The Leiden Advent Calendar – 24 Tips to treat yourself during the Christmas season (part 2)

Hello fellow Leideners! I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas month so far and have been treating yourself with the Leiden Advent Calendar. In the meanwhile, the snow has arrived in Leiden, which makes the Christmas season even more beautiful. Here is the second part of daily treats. Enjoy!

13.12. Do you know the student restaurant Augustinus? They offer delicious dishes for very cheap prices. Organise a Christmas dinner with your friends, but don’t forget to reserve a table! http://www.lvvsaugustinus.nl/item.html&objID=76754

14.12. I reckon everyone knows the shop V&D. But have you ever been on the top floor? They have a nice café there where you can enjoy your cappuccino with a wonderful view of Leiden.

15.12. It’s Saturday, go again to the market and try a herring if you haven’t done so yet.

16.12. Fancy going for a walk? My secret tip is “Cronesteyn”. It’s just a 5 minutes cycle away from the city centre. Follow Lammenschaansweg and then turn left in front of the station, cross the bridge and you will find yourself in the middle of pure nature. Windmills, fields, canals, cows and chickens; it’s a wonderful place to go for a walk (or run) on a cold winter’s day.

17.12. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Check out “het warenhuis”. It’s an awesome and huge second-hand shop where you can buy all kinds of nice things. The book area is especially lovely. It’s located at Willem Barentszstraat 12. http://www.kringloopwarenhuis.nl/

18.12. Wear all the socks, tights and jumpers you can find and go to the Christmas market at Beestenmarkt for a Glühwein-fuelled chat with your friends.

19.12. Still need some last-minute Christmas presents? Meet up with some friends, get lots of coloured paper, glue and glitter and make your own Christmas cards.

20.12. Have you tried Oliebollen yet? Treat yourself a fresh Dutch doughnut! You can find lots of stalls or “Oliebollenkraam” in Leiden around this time of year, for example at Leiden Centraal or outside Hoogvliet.

21.12. Do you love to bake but have the same issue as nearly every international student? No oven to be found. That should not be a reason to give up so quickly. There are lots of delicious recipes hidden in the World Wide Web. While Goggling I found this very useful homepage: http://busycooks.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/tp/nobakecookybars.htm

22.12. Have a little wander to some “Hofjes” in Leiden. You can find their locations here: http://www.niekbavelaar.nl/index.php/leidse-hofjes

23.12. Fancy a pancake? It’s the last chance to get a Dutch pancake feast in one of the “gezellig” Pannenkoeken restaurants. Lots of them are located around Beestenmarkt.

24.12. For those who will be staying in Leiden for Christmas, what do you think about heading to Amsterdam for a free concert in the “Concertgebouw”? http://www.concertgebouw.nl/concerten-en-tickets/kerstavonddienst?path=event%3D31013%2Fvan%3D24-12-2012

That’s it for this year. I hope you’ve enjoyed my tips. Most of the things can be done anytime of the year — perhaps every month should have an Advent Calendar?!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!