The Pilgrims were in the Netherlands; for 11 years
We had never heard of Leiden until Aj said we had to go there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden This is a township of about 150,000 people with suburbs adding another 50,000. It is about 30 miles south of central Amsterdam. Aj did not know about the town’s Pilgrim history, he was recommending a museum that happened to have an exhibit on Pilgrims, the Lakenhal. https://www.lakenhal.nl/en A two-night hotel room, with air conditioning, was secured. Next weekend, off on the train we went.
So, the first thing I wanted to know was, what is the connection between Leiden and the Pilgrims? Doing my own research, I learned that wanting to escape religious prosecution and persecution, about 300 Puritans initially came to the Netherlands which was more religiously tolerant than other countries at the time. Some never left, but about a third were in Leiden about 11 years. They feared assimilation, particularly of the young folk and decided to head for open land, where outside influence on the community would be minimal; they went to the new world. https://www.visitleiden.nl/en/discover-leiden/specials/pilgrim/the-pilgrim-story
We began our Leiden visit at the American Pilgrim Museum. http://www.leidenamericanpilgrimmuseum.org/index.htm Amazing. This is not a large ‘home’ so under current rules only four people are allowed at one time, plus the docent. Our timeslot had only one other person, a local who is fluent in languages of the middle ages. (amazing, yes) The docent showed us actual bibles used at the time of the pilgrims, including an original copy of The Geneva Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Bible; our fellow visitor could read it. Such a treat to see and understand up close these pivotal items from four hundred years ago. They do not know for sure if actual members of the Mayflower party lived in this particular house, but they do know they lived on this street. Through happenstance the house has been preserved, without physical renovations all four hundred years; now updated with period collectibles such as the books and bibles, stoneware and metalwork. The docent may have been the most knowledgeable museum presenter I have ever encountered. Her goal is to answer all visitor questions, regardless of what those might be. More amazing.
Whew, our brains were full after that! Looking for air and the Burcht Castle remains which should not be too far, we set off. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burcht_van_Leiden It is a small park, surrounded by buildings, but in the middle are the Castle keep remains. There is not a lot to see and the center is dominated by a huge tree (very welcome on a hot day), but you can climb up to walk the perimeter of the walls to look at the town from all directions. Posted signs explain the buildings in each view.
Crossing town, we headed for our appointment at the Rijksmuseum of Antiquities https://www.rmo.nl/ – a top-ten item on the list of things to do in Leiden and quite the treasure trove of Egyptian, Roman, and Greek art. It was a surprising find of significant collections of sculpture, pottery, and mummies.
Completed our day by having dinner on the canal and then playing tourists on a sunset canal cruise.
Sunday morning brought another meal on the canals of Leiden. It is the prettiest of the cities we have seen in the Netherlands, and we just could not be outside enough.
Then off to the botanical gardens. They too are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims. Special boards explained to us the food and plants taken on the crossing, food and plants they found upon arrival, and the food and plants they cultivated as they settled in. We were reminded that the pilgrims that survived that first winter, did so because they raided the local tribe’s food stash. Not because they were self-sufficient upon arriving.
Finally, it was time to visit the Lakenhal, the museum, and subsequently the Pilgrims to America exhibit, that drew us here in the first place. https://www.lakenhal.nl/en/story/pilgrims-to-america https://youtu.be/vsbM3VeOc4A We found the exhibit fascinating, insightful, and very well put together. Seeing the US through a different lens is a big part of why we like being in Europe. And, to Aj’s point, the building is quite interesting – having recently completed a major renovation. https://www.lakenhal.nl/en/story/the-building You just don’t get to see buildings with so much history in America.
Looking for dinner, again on the canal, we stopped at the Waag (The Weigh House), https://waagleiden.nl/ (Note from above, this is where the Pilgrims actually landed in Leiden) This YouTube video https://youtu.be/rhn9lbtzbPc is in Dutch and is focused on the history of the Waag; but the first part is also a beautiful overview of the town of Leiden and makes good use of graphics so much is still understandable. At the 2:07 mark in the video the Opa (grandfather) points to a large stone embedded in the street. They are the medieval markers which set off boundaries at the time. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/leiden-stones How cool is that?
After Waagíng, we felt we had done enough for one weekend, it was time to go back to the train, back to Amsterdam. As we walked around the town, and back to the train, we noted a unique outside decoration; some of the buildings have poetry. Words are so important. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_poems_in_Leiden
Not sure when, but we do hope to come back to Leiden; maybe for Thanksgiving as that feels appropriate.
Absolutely amazing. Yes I think you should do Thanksgiving. Living vicariously through you guys. Love it!!