It was an early morning on Monday January the 3rd when I got on the train holding nothing more than an inflatable bed and a blanket. This would be the day I’d trade in Zwijndrecht for the city of the Hague. It took much to make this change happen and to be perfectly honest I still wasn’t entirely sure whether or not I was making the best informed choice, however the only thing I was sure of was that I needed a change. The time for hesitation was in the past.

The trip took approximately an hour, to travel from Zwijndrecht to The Hague you need to travel by train and tram (if like for me the option for a car is not available).

Getting to know your new home is a joy and I would finally be able to take it all in.

Getting to know the Hague

Out with the old, In with the new.

Moving in

Moving in was easy enough, the first day I’d had to make do with whatever I had with me (which wasn’t much). However the very next day my washing machine, vacuum cleaner, bed and bedding and much more important my coffee machine would arrive. I never looked more forward to owning household appliances.

Time for work and fun!

I originally hail from Dordrecht, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate my new home with a drink made in my home town, as I spent more than 30 years there.

If you ever find yourself in the Netherlands and especially in South Holland you should look out for ‘Rutte’ gin. Just like the current prime minister with the same name this drink is here to stay, for all the good reasons (unlike our prime minister).

Because my new home is rather small I was pretty much done moving by Friday and ready to settle in and explore the new city I will be calling home for a while!

The finishing touch

Lost but definitely not least Dot moved in with me. She celebrated her fourth birthday at her new home.

I couldn’t imagine any home to be my home if it wasn’t for that little cuddle bug!

Exploring the new town

M y new hometown of the Hague is home to much more. Arts, culture but above else there is music. Many of the more well known artist in the Netherlands found there start in the Hague. Golden Earring, Shocking Blue, Anouk spring to mind, but much more than that the bands playing in the local scene are great. The Hague is home to a lot of ‘breeding grounds’ music venues and that shows when you are exploring the town. To familiarize myself with the local scenery I decided to check out “Sniester festival” a local paid festival with over 70 bands playing in the mere timespan of 2 days. One of the local bands I fell in love with during the festival were the ‘Wodan boys’ (named after the ‘Wodan jongens’ from the ‘Tegenpartij’). Their music will always be paired with my memory of 2022 and my new place, how fitting we do grocery shopping in the same super market!

Art in The Hague

Art in the Hague

The Hague Kunstmuseum

The Hague has more than 54 museums (results may vary depending on what gets closed down or discontinued). Of course not every museum is an art museum however there are quite a few. The first museum I visited in The Hague was the “Kunstmuseum” (Art museum) to see an exhibition on the work of Alphons Mucha. The museum itself is a beautiful building as well! Designed by Berlage, a famous Dutch architect, the colorful tiles and bronze window frames the interior are a real treat for the eye. The Hague Kunstmuseum is the place to be for a unique mix of arts, architecture, interior design and ancient style. The museum also has a permanent collection on ‘Piet Mondriaan’.

Muzee Scheveningen

Although Scheveningen is officially a district (wijk) of the Hague historically it always has been it’s own town. Scheveningen used to have her own dialect, costumes and customs. Today it has become well known for its “Pier”. “Muzee Scheveningen” is the official museum on all things Scheveningen. Perhaps the idea of a village proudly refusing to give up her identity to the large city surrounding her reissonates with the anarchist in me, maybe it was the diverse setup of the museum. Either way I loved the museum absolutely to bits.