The New York Times has just recommended The Hague as a ‘cool’ destination. A contrast with Barcelona and Paris where it’s 40 Celsius. The article praises the ‘cobbled streets’ and ‘picturesque canals’. You can view Girl with a Pearl Earring in the morning, and sip sangria on Scheveningen Beach in the afternoon.

Well, it won’t be cool here: temperatures up to 36 degree Celsius are forecast from today. The Hague is a great travel destination: several outstanding museums of which the Mauritshuis is one. That girl is, however, leaving this Friday. She’s destined for Japan where she’ll be on display in the Nakanoshima Museum in Osaka (21 August – 27 September).

As it may be hot on the beach, let’s head to Voorlinden Museum instead.

Ron Mueck made the work of fibreglass and silicone in 2013. It’s hyper realistic – the veins and hairs are there. The work is exactly twice human dimension. Mueck has also made smaller works. The couple do not represent specific individuals, but they are universal and recognisable.

They don’t have to walk far to take a splash: the famous Swimming Pool installation by Leandro Erlich is just metres away. Originally made for the Venice Biennale of 1999, the installation was then moved to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan.

Voorlinden opened 10 years ago and the installation there has the same swimming pool blue, lights and steps. The shimmering water is an illusion. There is 10 cm of water above transparent glass. Visitors can enter the installation by going down steps.