Leiden Waterways

 Leiden has very few cars - one gets around by walking, biking, or boating on the canals.

Leiden Rijksmuseum Boerhaave

For our third day in the Netherlands, we visited Leiden. It's an historic city, with an eminent university that was founded in 1575, is regularly listed among the top hundred in the world, and boasts 16 Nobel laureates among its PhDs, including Einstein and Fermi. 

Our first stop was the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, a fine museum of science and medicine, with vivid, imaginative exhibits.

Rotterdam Waterfront

We concluded our brief visit to Rotterdam with a stroll along the waterfront: clean, peaceful, and orderly.

Rotterdam Cube Houses

 The Dutch have the admirable ability to be practical, innovative, and whimsical at the same time. As an example, these Cube Houses in Rotterdam. 

Rotterdam Market Hall

Wandering around Rotterdam in search of lunch, we came upon Market Hall: a spectacular example of modern (2014),  vivid, functional architecture.

Erasmus Statue in Rotterdam

The second day of our layover in Schipol Airport, we took the train to Rotterdam. Completely destroyed in World War II, it has been rebuilt - it is now the largest port in Europe - and looks quite modern, in contrast to Antwerp and Leiden. Despite this modernity, it still has historic touches, perhaps most notably this statue of Erasmus, the Renaissance philosopher, cast in 1622, making it 499 years old! 

For variety, here's a nearby modern version.

Contemporary Antwerp Street Scenes

These scenes of everyday life in central Antwerp conclude my photographic survey of this attractive city. I hope to be back soon.