Catching up

Spring cleaning at the fietsenstalling

They cleaned out the bike garage at Leiden Central Station two weeks ago.  The result was open walkways and a few free spaces at the racks.   It was like a little piece of serenity.  Like the five minutes after we've cleaned the house and before the boys are turned loose.  

By today the crosswalk was full again and the aisles were starting to get a bit cluttered  There is more than one bike per person in the NL.  They are not all well-loved.

Ah well. 

The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming

Our friends Peggy and Brad and their little girl, Maggy Lou came to visit two weeks ago and stayed for a week.  

They arrived at Schipol Airport (Schipol Luchthaven).  We took the train to Leiden Lammenschans where I then took their bags in the Bakfiets and we walked five minutes to our house.  Easy.  No cars.  

The impact of easy, low-stress, public transport and safe and easy biking  on quality of life is really very significant.  

Caged children

 

One day we all went to Amsterdam.  Brad and I took the kids to TunFun while Deborah and Peggy went to the Van Gogh museum where they currently have a special exhibit called the color of the night.  The center piece is Starry Night.

TunFun is basically a hamster house for kids built in an abandoned subway tunnel.

They had stuff for Leif and Maggy Lou.

Cage match.

Ethan has a way with the ladies.

Scheveningen

The next day we went to Delft and then Deborah and I took the kids to Scheveningen, 

the beach near the Hague.  Brad and Peggy tour the Hague for a bit.

Scheveningen is really great.  They build little beach bars with wood decking and tenting.  You can sit and let the kids play ing the sand while some nice person brings you beer by the fire.  We'll be spending more time there. 

At Scheveningen there is a nice aquarium called Sea Life.

Leif at the beach.

Back to the NEMO

The next day Deborah and Peggy kept the little ones (Leif and Maggy Lou) and Brad and Ethan and I went to Amsterdam.  We hit the NEMO and then went to the van Gogh Museum ourselves.  I got some better pictures at the NEMO this time.

There is a good exhibit on body image.  It includes a mirror that warps ones width.  The participant is meant to push a button when the mirror is flat, representing one's true size.   A voice then announces, "You are thinner than you think," or, "You are fatter than you think,." 

Body image 

I got a nice shot of the IR imaging exhibit which sits in front of the sex exhibit.

This is one of those bits that definitely would not fly in the US.  Then again, an Indian friend of mine here says that in India they would just burn it down, so maybe the US isn't the most repressed place on earth.

And, finally, my favorite:

French kissing display at the NEMO.

Word of the day:

slaperig: sleepy.   's Morgen, ik slaperig was omdat de weekend een uur minderer had.