Leiden Leave-taking

One last walk around Leiden and a little shopping on Saturday which is one of the two market days in Leiden (Wednesday is the other).

I have a photograph taken from this bridge posted elsewhere on this blog.

Molen de Valk, which is also a Windmill Museum.

Leiden's main square, where the bookseller had set up shop.

As you walk down this avenue, the Hooglandschekerk (or the Church of St. Pancras) looms up suddenly. One is not, or I was not, prepared for the scale of this edifice.

This blog opened with flowers and closes that way. Our last stop is at the flower section of the Saturday market. We feast our eyes and enjoy the wonderful indulgence of buying flowers in Holland.

Noordwijk Beach Sunset

The wind making patterns in the sand.

Fantastic Friesland: Sneek

The road to Sneek (you pronounce it 'snake') was very pretty. Here is a photographic glimpse.

Where else do you see people walking on dykes?

Sneek is most famous for its Waterpoort which dates back to 1613. A passing boat brought traffic to a halt and so I could take these photographs although we did not stop there.

This brought to a close our Friesland excursion.

Fantastic Friesland: Hindeloopen

Hindeloopen is to be seen to be believed. I am not sure whether I would want to live in a place this quaint and old-world but it is an enchanting place to halt.

Hindeloopen is a major shipbuilding centre, even now, and the harbour is full of boats.

On the day we visited, the weather was spectacular and there were as many boats in the water as people on the streets.

The narrow cobble-stoned alleys are crisscrossed by streams, too narrow to be canals, broad enough to make great photographs. By now, all this seems like standard Netherlands fare: pretty houses, old buildings, gorgeous gardens! But we have still not lost our appetite for it.

The Hindeloopen harbour is ringed by a high dyke. We walked along soaking in the breeze and the expanse of water. It was very memorable.