Wet Play, Leiden.
Trip Start
Apr 03, 2009
1
6
12
Trip End
Apr 15, 2009
Leiden, Netherlands
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
My old friend Rob was waiting for us, his Welsh dragon flag proudly displayed in the window, despite having lived in the Netherlands for the past 17 years. Rob is not only a good friend, but also a force of nature. He talks pretty much non-stop, which saves anyone else the trouble of doing so.
We had planned a trip round the bulb-land area, followed by a visit to Linnaeushof, the largest children's playground in Europe. Unfortunately, the weather was worsening, if anything and the grey drizzle looked distinctly unappealing. We had a cup of tea and considered our options. A quick search on the internet revealed a kids indoor play area, not far away. We loaded everyone into our giant car and headed off.
Leiden seems to be in several phases of reconstruction. There were new building sites everywhere, which kind of spoilt the sense of Dutchness. It could have been inner-city anywhere. [Cue for a song? It could be Rotterdam or anywhere, Liverpool or Rome...]
The play area was called BubbelJungle and was comfortably large, with a pirate-ship motif. We settled at a table and the kids pretty much vanished for the next five hours, reappearing only for food, drink and attention for minor injuries. I have to point out, just in case you are considering going there and eating, that the food was some of the worst I have encountered. OK, so maybe the fact that the cuisine to be found in a kids' fun-house situated on an industrial estate is not all that good, is hardly a shocking expose. I still thought I had better warn you.
Meanwhile, Rob entertained us by talking incessantly for the whole five hours. Fair play to him: he did survive complete immersion in a children's world (which many child-free adults can't do) as well as manfully wading his way through the photos on my camera. All too soon it was over and we had to take Rob home and say goodbye again. Time is always too short when you spend it with friends.
