Day 10: Leiden - Day 3

Today we took a canal cruise around Leiden.  It is very picturesque. Leiden was a significant trade city and people made lots of money and built big buildings and houses. 

After our boat tour, we took the train to Haarlem, about 20 minutes away.

This city is the home of the Ten Boom family, Christians who sheltered Jews and Resistance fighters during WWII. Their activites were revealed to the Nazis and only one family member survived the war: Corrie Ten Boom. We took a tour of the home and saw the hiding space that had been made to hold up to 6 people should the Germans come looking. The entrance was in a cupboard in Corrie's bedroom. 

Entrance:

Hiding space:

As we left the house, we discovered the city was preparing for a visit from the new king Willem-Alexander and his wife. His mother Queen Beatrix abdicated the throne at the end of April so people were very excited for the visit. We decided to stick around to catch a glimpse of royalty. 

We enjoyed a bite to eat:

And saw the royals:

The King is the one wearing an orange tie. 

Then back to Leiden to enjoy the lovely weather. It warmed up, the wind didn't blow and we went for a stroll - people were out enjoying al fresco dining, there were some large-scale art projects but we left our cameras at home! Take our word for it, it was gorgeous!!!