Pictures.

Most of the time we post about life in Leiden we tell in words. For Christmas we got a camera, a nice little one I can slip in my coat pocket and carry around with me, so the number of pictures I've taken has exploded. It's also shown me just how much I love it here. This post may take a while to load (I know it did here at the library with slow internet) but we hope you enjoy.

Owen with his new bike by the park right next to our new apartment

more of the park

Called the Plantsoen

What do the Dutch have with bread and butter?

Sprinkles.

I'm not kidding.

Here it is in English, in case you thought there was some mistake. 

Working on a 1000 piece puzzle is easier with overhead lighting 

But we've got that together now thanks to Praxis

Our Dutch is improving thanks to Dutch class

We got houseplants!

And a vacuum, or "stofzuiger," literally "stuff-sucker"

When we were in Amsterdam

We had a nice time

And the Rijksmuseum was beautiful 

inside and out

As they say in the Madeline books, 

"The best part of a voyage, by plane, by ship, or train

Is when the trip is over and you are home again."

Leiden feels both like home, and like a miracle.

As homes, perhaps, always are. 

Even on rainy days.

perhaps especially then.