Occasionally I end up in Leiden. Not often, but occasionally. Usually it is a brief visit for some specific purpose, meaning I don't really wander around aimlessly.

Still I have noticed that when I turn at certain corners, or look up at the side of a building or the occasional wall - there is something beautiful written there. Not even graphitti... I'm talking about clearly written, prominently placed texts; wall poems. In english, french, chinese, you name it, someone seems to be running around painting lovely poetry on the side of buildings.

Well I looked it up and that someone has the support of the city government. I guess that explains why they aren't cleaned off and why they're so well positioned. I even found a website that explains (in Dutch) each poem.

So the next time you're in Leiden, which is of course a beautiful place to go, when you see the writing on the wall; take a good long look, because that is poetry! And if you're not going to be in LEiden anytime soon, here is a virtual tour for your remote enjoyment.