Paul Smit  Mick Palarczyk | Features, Photos and TextTwo faces, one philosophy |
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FEATURE (Category: Europe | Holland | allseasons | cities | cultural-historical)
Holland: Leiden by foot
Holland: Leiden by foot
This feature is about a walk through Leiden, the city where Rembrandt was born (read excerpts from the story). Fun shops, restaurants and cafes are reported on as well as cultural hot spots. The feature is enlivened with small historical vignettes. Leiden is easily the most beautiful city in the Netherlands, and after Amsterdam has the largest historical centre. This has attracted many antique shops, allowing the city to develop into a veritable magnet for lovers of all that is timeworn. Thanks to the presence of the country's largest university and floating sidewalk cafés Leiden is also effervescent with social events.
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2468] 'Joan Stam of Fiori.' Joan Stam in his flower shop Fiori at the Langebrug. He uses rare and sometimes centuries-old varieties of flowers to create the most stunning flower arrangements. His creativity has engendered a facelift for the entire street and around Christmas this is where you will see the most stylish street decorations and lighting in Leiden. Don’t miss Fiori’s courtyard. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2468-Fiori-Langebrug-Leiden/16722122_MXmL6-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2468] 'Joan Stam of Fiori.' Joan Stam in his flower shop Fiori at the Langebrug. He uses rare and sometimes centuries-old varieties of flowers to create the most stunning flower arrangements. His creativity has engendered a facelift for the entire street and around Christmas this is where you will see the most stylish street decorations and lighting in Leiden. Don’t miss Fiori’s courtyard. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2470] 'Mirror shop 't Spiegel.' Marianne Eradus-Roosen and Els Roeterink-Rodenburg in their shop 't Spiegel at the Langebrug. It radiates French joie de vivre from a hundred curlicue-framed mirrors. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2470-shop-t-Spiegel-Leiden/16722139_pnmey-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2470] 'Mirror shop 't Spiegel.' Marianne Eradus-Roosen and Els Roeterink-Rodenburg in their shop 't Spiegel at the Langebrug. It radiates French joie de vivre from a hundred curlicue-framed mirrors. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2473] 'Pieterskerk.' The Pieterskerk at dawn during a drizzle, seen from the Pietershof, probably the most beautiful square of Leiden. It is free of cars and flanked on the other side by the castle-like Gravensteen. Up until 1512 the 120-metre tower of the Pieterskerk stood where the square now is, but it was overly ambitious and after it collapsed it was never rebuilt. The appeal of this square is not yet much appreciated by the people of Leiden. Even on a balmy summer evening wicker chairs and the buzz of voices remain absent. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2473-Pieterskerk-Leiden/16722247_czqYe-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2473] 'Pieterskerk.' The Pieterskerk at dawn during a drizzle, seen from the Pietershof, probably the most beautiful square of Leiden. It is free of cars and flanked on the other side by the castle-like Gravensteen. Up until 1512 the 120-metre tower of the Pieterskerk stood where the square now is, but it was overly ambitious and after it collapsed it was never rebuilt. The appeal of this square is not yet much appreciated by the people of Leiden. Even on a balmy summer evening wicker chairs and the buzz of voices remain absent. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2476] 'Rapenburg canal.' The Rapenburg, Leiden's most famous and posh canal. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2476-Rapenburg-Leiden/16722281_bwPbM-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2476] 'Rapenburg canal.' The Rapenburg, Leiden's most famous and posh canal. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2487] 'Camino Real.' Entrance to the toilet in Camino Real. This restaurant has Leiden's most creative kitchen and a stunning eighties design. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2487-Camino-Real-Leiden/16722240_WsUBe-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2487] 'Camino Real.' Entrance to the toilet in Camino Real. This restaurant has Leiden's most creative kitchen and a stunning eighties design. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2488] 'Clusius garden.' My personal favourite is the Clusiustuin, an authentic copy of the Hortus Botanicus as it was at the time of the opening in 1590. It is a beautiful courtyard, with an orderly collection of all the plants considered of importance to medical studies at the time. It is open to the public and free, but remains one of the secrets of Leiden. