Submitted by Antoinette Collazo on the 2024 Winter NED24/ENGL365 program in The Netherlands…
Closing out our final week in the Netherlands, we ventured to the Hortus Botanicus gardens in Leiden. We were able to see a 400-year-old tree (seen in the back of the first image) that the building was built around due to how long it has grown there. Our guide informed us of the garden’s history and how it was originally a professor’s collection of medicinal herbs that has since evolved into a beautiful and monumental garden. Another interesting feature of these gardens is a whole section of plants dating back to the prehistoric era. Being able to see plants that have thrived and survived for so long was a very unique experience, as well as a great way to close out our time in the Netherlands. (Submitted on January 29, 2024)