Voorburg steeple at night

One of the fondest memories I have of the time when I lived here was riding my bike in a bitter freezing rain at 3 something in the morning after carousing with friends. Somehow I noticed the clock on the Oudekerk with its little yellowing lights at the hour markers and a bar of lights on the hands on all four sides. The utility and simplicity of this just struck me as beautiful. A timeless timepiece that's been there for years. As I neared the apartment, I sped along the canal and seeing the clock on the Westerkerk's tower, a smile crept across my face when I saw the same arrangement on its face. Sure I was drunk, but I knew I was privy to something no one else knew. They're all the same, the clocks at night. The Dutch made them that way, and no one has noticed. And tonight when I saw the church in Voorburg after dinner, I still feel privileged to have been let in on this secret that only comes out at night.