The fascinating geography and history of The Hague. The forest you see in the foreground was a couple of thousands of years ago; the coastal dunes and the North Sea started just at the end of the forest, where you see the first buildings. More of these still slightly elevated areas of former dunes are in the city, known as beach walls. You notice them, for instance, when cycling through The Hague; when you have to push a bit more because the road is going up a little, you likely cycle up what was once a much higher dune landscape. If you take a closer look once you are on such a higher point (we talk about just a few meters, sometimes even less), you often notice that the buildings look nicer, are older, or more important. The same is true for the trees: older and bigger on slightly higher ground.
Although moving rooms at 2a is never fun, it was a wonderful sign of you taking charge of your life where you can…not allowing yourself to be at the mercy of noisy others that night and suffering the next day from lack of sound sleep. It’s always fascinating to venture into the old sections of cities, to feel the substance and to see the history of a tree, building, town, region and country.
It makes old cities so interesting. A planning decision of hundreds or sometimes even thousands of years ago often still impacts how we use a city today. Street patterns in Rome for instance go back more than 2000 years. But even in my small village of a few thousand inhabitants you can see traces of its history of the past 1200 years (and possibly going back to even Roman times). I wrote a bit about it in earlier newsletters.
Love the picture to go with the blank canvas analogy. In many ways, that's what the past two years have taught us. We can no longer just make plans for the entire year, be it travel plans or plans to meet people or just general plans for our lives
What an interesting history/geography lesson. 2am might not have been the best time to read and really appreciate it. I'm generally fascinated by dunes and can relate to navigation changes in elevation on your bike. It also made me realize that there are areas like that in the old towns of probably most of our cities. I mean there are always prime locations - something to look for next time I'm in a Swiss city.
The city I know best in Switzerland is Geneva, where the bridge linking the the two sides of the river is a reminder of history. Julius Caesar destroyed the bridge (and boasted about it in Rome in almost Trumpian populist style)
Thank you for the reminder of that event. I find Roman history very fascinating. Vindonissa is very close to where I live and from where I'm sitting at the moment I can almost see the remains of an old Roman dwelling.
Random thought, but I think that in places like Geneva (or Zurich or any other place by a lake) the areas by the water are the posh ones. Your first newsletter of the new year and I already want to go explore. Thanks!
While everybody went to the movies I read this newsletter. I got to know The Hague better on January the 1st.. Where would we be without Geography? And an understanding of the physical evidence of times past? Make tomorrow great again? Thank you Alexander for writing (-:
It is good for The Hague to be associated with international law, a more than 100-year history. I should write about it some day. And those atrocities should sadly remain on the global canvas of history; forgetting them risks repetition.
The first day of the year is my favorite day. I call it Tabula Rasa. Clean slate.
That's a good one. Some year in a far future, I hope humanity keeps it clean the full year.
Although moving rooms at 2a is never fun, it was a wonderful sign of you taking charge of your life where you can…not allowing yourself to be at the mercy of noisy others that night and suffering the next day from lack of sound sleep. It’s always fascinating to venture into the old sections of cities, to feel the substance and to see the history of a tree, building, town, region and country.
It makes old cities so interesting. A planning decision of hundreds or sometimes even thousands of years ago often still impacts how we use a city today. Street patterns in Rome for instance go back more than 2000 years. But even in my small village of a few thousand inhabitants you can see traces of its history of the past 1200 years (and possibly going back to even Roman times). I wrote a bit about it in earlier newsletters.
Love the picture to go with the blank canvas analogy. In many ways, that's what the past two years have taught us. We can no longer just make plans for the entire year, be it travel plans or plans to meet people or just general plans for our lives
What an interesting history/geography lesson. 2am might not have been the best time to read and really appreciate it. I'm generally fascinated by dunes and can relate to navigation changes in elevation on your bike. It also made me realize that there are areas like that in the old towns of probably most of our cities. I mean there are always prime locations - something to look for next time I'm in a Swiss city.
Thank you!
The city I know best in Switzerland is Geneva, where the bridge linking the the two sides of the river is a reminder of history. Julius Caesar destroyed the bridge (and boasted about it in Rome in almost Trumpian populist style)
Thank you for the reminder of that event. I find Roman history very fascinating. Vindonissa is very close to where I live and from where I'm sitting at the moment I can almost see the remains of an old Roman dwelling.
Random thought, but I think that in places like Geneva (or Zurich or any other place by a lake) the areas by the water are the posh ones. Your first newsletter of the new year and I already want to go explore. Thanks!
While everybody went to the movies I read this newsletter. I got to know The Hague better on January the 1st.. Where would we be without Geography? And an understanding of the physical evidence of times past? Make tomorrow great again? Thank you Alexander for writing (-:
Thanks Marian, the world reads about Colorado these days. Hope you are okay!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year for you too Mia!
It is good for The Hague to be associated with international law, a more than 100-year history. I should write about it some day. And those atrocities should sadly remain on the global canvas of history; forgetting them risks repetition.
I hope so too, I will write about some of it in the newsletter :-)