours in total just winding around the cutest canals, shops, and markets. Some of our highlights included the following: Markt (The Main Square), one of the largest historic market squares in Europe Niewe Kerk ("New Church"), anchoring the Square Oude Church (you guessed it -- "Old Church"), which featured an impressive toppling tilt Oostport ("East Gate"), a long-standing city gate from 1400 Delft BlauwAnd of course, no trip to Delft is complete without enjoying their gorgeous pottery. Delft is home to the Royal Dutch Delftware Porcelain factory, which has been crafting iconic Delft Blauw pottery since 1653. Everywhere you looked in Delft, there were pots, jars, murals, and more displaying the traditional blue and white motif. Unfortunately most of the shopping was closed, but I definitely plan to revisit once restrictions lift and stock up on some souvenirs. We rounded out our afternoon with a drop by Molen de Roos, Delft's remaining windmill. Once one of eighteen windmills that littered the city, "The Rose" is the only one to stand the test of time. Unlike the windmills we've seen so far on our travels, this windmill was the first we observed in operation which was pretty neat. The powerful turning blades grind grain into flour, which is available for purchase in the attached Mill Shop. Til Next TimeUpon returning in Leiden, we decided to take one last stroll around the city before collecting our bags and catching the train home. Although it was beyond chilly and we were about tapped out on outside time for the day, I'm so glad we did. Golden hour in Leiden is the real deal -- the sunlight on the water made for a perfect end to our weekend away. I must admit -- neither Leiden nor Delft were cities that ranked on my Rotation Must-See Bucket List. However, one perk of being confined to travel in The Netherlands is the chance to see places I wouldn't have paid the time of day before. While of course I'm still looking forward to getting those big-ticket trips in the books before our return (Amalfi Coast, anyone?!), I'm grateful to now have these explorations in the 'ol memory bank.
There truly is so much more to The Netherlands than just Amsterdam! Doei doei bye bye, - Lou
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