Summer 2024 : A day in Haarlem

We had a really good meal at Casa Di Papi yesterday evening followed by their homemade Limoncello - I rarely drink alcohol so it was a bit of a surprise (in a good way!)

We slept very well, only really coming to life when our host knocked on the door with breakfast at 8.30am

We set off walking to The Museum of the Mind in overcast weather, which didn't last - it started to rain, and the rain became torrential, with some hail at one point. We took shelter - as best as we could - under a tree in a park.

When it had left off, we got to the museum which is in a confusion if ancient buildings - previously a leper hospital, a children's home, and a psychiatric institution. The Museum has an excellent audio guide which walks you through the various exhibits - although we we warned not to try to visit every single presentation. There is an overview of the history of psychiatry, and a lot about where art meets the mind. The museum is hard to catagorise - which is probably to be expected in a museum with The Mind as its premise. It was an interesting and thought provoking visit.

After we left we walked slowly along the canal eventually stopping opposite the Molen de Adriaan which is a working, beautiful windmill on the bank of the river. I sat and sketched while my wife read her Kindle and dozed in the sun.

A slow, tiring walk back to the B&B left us tired - too tired for a restaurant dinner. I went to the local supermarket and bought a selection of cobs (rolls) cheese and pizza slices to eat in our room!

Tomorrow we get the train back to Amsterdam and then we're at the mercy of Deutsch Bahn for our journey to Berlin.