I met some friends for drinks and discussion (OK, I’ll admit it, I’m in a book club) earlier this week. We’d been gathering at De Bijlen in Leiden since the weather got nicer, as it has a great outdoor terrace and lots of entertaining scenery. But this week has been miserable, and I groaned as I realized we’d have to sit inside…in the smoke.

See, in the old days, De Bijlen had a “non-smoking room,” located in the back of the bar in a place that appeared to double as some type of storage room. To get there one had to walk through the clouds of smoke, thus defeating the purpose.

But now! The air was clean, and I had to keep reminding myself I was actually out and about, and not in someone’s living room. It’s amazing how much the smoke contributed to the bar atmosphere. But I won’t miss it.