Thanksgiving

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A quick Thanksgiving lesson for the historically challenged: Before the first turkey had ever been carved, and before the Pilgrims ever landed at Plymouth Rock, they lived for about 10 years at a place called Leiden. That's in Holland, and it's only a fifteen-minute train ride from us, so we thought it would be a great place to visit this Thanksgiving. We wanted to see the church where the Pilgrims worshipped and walk the streets where they walked before they decided to go to America. Below are some pictures and videos from our visit.

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This is Leiden. We've just arrived.

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Walking to the church.

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Still walking ...

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Still walking. Mary's sitting on the back of the stroller.

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Still walking. The building in the background is an old, old prison. The square tower, which you can barely see in the top right corner, was built in the 12th century. (For the historically challenged, that's the 1100's.)

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This is the other side of the same square. It's where Rembrandt attended Latin school in the early 17th century.

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And we've arrived. This is the inside of the St. Pieter's Kerk, where the Pilgrims held services during their stay in Leiden. On this particular day there was a non-denominational commemoration service of sorts: a flag ceremony, an invocation by a Catholic priest (after he had lectured us for ten minutes about the current economic crisis and the poor), some words from the mayor of Leiden, a few short talks or prayers from Protestant pastors and others, a couple of hymns and solos, which were nice, and the benediction, sung by a rabbi. All in all it was interesting, though Buddy and Mary thought it was too long.

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A plaque inside the church. John Robinson was the Pilgrims' leader here. Some of them stayed rather than cross the Atlantic, and he was one of them. He lived right across the street.

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These two kids got left behind. They're still looking for their parents.

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Standing on the grave of someone who died in the 1630s and who probably would have known the Pilgrims, therefore. There were old graves all over this place, some of them too worn to read any more.

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And now a video.

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And another. (If you're patient, you'll see Anna.)

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Still inside the church.

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Ditto. Doesn't she look small?

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Leaving the church.

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This is an alley nearby. It's where the Pilgrim's had their press.

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Same street, different view.

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This is the hotel where they stayed the night before they left.

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And this is the McDonald's where they ate before they boarded the Mayflower. It's the real reason John Robinson stayed behind: He couldn't imagine life without Big Macs. That probably would have kept me there too.

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Riding the train home. Kim is reading to the kids.

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This is what happens to your hair when you've been wearing a hat all day. And Nintendo football is the only kind of football we could get, unfortunately. Buddy and I tied: 14-14.

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Happy Thanksgiving! We had to order that turkey special from the butcher because people here don't eat them very much. It was only about 5 lbs. ... more like a chicken. But still good.

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