Week 1

Week 1 is in the books. I have to say, it feels like it's been longer. My initial impressions are very positive.

Leiden is a small college town, probably no more than a few hundred thousand people-- over half of which are students. Luckily it went almost completely untouched during the World Wars, so inside the Leiden Centrum (essentially the guts of the city) is full of buildings from the 18th century and earlier. There are 3 massive churches, a beautiful theater, and a half-original, half repaired gargantuan city hall. The town is lined with rivers and canals that you can move through by boat, kayak, or canoe. Or, if you just want to hang by the water, there are countless cafes, some of them floating on barges, lining the edges. All the streets are cobbled with stone or brick, and there are endless tight alleyways that one can only navigate on foot or by bike. Oh yeah... EVERYONE bikes here. It's absurd. There are separate traffic laws for bikers that supersede those of drivers. It's actually a little dangerous to walk if you're not paying attention because there is such a constant flow.

Anyways, perhaps the most charming part about this place is it's utter lack of big business. Every one of the aforementioned alleyways has countless restaurants, pubs, and shops; all of which seem quite content not to adhere to the standard ethos of competition. Nobody is open on Sunday. Few are open before 11 on any other day. And the number of holidays I've already been advised are on the horizon is staggering. It truly is a semi-capitalist marketplace.

I am living on the Hooigracht, which is a main thoroughfare in a great neighborhood near the center of town. My building is an old hospital, so the rooms are large and the hallways long. We are also under the shadow of one of the 3 churches, Hooglandsekerk, so my view never gets old. I've now figured my way around for the most part, but early on it seemed I was getting lost and found a few times per day. There is no logic in an unplanned city, I've learned. Streets curve without your knowing it, they're rarely well marked with signage, and they change names all the time.

Tourist highlights for the week:

The Burcht. This is an ancient protectionist, castle-like structure just up the alley from my place. It was built waaaay back in the day as a fortress the town would retreat to in case of invasion, disease, etc. It sits atop a manmade hill, and is essentially a large, tall circle of stone. It's very cool.

The Hague. I hopped on the train and went to the Hague Sunday with a few of my neighbors. It's only 10 minutes from Leiden and houses a few very famous museums, the Netherlands Parliament building, and the International Criminal Court building.

Unnamed sandwich shop. 4 days in a row i went to the same sandwich shop. a) because it was that good. b) because it was that cheap. Definately nice to have a go-to lunch spot already.

I think thats going to be all for now. I'm going to try to figure out how to post the pictures I took this week to the blog as well. There's not too many-- still figuring out the camera. I miss you all. Talk soon.