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2488-Clusiustuin-Leiden/16722259_DypYa-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2488] 'Clusius garden.' My personal favourite is the Clusiustuin, an authentic copy of the Hortus Botanicus as it was at the time of the opening in 1590. It is a beautiful courtyard, with an orderly collection of all the plants considered of importance to medical studies at the time. It is open to the public and free, but remains one of the secrets of Leiden. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2491] 'Clusius garden.' My personal favourite is the Clusiustuin, an authentic copy of the Hortus Botanicus as it was at the time of the opening in 1590. It is a beautiful courtyard, with an orderly collection of all the plants considered of importance to medical studies at the time. It is open to the public and free, but remains one of the secrets of Leiden. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2491-Clusiustuin-Leiden/16722151_NeWcb-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2491] 'Clusius garden.' My personal favourite is the Clusiustuin, an authentic copy of the Hortus Botanicus as it was at the time of the opening in 1590. It is a beautiful courtyard, with an orderly collection of all the plants considered of importance to medical studies at the time. It is open to the public and free, but remains one of the secrets of Leiden. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2493] 'Clusius garden.' My personal favourite is the Clusiustuin, an authentic copy of the Hortus Botanicus as it was at the time of the opening in 1590. It is a beautiful courtyard, with an orderly collection of all the plants considered of importance to medical studies at the time. It is open to the public and free, but remains one of the secrets of Leiden. Being in love here is easy. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2493-Clusiustuin-Leiden/16722227_DumSb-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2493] 'Clusius garden.' My personal favourite is the Clusiustuin, an authentic copy of the Hortus Botanicus as it was at the time of the opening in 1590. It is a beautiful courtyard, with an orderly collection of all the plants considered of importance to medical studies at the time. It is open to the public and free, but remains one of the secrets of Leiden. Being in love here is easy. Photo Paul Smit.")
![Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2502] 'Kraaierbrug.' Cyclist on the Kraaierbrug bridge crossing the Nieuwe Rijn. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2502-Nieuwe-Rijn-Leiden/16722127_DiZpf-Ti.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2502] 'Kraaierbrug.' Cyclist on the Kraaierbrug bridge crossing the Nieuwe Rijn. Photo Paul Smit.")
[HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2473]
'Pieterskerk.'
The Pieterskerk at dawn during a drizzle, seen from the Pietershof, probably the most beautiful square of Leiden. It is free of cars and flanked on the other side by the castle-like Gravensteen. Up until 1512 the 120-metre tower of the Pieterskerk stood where the square now is, but it was overly ambitious and after it collapsed it was never rebuilt. The appeal of this square is not yet much appreciated by the people of Leiden. Even on a balmy summer evening wicker chairs and the buzz of voices remain absent. Photo Paul Smit. ![> [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2473] 'Pieterskerk.' The Pieterskerk at dawn during a drizzle, seen from the Pietershof, probably the most beautiful square of Leiden. It is free of cars and flanked on the other side by the castle-like Gravensteen. Up until 1512 the 120-metre tower of the Pieterskerk stood where the square now is, but it was overly ambitious and after it collapsed it was never rebuilt. The appeal of this square is not yet much appreciated by the people of Leiden. Even on a balmy summer evening wicker chairs and the buzz of voices remain absent. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/Features/Europe/Holland-Leiden-by-foot/2473-Pieterskerk-Leiden/16722247_czqYe-S.jpg "> [HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2473] 'Pieterskerk.' The Pieterskerk at dawn during a drizzle, seen from the Pietershof, probably the most beautiful square of Leiden. It is free of cars and flanked on the other side by the castle-like Gravensteen. Up until 1512 the 120-metre tower of the Pieterskerk stood where the square now is, but it was overly ambitious and after it collapsed it was never rebuilt. The appeal of this square is not yet much appreciated by the people of Leiden. Even on a balmy summer evening wicker chairs and the buzz of voices remain absent. Photo Paul Smit.")
[HOLLAND.ZH.LEIDEN 2473]
'Pieterskerk.'
The Pieterskerk at dawn during a drizzle, seen from the Pietershof, probably the most beautiful square of Leiden. It is free of cars and flanked on the other side by the castle-like Gravensteen. Up until 1512 the 120-metre tower of the Pieterskerk stood where the square now is, but it was overly ambitious and after it collapsed it was never rebuilt. The appeal of this square is not yet much appreciated by the people of Leiden. Even on a balmy summer evening wicker chairs and the buzz of voices remain absent. Photo Paul Smit. filename: 2473-Pieterskerk-Leiden |
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