Den Haag

Despite having only 48 hours in The Hague (Why the "The" by the way?), I did get in a good 50 minute run before my talk on Tuesday. My body got me up at 5 something and I was out the door by 5:45. I ran around and through a large set of linked parks across from the hotel and conference center. There were many interesting trails, some pavement, some earth, some a little creepy at 6 AM when you don't know where it ends up and how long it will take the police to find your body. But its Holland and apparently nobody actually run here at 6 in the morning or that I didn't find the best running paths which were probably along the beach 2 miles to the east. I did have a map and managed to emerge about where I thought I would. Much to my surprise, I was in front of Miduradam, a kid's attraction that is a miniature city of perfect 1:25 scale of different parts of Holland and Europe. On my only other visit to Holland, I went there when I was 12 or 13 with my folks, but had forgotten about it and that it was in The Hague. I remember it as kind of a Legoland without the rides. Unfortunately, it was 6:30 or so and it wouldn't open for hours. But kind of cool to stumble across it 40 years later. Finished the run through yet a different park and began my day at the pre-ICN research conference which I will blog about later.