Leiden, 50 kilometers soutwhest of Amsterdam, is like a combination of UC Santa Barbara (bikes everywhere), Caltech (the piece of the Ariane 5 rocket engine being exhibited as a sculpture is a particularly nice geek touch), and some of the nicest towns I’ve visited in Europe.
Everything is beautiful and cared for in the nicest possible way – not that sterile way you find in some places, but rather, the way that tells you a place is well-used and much loved; it is neat because people care.
Between talk preparations and sleeping, I haven’t yet explored as much as I’d like, but it sure looks a great place for a workshop.
I notice that you compare it to two places in California (a.k.a. the promised land. Reference: see Theosophist literature at the beginning of this century.) Interesting, that comparison, heh!
Given that the only places I’ve lived in for extended periods of time are New Mexico, California, and Australia, this is perhaps not so surprising!