Reflections on Still Waters in Leiden...

What was most incredible about our boat ride was how very still the waters were; not only was it a exceptionally rare night with zero wind, but we had the canals to ourselves as we rarely encountered another boat. I’ve always loved trying to photograph reflections, so you can only imagine how nuts I went when I saw reflections everywhere we turned.

Here is Molen De Put. The original windmill dated back to 1619, but this replica dates back to just 1987. This windmill is used to grind flour, although it currently only operates on Saturdays.

Molen De Valk is also not the original windmill, but this reproduction dates back to 1743. It now houses the Windmill Museum, which is a regular stop with all of our visitors. It was decorated in honor of Liberation Day which was the following day.

The Morspoort City Gate was built in 1611 and is only one of the two remaining of the eight medieval gates once surrounding the city. Apparently it didn’t used to be one of the more pleasant entrances to the city as it was where the bodies of hanged criminals were displayed.

The other remaining gate is the Zijlpoort, built in 1667. 

Just past the Molen De Put is the Oude Haven (Old Port).