De Haag

Have you ever heard of De Haag, the Netherlands? No? Really? Then it doesn't mean much to you if I were to tell you that I didn't post yesterday because our Dutch Art History class went on "excursion" to De Haag yesterday. It's really a shame that no one has heard of it because its the capital of the Netherlands! Really, it isn't Amsterdam, I promise. For this reason I'm glad that Dr. De Groot took us there instead of another city because there was no way I was going to De Haag on my own, and even if I had (seriously there was no chance of this)I wouldn't in a million years guess what this building was:



What about you? Any ideas? Perhaps seeing it from another angle.



It's the governmental seat of the Netherlands. Dr. De Groot likened it to the White House and that little round tower right there, that's the Prime Minister's office. Here's where a huge cultural gap widened between us and Dr. De Groot and it was interesting to watch. None us could believe that we could simply walk up to the Prime Minister's office and take random picture of it. There wasn't a single guard in sight, and it only got better.



The building is a giant castle that has been built larger and larger over the centuries. It has a little thoroughfare that people use to cut through town and a courtyard. Apparently the lawmakers work all day but every so often they need a break for fresh air, so they simply walk downstairs into the courtyard perhaps get ice cream from the vendor (which by the way is an Italian ice cream vendor) and they walk around the building. It's as simple as that. Oh, and there was one more sight on our little tour.



The in town palace! Long live the Queen!