The light of Leeuwarden

The light of Leeuwarden, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

We just arrived back from a very enjoyable couple of nights and a full day in the Frisian capital city of Leeuwarden, the first time either of us had been there. The incentive to go there was the Marc Almond concert of Friday night and Fred sensibly decided to make a weekend of it.

We didn't have very high expectations of the city (which is often just as well) as Leeuwarden is never mentioned as a place one must-see here in Holland, always being overshadowed by Groningen as the major city in the north and the attractions of the Frisian lakes, islands and countryside.. However, we do not know the country that well and we went there with an open mind and we were very pleasantly surprised. A very attractive (albeit very small) city with an historical center with many houses dating from the 17th century, some remaining canals and attractive parks, not to mention lots of loungey terraces to sit out (in the sun) and enjoy a coffee or a beer.

We were lucky with the weather as the sun shined all day yesterday, making for a perfect day to get know this city a bit. Here are some photos of some of the larger boats on one of the city's canals.