Day 7 marks our first full week in the Netherlands!
Today we took a day trip to The Hague, which is home to the Netherlands’ government offices – it’s essentially the political capital of the country. We walked around for a while after getting off the train and eventually found our way to the city center. There, we went to the Binnehof viewing tower, which offers a unique view of the city’s 800 year old architecture. Next, we are a group lunch from an Indonesian spot called Trio. Like Amsterdam, many people in The Hague have Indonesian blood, making it a very popular cuisine throughout the Netherlands.
As we walked around, I noticed that the transportation methods of The Hague fall somewhere in between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Not as many cars as Rotterdam, but definitely more than Amsterdam. I also noticed that the bike lanes were wider and ran everywhere throughout the city. Everywhere we stepped, we had to check carefully for bikes. Even though we’ve been her for a whole week, the bike culture in the Netherlands is still incredibly interesting. I can’t imagine how a system like this would work back in Pittsburgh, but it would be awesome if we can find a way.
Our planned event for the day was a trip to the peace palace and its museum. The peace palace is home to the International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of Arbitration, making it a global landmark for international law. The tour itself was an audio tour detailing the origins of the peace palace and key figures who helped establish it. Surprisingly, we learned that Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of the Peace Palace due to his belief that disputes should be settled through peace and not war. It was funny to see that one it the most important people in Pittsburgh is history was also a huge figure all the way here in The Hague.
In relation to sustainability, the Peace Palace was actually pretty informative. War has a devastating toll on environments and economies. Solving disputes through peace would be far more sustainable than through war, so it’s important to make peace talks a priority. Luckily, the Peace Palace serves as a symbol of this possibility.
I really enjoyed our trip to The Hague and the Peace Palace. It was nice to see a new part of the country, especially one that plays a strong role in the country’s history.