Royal City by the Sea
I've been staying in The Hague the past 10 days. Not only am I very comfortable in Jocelyne's home... some might think a little too comfortable... but this is a great area to tour. The Hague holds the seat of government and of the country's sovereign. Queen Beatrix lives and works here and apparently the royal family is quite accessible. There are postcard photos showing them doing 'ordinary' things.
The city has many foreign residents, consisting of civil servants, diplomats, and international HQ, making it culturally diverse. Almost everyone speaks English so I don't have to attempt Dutch. I don't HAVE to and probably should not have.
Vredespaleis - Peace Palace (above) holds the Court of International Justice. Charles Taylor, former Liberian leader and war crimes suspect, is being tried here for war crimes.
The day I arrived their government fell as a result of the Ayaan Hirsi Ali immigration case.
It's lovely here. There is more brick than pavement and more bicycles than cars. I could walk everywhere but can also access the efficient transportation system. Flowers are cheap and plentiful as are museums. However, unless you are staying with Jocelyne, the service sucks. You have to be pretty agressive to get a server's attention at a restaurant. The upside to that is you can always read a book while waiting as no one will bother you. Avoid inspection toilets if possible.
Ilsa recommends!
The road to the beach is surrounded by a big, green park. It's a 40 minute walk from Joc's place but she normally bikes there. I would too if I were her. The bicyclists are kings of the road here, except for the tram for obvious reasons (if you look hard you can see the tram in this photo). Cars and pedestrians must stay out of their way.
The Hofvijver and the Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings - reporters waiting outside for news about their fallen government.
Binnenhof and its historic Knights' Hall, political centre of the Netherlands (origins of buliding go back to 1230 AD)
View of Vredespaleis from Joc's back door
Scheveningen, the seaside resort, has beautiful broad, sandy beaches, along with restaurants and lots and lots of people - mostly locals and neighboring country visitors. It's on the North Sea and water is very cold. On a hot day, you will see most people standing knee deep, taking in the cool breeze.
posted by Ilsa @ Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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