Another Corner of the Netherlands

The past few days have been cloudy and cool in our neck of the woods.  Truthfully, it often feels more like fall here than summer.  Therefore, we decided that the next sunny day we would take advantage of the nice weather, and travel to The Hague. The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands, and is located on the North Sea.    

We did some quick research before leaving, and found several points of interest that we could investigate.  In order to stay within our budget, we agreed that we would avoid some of the more expensive museums in the city.  Instead, we would spend time walking around the historic district looking at some of the interesting architecture in this area and just enjoy the day.     

The old city hall...built in 1565

An old dutch department store that was recently sold to new buyers.

One of the newer buildings we saw in the city

Government buildings where the Parliament meets

Mauritshuis Art Museum

The gate leading to the government buildings

The facade of an old building attached to a new one.   There were several of these in different styles.

Passage ways with stores...similar to those found in Paris

Two of the many canals you see throughout the city

Lance always downloads Google Maps to help us navigate a new city.  Unfortunately, for some reason, he was having problems with his maps. We were trying to direct ourselves to  the Peace Palace but were unsure of the way to go.  As we were standing on a corner looking very confused...a young lady named Beth asked us if we were looking for something, and if she could help us.  We explained our problem and she quickly said she lived close to the area where it was located...and if we didn't mind she would walk there with us. 

Beth was originally from Venezuela, but she and her husband left eight years ago due to the political corruption taking place in her country.  They first moved to Paris for four years, and have spent the past four years living in the Netherlands.  She loves it here because it she feels safe and secure.  Beth was warm and friendly, and we enjoyed our conversation with her.  We are always impressed by the kindness of strangers...especially when it comes to people from South America.

Along the way, she showed us different points of interest...including some sand sculptures in the park.    

Eventually we arrived at the Peace Palace.  The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building.  There is a small free museum on the grounds that explains about the palace and what takes place there.  You can see a short film that shows the inside of the palace...but unfortunately you are not allowed to tour it.  

Thanks to the excellent public transportation in this country, we are easily able to hop on the metro or train to visit any city.  We are always pleased with the ease one can get around without a car.