Scheveningen + The Hague

Today I decided to go to Scheveningen – not too early, as I can only travel for free after 6:30 pm.

After all these years, I felt a bit out of my depth, and you certainly don’t need to take the buses to the beach. It takes an unnecessarily long time, and the bus drivers don’t know what’s in the vicinity of where they stop.
The same goes for the other passengers.

The Beelden aan Zee museum was quite a long walk from the bus stop on route 28, via the harbour. Harbour 2 is where the boat trips take place (out at sea); it all looks rather neglected, far from cosy, and Harbour 1 is the fish auction – and you can certainly smell it.

I carried on looking for the beach. Despite the lovely weather, there didn’t seem to be many visitors.
I walked through the water for a bit and took some photos. I didn’t go on the ‘De Vier’ or the Ferris wheel.

The fairy-tale sculptures by Tom Otterness on the beach were different from how I remembered them. I wrote about them here a few years back.
The ‘Beelden aan Zee’ museum wouldn’t accept cash. Oh well, no museum visit then.

The shopping promenades I used to visit on Sundays – because the shops in the village of Scheveningen were always packed – have changed considerably. To be honest, it’s a neglected mess there too.

Have you ever seen a shop, the Pakket depot, where you buy an electronic item sight unseen and pay by the 100 grams? It was a first for me, and no, you’re not allowed to exchange anything.

The toilets cost 1 euro and literally all four washbasins are out of order; one tap has been patched up with a rag.
It didn’t smell very fresh either. Certainly not worth a euro.

Walk of Fame? Not really something to talk about.

On the Scheveningen boulevard, there aren’t just lots of seagulls, but there’s also a Food Hall. I’d planned to eat Surinamese food with the money the museum refused to give me. So this turned out to be a mixed dish from Lebanon, and it was definitely tastier than anything I’ve eaten in a long time, although I don’t like those dry bits of ‘chips’ and the failed roti.

On my way back, I went to see if the ice-cream parlour was still there. It used to be to the left of the Kurhaus. So that building is now empty. A shame – otherwise I’d definitely have sat there, even though I’m not a fan of ice cream.

In front of the Kurhaus, the tram departs for the centre of The Hague and Central Station. Are you fit enough to walk? Then you could walk this route instead of taking line 9 or line 9S (the special Scheveningen Express).

I took line 9 and, upon arriving at the station, decided to walk a bit along the shopping street via the Spui to Chinatown.
China Town in The Hague is also a bit of a let-down. There are fewer Chinese people than other foreigners, which is a shame. The Chinese gate is worth a look, though, and the red lanterns certainly make the streetscape more attractive than China Town in Amsterdam.
What is annoying, though, is the sickening smell of weed and smelly people (not Chinese), which definitely makes it unpleasant to walk around there.

Incidentally, there’s also a lot of rummaging through the bins for bottles and cans with a deposit. You’d be surprised how easily people throw away a small fortune in the rubbish bin.

One advantage of The Hague station is that virtually all the shops and restaurants are located outside the gate where you have to check in.

I generally found that people in The Hague aren’t really friendly or open. You can literally walk around all day without anyone exchanging a word with you.

And how much does a train ticket to The Hague cost? Just over 54 euros for a return, and then you have to add the cost of the bus and tram once you’re there. Not exactly what you’d call a cheap day out.
Take a bottle of water with you, or buy something to drink at the supermarket if you don’t want to be fleeced.

On my way along the shopping street from Chinatown to the station, I came across some sculptures. Viewing them is free. I asked the police officers what the pink structure they were standing next to represented. The men laughed and said: ‘I think it’s art – have a look on the internet.’

I found The Hague a bit stifling with all those tall buildings. Perhaps I’ve just lost my taste for the city. Who knows, maybe it’ll be better next time.
So far, when it comes to nice cities, Arnhem still wins, followed by Den Bosch.

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All photos were taken by me}