![\"Den](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/hague5.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe next day was my day trip to Den Haag. I left the hotel around 9:30 and got to Den Haag around 11am. Den Haag was a complete 180 from Amsterdam. It was a lot less touristy and had a much more relaxing pace. It\u2019s definitely a good side trip if you want to escape from the city. <\/p>\n
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My first stop that day was the Mauritius Museum. I paid separately for an admission ticket, which also included entry to the Prince William V Museum. The main highlight of the Mauritius is Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring<\/em>. While the painting was smaller than I had pictured, it was worth seeing it in person. Similar to the Rijksmuseum, the Mauritius has an impressive collection of Dutch paintings from the Golden Age. Overall it took me a little under two hours to finish going through all the rooms. Right before I left I\u00a0had a nice lunch at the museum restaurant. Afterwards\u00a0I walked over to Prince William V Museum\u00a0to see the rest of the collection.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since I didn’t have definite plans for the rest of the day, I ended up walking around the city for the remainder of the afternoon.\u00a0Originally I was thinking of staying close to the train station, but by the time I realized it I was already at the Peace Palace, which is\u00a0about 40 minutes away on foot. In retrospect I totally should have rented a bike for the day, but by then it was too late. =P\u2028<\/p>\n Before I returned to the station I stopped by a shop which sold\u00a0poffertjes<\/em>, which are Dutch mini pancakes. The pancakes were made fresh to order so they were super fluffy and delicious. I think I liked these more than all the waffles I ate later in Belgium!\u2028<\/p>\n After leaving the Hague I was on my way to Haarlem. I had a bit of a dilemma at first cause I didn’t realize train services to Haarlem were very limited on weekends. Luckily the station attendant was able to print me directions so I knew exactly which trains to take. (Side note: the downside of not renting a pocket wifi or changing my SIM card was relying on public wifi and asking lots of people how to get to places. The latter was actually much easier than I expected.) It ended up taking me an hour and 20 minutes, with three transfers, before I made it to Haarlem.\u00a0(@_@)<\/p>\n It was starting to get dark by the time I exited the station, so I first headed off to see\u00a0De Adriaan, which is a popular windmill in Haarlem. Afterwards I spent some time exploring the Grote Market, which is Haarlem’s central square. The church was closed by the time I got there, so I ended up having an early dinner at the Grand Cafe Brinkmann, while people watching from their patio. Thankfully heading back to Amsterdam that evening was much easier, as it as a direct train to Centraal Station. =D<\/p>\n The next day was my day trip to Den Haag. I left the hotel around 9:30 and got to Den Haag around 11am. Den Haag was a complete 180 from Amsterdam. It was a lot less touristy and had a much more relaxing pace. It\u2019s definitely a good side trip if you want to escape from the city. My first stop that day was the Mauritius Museum. I paid separately for an admission ticket, which also included entry to the…<\/p>\n![\"Den](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/hague1-200x300.jpg\")
![\"Den](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/hague2-200x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/hague4-1-200x300.jpg\")
![\"Haarlem\"](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/haarlem1-200x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Haarlem\"](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/haarlem2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Haarlem\"](\"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/haarlem3.jpg\")
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