Have faith in God but lock your bike

June 27, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - Updates and tidbits.

A couple interesting notes about Holland:

- The bicycling community is fantastic; so many kids on bikes.

- There's a saying in the Netherlands, "Have faith in God but lock your bike."

- This is something I never read in a travel guide...the businesses in Holland are basically boycotting VISA. They're all sick of the hefty fees that come with processing every transaction. "That's bad news on this end," said the female biker who travels with a dedicated VISA.  I have a VISA debit card, too. They won't take that, either, so it's off to the cash machine or "robo cash" as it's called here. This will make for an interesting trip. 

-You know you're not in the U.S. when the campground you stay at has a trampoline for the kids.  

Theses signs relay direction to bicycles on the trails in Holland. For a biker it makes it very easy to get around and know the distance to your next city. And yes... McDonalds is at a prime intersection.

The stately building is formerly the Warmond Seminary. The building was then turned into senior housing. Now the seniors have been displaced and the new owner is likely to turn the place into apartments.

This statue of the woman was atop a building next to a church in the center of Leiden.
There was no description.

Rembrandt was born in Leiden. This is the marker on his birthplace home.
Which is now on the Leiden University campus. Shy the red and the "W," it all feels very Madison.

This sculpture of St. George slaying a dragon is atop a sandstone gate in Leiden.
The sculpture dates to 1645 and the gate later was the marker to the red-light district.