a trip to the Hague

 We haven’t been taking the laptop on these weekend trips because who has time for checking stuff and playing around on the computer when you have all these things to see?  But there is a problem with blogging the trip only after it is done….I was all set to brag 

 about the next success in getting around the Netherlands without a car on public transport that works like clockwork.  Not only was our trip cheap to the Hague, but we got to see the Dutch countryside on the bus ride more than you ever do on the train.  We got to go over the 

Oostersheld, a huge dam that they have built to connect some of the islands in the south and hold back the sea.  There was a variation of 15 feet between the sea side and the river side of this dam.  We got off in Rotterdam and caught a metro that goes all the way to the Hague for only 3

  euro.  We had saved 30 euro on the trip and only lost an hour, but this trip did not go so well on the return, so I have to temper my initial enthusiasm…but more about how my own travel plans let me down later.  We did get to the Hague from Middelburg cheaply and in good time on 

Friday.  We ate at the train station (Burger King people and I have to say that it was like heaven) and then were able to use the Hague’s ticket machines to get out ticket from Middelburg to Schipol airport for our trip home.  This may sound small, but this was a huge concern for us because there is no ticket window for the train in Middelburg anymore, they are

 going paperless on July 13^th and you can only use coins in the machine.  That means that we would have to have almost 60 euro in coins in order to purchase our tickets before July 13^th.  We have been hoarding 1 and 2 euro coins, but finally got to use the credit card for this purchase and can start using our coins again.  This is a serious flaw in the Netherlands transit system

 for tourists I must say because not only can you not use paper money, you can’t use any credit card online except from a Dutch bank.  It’s absurd!!!!  So, we were very happy with paper tickets so that we can leave as expected and a burger.