Today we decided to go to Den Haag for the day, which is about a 20 minute train ride. We took the bikes so that we would have transport when we got there – the bikes cost more than adult tickets, probably to discourage people taking then in the trains. Given the number of bicycles here if people did it regularly the trains wouldn’t be able to function.
After arriving, we tried to find a wifi hotspot so that we could have a skype call with some old friends in Sydney who were having a dinner and watching the royal (British) wedding. On our way to find a McDonalds, we asked a you woman who was a student at the nearby art college where they had free wifi. With a few minutes to spare to the arranged deadline, we managed to connect in the cafeteria. It was great to catch up, but the poor connection and ambient noise made communication difficult. Anyway it was great to catch up. Travelling now is a much more different experience, with internet and the connected world. There’s not the feeling of isolation or distance that there was in the 70s, but maybe a lesser sense of adventure.
Den Haag is pretty modern, but still has buildings dating back to the 1600s. After cycling slowly through the centre, we traveled along a boulevard of trees with large mansions (many converted to business functions such as lawyers), reminiscent of some of the large homes in Stanmore (!) and after a 4km ride, arrived at the Scheveningen, the Den Haag equivelant of Bondi.
The view at Scheveningen was dominated by the impressive Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel. It was a bit like the Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath near Blackheath, but on a much larger scale. We locked up the bikes and walked around the back of the hotel to see the most amazing beachside scene at Scheveningen. It was dominated by a very long two storey pier, with 3 large buildings at the end – a casino, a bar and kids activities, including bungee jumping. This is a major tourist resort and the beach extended for nearly a kilometre each way.
We walked along the beachfront, with hotels on one side, and themed open air cafes on the other side, then 100m of sand then the water. No real waves to speak of, and the water was brown. Frances said that this was normal, not the clear blue that we’re used to. There were some kids and brave souls wading in, but with the water temperature around 13-14C, not many takers.
We then walked out along the pier, which must be close to 400 metres long, containing cafes, and many shops selling both souvenirs and other goods. We were intrigued by a setup that had seats, but where the feet would hang were fish tanks filled with small fish. For 13 Euro ($17) you could hang your feet in the tank for 15mins while the fish eat the dead skin off you. Frances couldn’t resist and enjoyed the experience, including entertaining passers by who were equally astonished at the process. The shop was run by a father-daughter partnership who started it recently after experiencing it in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
After that, anything else was pretty dull, although the sand sculptures which were under way on the promenade were pretty good.
On our way back to the station we cycled around the port, with a huge fish market, and past more historic buildings including the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) and World Peace Flame. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations) and more. Unfortunately it was closed to the public.
The trip home to Zoetemeer was uneventful, and we settled in for a home-cooked meal.
After arriving, we tried to find a wifi hotspot so that we could have a skype call with some old friends in Sydney who were having a dinner and watching the royal (British) wedding. On our way to find a McDonalds, we asked a you woman who was a student at the nearby art college where they had free wifi. With a few minutes to spare to the arranged deadline, we managed to connect in the cafeteria. It was great to catch up, but the poor connection and ambient noise made communication difficult. Anyway it was great to catch up. Travelling now is a much more different experience, with internet and the connected world. There’s not the feeling of isolation or distance that there was in the 70s, but maybe a lesser sense of adventure.
Den Haag is pretty modern, but still has buildings dating back to the 1600s. After cycling slowly through the centre, we traveled along a boulevard of trees with large mansions (many converted to business functions such as lawyers), reminiscent of some of the large homes in Stanmore (!) and after a 4km ride, arrived at the Scheveningen, the Den Haag equivelant of Bondi. 
The view at Scheveningen was dominated by the impressive Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel. It was a bit like the Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath near Blackheath, but on a much larger scale. We locked up the bikes and walked around the back of the hotel to see the most amazing beachside scene at Scheveningen. It was dominated by a very long two storey pier, with 3 large buildings at the end – a casino, a bar and kids activities, including bungee jumping. This is a major tourist resort and the beach extended for nearly a kilometre each way. 
We walked along the beachfront, with hotels on one side, and themed open air cafes on the other side, then 100m of sand then the water. No real waves to speak of, and the water was brown. Frances said that this was normal, not the clear blue that we’re used to. There were some kids and brave souls wading in, but with the water temperature around 13-14C, not many takers. 
We then walked out along the pier, which must be close to 400 metres long, containing cafes, and many shops selling both souvenirs and other goods. We were intrigued by a setup that had seats, but where the feet would hang were fish tanks filled with small fish. For 13 Euro ($17) you could hang your feet in the tank for 15mins while the fish eat the dead skin off you. Frances couldn’t resist and enjoyed the experience, including entertaining passers by who were equally astonished at the process. The shop was run by a father-daughter partnership who started it recently after experiencing it in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
After that, anything else was pretty dull, although the sand sculptures which were under way on the promenade were pretty good. 
On our way back to the station we cycled around the port, with a huge fish market, and past more historic buildings including the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) and World Peace Flame. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations) and more. Unfortunately it was closed to the public.The trip home to Zoetemeer was uneventful, and we settled in for a home-cooked meal.
