Leiden
View allAll Photos Tagged Leiden
RECIPE FOR MAKING THE COLOUR BLUE
If you wish to make the colour blue
take a piece of sky and put it in a pot
large enough to place on the flame of the horizon.
Stir into the blue a pinch of early morning red
until it dissolves. Pour everything
into a brass bowl that has been well washed
to eliminate all of the afternoon’s impurities.
Finally, sift in a few smidgens of gold from the sand
of midday until the colour adheres to the bottom of the bowl.
To prevent the colours from separating with time,
drop a charred peach pit into the liquid.
It will disintegrate, leaving no telltale
sign, not even – from the black ash – an ochre trace
on the golden surface. You may then raise the colour
to eye level and compare it with genuine blue.
The two colours will look so alike
that you cannot distinguish one from the other.
This was how I did it – I, Abraham ben Judah Ibn Haim,
illuminator from the town of Loulé. And I left the recipe
for whoever, one day, would imitate the sky.
Nuno Judice
Translation: Richard Zenith
The Galgewater is a part of the Oude Rijn in the Dutch city of Leiden, and also the name of the street in the center of Leiden along this water.
Because Leiden’s historical center did not suffer that much during the second World War, it offers many historical sights to see. The city offers over 2500 historical sights, which of course you cannot all see in one day. However, to make most of your day and get to see as much as you can without rushing it, I advise you to rent a bike. This way, you can easily move around, and you’ll save a lot of time compared to traveling by foot or public transport.
As for which sights to visit, it is impossible to list all you should visit. However, there are a couple that stand out. To mention a few, ‘The fortress’ is definitely worth a visit. This is one of the oldest still existing fortresses in The Netherlands, and is a beautiful ancient sight. Next to this, make sure you sure you visit the Pieterskerk and the Hooglandse Kerk. These are respectively Leiden’s largest church and the largest church that is still in use.
Museums
Leiden offers many sights outdoors, but is does not end there. Indoors there is also much to see, as the city offers many different kinds of museums. Which museum you should visit of course depends on what your interests are. If you are into science, Museum Boerhaave is your best option. If you’re personally more captured by archeology, you should definitely go to Rijksmuseum van Oudheden. Finally, Museum Volkenkunde (‘ethnology’) is definitely worth a visit. If all of these examples provided don’t look appealing to you, there is no reason to be sad: there are still many different museums located in Leiden. There should be at least one that suits your taste ;).