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-4-

It is a beautiful spot in every way and I don't know how it ever became
a hostel.

Yesterday morning before setting out to see the Hague, we took a short
bike ride down to the beach. Rode along the path through huge sand dunes
20 or 30 feet high. It was a gray overcast morning and the sea and the
horizon were one continuous mass, broken only by three small cargo ships
steaming off to somewhere. It was my only look at the Atlantic (technically
the North Sea) for this trip I don't mind that too much if it is always
so gray and dreary.

In the city we went first to the Binnenhof, which is sort of a palace-
administration building. In the center court surrounded by an old bldg.
filled with offices is a small building containing several large halls,
the largest of these is a lovely hall on whose walls hang the flags of
the Hollandish provinces, the shields of oast ruling princes, etc.
At one end is a lovely round stained glass window (again the shields in
the center). The roof is beamed hardwood, nailed with wooden pegs
(re-built in 1904 though the building dates from 1280). Here are held
special meetings of the legislature and large state receptions for visiting
royalty or heads of state. And here in September each year the Queen
marches in to officially open Parliament for the year.

After lunch we went to a small museum (the Mauritschuis) which contains
several Rembrandts including the late self-portrait and "The Anatomy
Lesson", Franshals, and a couple of good Vermeers. Then to find directions
to the Peace Palce [Palace], built in 1918 by the US. We stopped in at the US
information Service building which we happened to ride past. But here we
found a small library and so sat down for a couple of hours to catch up
on the news and relax. We bought the week's Time magazine in Amsterdam
but a good reading of one day's New York Times aided a lot. After this
interlude we arrived at the Peace Palace at 4:15 to find that the building
closed at 4, so we had a tourist stylelook at the outside. Then the half
hour ride back to the hostel and another relaxing evening. These easy
evenings seem to be the best formula for the day's walking or biking and a
10 PM light's out in the hostels prevents concerts etc. anyway. So we just
stay in after dinner and take it easy.

This morning, up as usual, and away about 9 to bike to Rotterdam, 30 kilo.
It was against the wind all the way, some up and down, and we are getting
stronger by now and did the distance in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Went first off to
the American Express and I found 6 letters waiting for me!

After a very short ride through Rotterdam to bought train tickets to Koln
and got here about 6:30 this evening. On the way (Utrecht, Arnhem, Emmerick
Oberhausen, and Deuseldorf) we came through the Ruhr, of course and saw
endless smoke stacks and heavy factories. It is really industry
saturated.

This does it for this installment. More to come real soon. Isn't it a pity
we sold George bicycle so long ago. He probably would have more fun
with it now.