A quick look at Leiden, Netherlands
japra | Nov 23, 2009 | Comments 18
Molen De Valk or “The Falcon” windmill (1753) in Leiden. It has seven stories, all open to the public. We definitely need to go back.
Roxi had a jazz gig in Leiden yesterday afternoon… in a BAR. How cool is that? She and her jazz band performed a two hour set–about 14 songs. Now I know the majority of the members have been with the band for at least one year, but each time I hear them perform, I have to keep reminding myself that these are high school kids. They are that good.
Sadly, we didn’t have a lot of time to explore Leiden. We were too busy trying to find a parking space (the story of our lives on this side of the pond–haha) and had to move Roxi’s keyboard around. However, we all agreed that we want to go back soon. Did you know that some of the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony lived in Leiden before they sailed to America? They left the Netherlands in July 1620 on the Speedwell and sailed to Southampton, England. In September of that year, a smaller group of them boarded the Mayflower to make the two-month voyage to the New World.
I know I don’t have to tell you what it meant to me to be in Leiden just a few days before Thanksgiving, but just in case you couldn’t guess… it was
Amazing.
As an aside, that’s a McDonald’s next door to a Pannekoeken restaurant. One of Mr. DJ’s British colleagues calls McDonald’s “The American Embassy”.
:-(
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Filed Under: Blog • Destinations • Featured • Museums • Netherlands
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in Holland with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 15-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
It’s nice to know that if we ever get to go to Europe, my daughter will have someplace to eat.
From you pics it looks like it was a beautiful day.
One of the ways in which I’ve tried to keep my son playing the trumpet is to suggest that one day, after along day at work, he could stop by his local jazz bar and play a few tunes (while smoking a cigar). It’s good to have dreams for your kids. I’m so jealous that Roxi has already fulfilled one of mine! Ha!
Heh heh! It is comforting to know Micky D’s is there if you want it :-)
Is your son in a band? I think that makes such a huge difference. Roxi started taking piano lessons at age five and stopped when we moved to England when she took up voice. However, at the same time, she also joined the school band (she played glockenspiel the first year and then piano every year after). She is more willing to practice now than when she was doing lessons. She also has learned to play by ear, which really comes in handy :-)
Is your son old enough to appreciate that girls LOVE musicians? ;-)
SO FUNNY! If I mentioned that he would Not Be Amused!
He was in two different jazz bands for the past 4 years. The last two years he had to play in two bands as part of the requirements of his old school. He got to the point where he just didn’t want to play anymore. I really hope he goes back to it because I think things like playing an instrument (like painting or any other way of expressing yourself) are great life long activities.
I look forward to hearing about your return trip in the future. I see that while the sky is a perfect blue the water in the canal is choppy looking. Ah November…
and an early Happy Thanksgiving with many more blessings to you and your family.
Maureen, it has been incredibly cold, windy, and rainy here! I took these photos during a 10 minute break in the weather ;-)
Thank you for your Thanksgiving wishes. I hope you enjoy yours with your family as well. I know the food will be outstanding!!
Interesting story that some of the Mayflower members were from Leiden, thanks for sharing that!
What is it about windmills that pulls me to them so much! The old ones are handsome and complicated structures; this one is just gorgeous. I’d definitely go back… without the keyboard to haul around.
Jane, the windmills are so beautiful and romantic. I wonder how long it took to build them. Clever people, these Dutch :-)
Great pictures….funny that’s what we call Mc Donalds too!
Do you really, Kathy?!
Too funny. ;-)
Sounds like a great experience for the kids. McDonald’s must be a comforting symbol of ‘home’ and the familiar.
I think they had a lot of fun, Christine. :-)
It was very interesting for me to learn of New York’s Dutch roots when I went to NYC. i hadn’t previously known about that and given our Dutch heritage in SA, I find it fascinating. It must have been fab to be in Leiden!
Emm, I am learning a lot about America on this side of the pond! And until I learned about SA’s Dutch heritage from you, I had no clue! Good to know we’re still learning ;-)
Yes! We often talk of the various curses of being an expat but the learning and exposure to other worlds and cultures is the biggest blessing!
Leiden is so nice, I lived there last year. You should definitely take the family back and visit some of their museums. By the way, I love your blog its so fun to read other other expat experiences!
I think it’s pretty impressive that Roxi’s band gets gigs in the first place–in a bar or anywhere else! It’s so much fun to hear about all the traveling and such she gets to do for music.
I had a small kernel of knowledge of the Dutch folks on the Mayflower because the church my family attended when I was younger traced its roots back to the Mayflower as well. Thanksgiving is a larger part of that church’s holiday culture than it is in most churches, I think–for the town’s annual Festival of Lights parade, held the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the church’s float is a Mayflower with children dressed up in pilgrim garb–and we learned at least as much about Thanksgiving in Sunday school as we did in elementary school. I didn’t know that the Dutch pilgrims originally lived in Leiden, though!
Roxi is the coolest kid. I love it that she has gigs in Leiden!
(BTW, we never figured out if it was Lie-den of Lay-den. What do you think?)
We visited the American Museum there. You’ve got to go. It is run by a very interesting and eccentric man — originally from Chicago, I think.
Hmmm. I think it’s closer to Lie-den, but then again, I’m a yank!
I didn’t know about the American Museum. Yes, definitely a must-see! Thanks for the tip :-)