Delft is a city located in South Holland, between the main cities of Rotterdam and The Hague. It is primarily known for it's Dutch town center and for the famous painter Vermeer, who painted the "Girl with a Pearl Earring," and of course, their beautiful blue pottery, otherwise known as, Delft Blue. Delft also has a strong association with the Dutch Royal Family.I had the chance to go here this past weekend with a number of ESN Twente Students. This group is a bunch of International students that are studying at a nearby university to where I live. I got to meet a number of great people and we had a really good time touring Delft.
We spent the first night at a boy/girl scouts camping location that they call, "Scouting." We all slept in one big room, on the floor, I was, of course, right next to the heater. The next day, bright and early, after everyone sprinted to be the first ones to the hot showers, we ate breakfast, made lunch and walked into the town center of Delft.
Unfortunately, the weather was freezing with cold rain but we made it though the city center and through two churches, the Oude Kerk (Old Church) where Vermeer is buried and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) which contains the Dutch Royal Family's burial vault. We also went to the Oostpoort (Eastern Gate) which was built in the 1400s and is the only remaining gate of the old city walls. It's really beautiful!
We then went to the Delft Pauw Pottery Factory where they hand paint- literally- every single piece of pottery. It was quite beautiful and interesting to see how it was made. This pottery is mainly blue and white pottery made in the Netherlands from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It is still quite popular today.
After this, a number of us went to Madurodam in The Hague, which is a quick 10 minute trolley ride north. Madurodam is the land of miniatures, small replicas of incredible architecture that adorns the beautiful countryside of the Netherlands. I got to play, "Yapzilla," as Marc would like to call it and also had the chance of losing all sensation in my toes, then my feet and finally my entire body. They really need to make sneakers that are stylish and designed for winter!
It was a cold but sunny day after the rain cleared out and we got to enjoy the canals and beautiful cobbled streets, which I must say, are very difficult to walk on in heels! I recommend wearing sneakers at all times!
Otherwise, the town of Delft is a must see if you are ever in the area of The Hague or in Rotterdam, as it is located between the two great cities.
Next stop...Birmingham, UK and Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace!
