Rachel and I leave for Den Haag around noon (Brian backs out), armed with a map, some sandwiches, and, of course, stroopwafels (if you've never had these, you are missing out on possibly one of the best edibles on earth). The first half of the ride is familiar to me, as it takes us through Wassenaar, where my dad is staying. We then bike a ways along a major highway into the city. Although it might not sound nice to ride next to a highway, don't think it's like pedaling alongside the NJ Turnpike. The highways here are never as busy as back home, and on top of that the carefully planned bike lanes make it enjoyable to ride almost anywhere. The highway cuts through some woodlands, in which we are able to catch glimpses of some absolutely fantastic houses. At some point, we also see what looks like a domed observatory, set on top of a hill. These woods seem like a great place to go back to and explore once the weather gets warmer, but for now we pedal on to our destination.
After about an hour, we victoriously reach Den Haag and (somewhat ironically) pike our bikes and eat lunch at the train station. We then walk through the city, past a statue of Willy the Silent (first picture), to our prime destination, the Mauritshuis It's a mansion from the Dutch Renaissance that now houses an amazing collection of 16th and 17th century art. We have museum cards, so we don't pay to enter, and we happily discover that the audio guide is also free. The house itself, with its lavish staircases and ceilings, is something to marvel at, but the art is truly spectacular. We spend a good three hours in the museum, checking out Vermeer (The Girl With a Pearl Earring is here), Rembrandt, and several other artists I was previously less familiar with, such as Peter Paul Rubens. The detail and life-like quality of the paintings, as well as the extraordinary lighting effects created within them, enrapture us.
We don't leave the museum until it closes at 5:00, when all the other museums are closed as well. We take some time to check out the Binnenhof, a beautiful courtyard of the former castle which is now used to seat the Dutch Parliament (third picture - I'll be seeing the inside of Parliament on March 7, when I take a tour with my dad and some other NIAS fellows). We also try to find the gardens of the Paleis Noordeinde, a 16th century palace now used as the Queen's office (what she does in her office is beyond me), but since we can find nothing but a closed gate near the palace, we assume they must be closed. So after checking out yet another statue of Willy the Silent (second picture - how could I have known, all those times I walked through Voorhees Mall, the importance of this man?), and admiring the beautiful architecture of the city, we head back for the station. Briefly considering the merits of taking the train home, we gain some resolve and head out on our bikes. The ride home is a bit more challenging, since we are riding against the wind, but we reach Leiden in just over an hour, pink-faced and triumphant.
Overall, I'd say it was a great day trip. There's a lot more to discover in Den Haag for sure (I'm still holding out for the M.C. Escher museum), but we have plenty of time to revisit -though it's an hour by bike, it's a mere 10 minutes by train. And perhaps best of all, we didn't spend a single euro! Though I can't say I wasn't quick to stop at my favorite falafel place on the way home...
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