I have had to travel all the way to the Hague quite frequently for the last few months. Most of it is during the weekdays and that means I seldom have the opportunity to explore the city.
I believe the last time I came to the Hague during the weekend was to look at the main market area. I was told shops here have significantly lower overhead costs and much higher foot count compared to the city I'm currently living in. It is very true and also interesting for multifaceted and nerdy reasons that I'll not share today.
There was a conference during the weekend which I had to attend in the Hague. We had a storm in the Netherlands and by the looks of it, Hague was hit pretty hard, too. Nevertheless, I wanted to walk. Mainly because this was an area I hadn't seen before and also because it would help me reach my step goals for the day. I have a 10k steps challenge with a friend, at which I've been failing miserably.
This is the Binnenhof. One of the oldest parliament buildings in the world that still serves the Dutch government by housing the prime minister's chambers, the throne of the monarch, the senate, and so much more. The lake is called Hofvijver, and it is a beautiful lake with benches around where people usually sit when the weather is nicer.
If I had more time in hand, and if the weather wasn't as bad, I'd have gone inside the Binnenhof. Instead, I only passed by it. There's a tram stop here and lots of bikes. I originally wanted to take a picture of the statue of King Willem the Second with the Binnenhof in the background, but I feel like the biker, the tram, and the cold, wet weather with the Binnenhof in the background is a more accurate depiction of the current times.
The thirst for monuments of legendary Dutch figures would still be quenched. Opposite the Binnenhof is the statue of Johan de Witt. He is another prominent Dutch political figure who has many social medals attributed to him.
The patina is what I was mainly chasing. There are many bronze monuments scattered in the city. Bronze creates a beautiful effect when it comes in contact with moisture. As it oxidizes, it turns green, much like rust and iron. The oxidation is fresh and vibrant here because of the storm and it makes for a beautiful look.
Gravenstraat is a few minutes away from the state of de Witt. There are plenty of gorgeous buildings on this street. The brick-laid roads, the architecture, and the tiny passages took me back in time.
There are a couple of buildings here that are considered a monument as part of the "Rijksmonument", which is the Dutch national collection of monuments. I can see why. Beautiful architecture. Most of it has turned into shopping centers and shops.
The number of tourists here really got me intrigued. If I wasn't wet like the sea, and cold like the Arctic, I'd have stayed longer and looked up the history of this place. Maybe one of you knows more about this place?
The "passage" here is grandiose and of gothic architecture. I'm guessing most of these buildings are from somewhere around the 1600s. 1800s? In comparison, the "passage" in the city where I live is just a footpath between two buildings with a plexiglass panel for the roof.
It's almost the holiday season so the streets are being decorated. These gift gift boxes made of light bulbs are a common theme in the Netherlands, I guess. I see them in almost every city. It's really cool. But the cooler part is the yellow tram. At first, I thought it was just a prop. Like a decoration. I then was told by my friend that it is an actual express tram that shuttles to the Scheveningen beach. I think it is the only vintage-styled tram that is still being used.
"Have a royal weekend", do you see it? I wanted to go down the road and see more of the decorations but I'm afraid this would be the last of my exploration for the day. I was almost at my destination.
I took a quick gander around the Grote Kerk. The "Great Church" also has a lot of green on its walls but this is not patina, it is plain old moss. The 16th-century town hall tower can be seen from the east side of the church. The church itself holds quite a few tours, including a trip to the top of the "Hague Tower".
That's it for me, though. Maybe next time when there are no storms, and no reason to chase fresh patina, I'll explore some more of this beautiful city.
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