Delft, Netherlands (revisited)
japra | Nov 24, 2009 | Comments 20
If you missed my first trip to Delft last year, you can take a peek here. On that trip, Roxi and I focused our attention on one of the local potteries specialising in Delftware.
This time, I went to Delft for social reasons–meeting two of my friends from my Dutch class for lunch and a little shopping.
Here’s the Oude Kerk (or Old Church), founded in the 13th century. That tower looked like it was leaning a bit. One of my friends confirmed that it was indeed leaning–about six feet. The painter Johannes Vermeer (of “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” fame) is buried here. You can see his famous painting in the Mauritshuis museum in Den Haag, by the way.
Delft is a well preserved town. So gezellig (a Dutch word that means “cozy, nice atmosphere”, remember?)
Though the city dates back to the 13th century, much of Delft was destroyed during a gunpowder explosion in 1654.
The city is associated with the Dutch royalty. William of Orange, also known as William the Silent, moved to Delft in 1572. He was assassinated there in 1584 and buried in the Nieuwe Kerk…
… the steeple of which you can see peeking over the buildings.
The Nieuwe Kerk or New Church was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and is the burial site for the Dutch royal family. It is located in the Grote Markt (market square) opposite…
… the beautiful Old Town Hall, which was built in the 1600s.
Of course, Delft is not without its shops. Here is a souvenir store. That wooden shoe in the front is big enough to sit in.
And well done to those of you who spotted the Subway and Body Shop stores in this pic from last week’s Wordless Wednesday.
During our visit to the Zudiderzeemuseum this summer, we saw a bunch of these apothecary heads. Every once in a while you can still see these in situ. (And yes, I’ll put up a post of the Zuiderzeemuseum soon…)
This display of old wooden shoes and ice skates really caught my eye. I would like to go back and look through their selection of old Delft tiles.
So, here’s where my friends and I had lunch–Sadscafe de Waag. We decided on this place because it looked so…
… gezellig inside. The food was lekker (tasty)!
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Filed Under: Blog • Destinations • Featured • Netherlands • Outdoors • What to Do
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in Holland with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 15-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
*Squeals with glee* You said lekker. I can’t explain how happy that makes me and Ihave no idea why. Well, I do. lekker and lank are my two most frequently used South Africanisms and now I can use them when speaking to you!
You photos are exquisite in this post. It is a really gorgeous town and it must be amazing to see such beauty.
Oh, too funny, Emm! Do you know “heerlijk” (delicious) too? I haven’t heard of lank… What does it mean? There’s also leuk (nice). What do the South Africans say for Bon Appetit? Here it’s “Eet Smakelijk” :-)
Hmm, this one will be hard to explain if you don’t know the South African accents. We usually say in a deeply Afrikaans accent, “Tjears peepuls” (cheers peoples) and then start eating. Actual Afrikaans people are far more likely to say grace before a meal so that is their form of Bon Appetit I guess.
I don’t know of Leuk but I do know heerlik.
Lank means anything from very to long.
Looks like a beautiful place to visit. I haven’t made it to the Netherlands yet…need to rent a car and make a weekend of it. Gorgeous pictures!
Kathy, oh I hope you can visit the Netherlands. It’s so close! There’s a really cute museum you should check out. It’s north of Amsterdam — http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/ It’s an outdoor museum featuring a re-created fishing village. We loved it!
gorgeous photos, what a fairy tale town, amazing church spire. You know you’re almost a local when you can now visit someplace exotic for ‘purely social reasons’!
Heh–I know Christine. And that is a very good reason for loving my expat status :-)
I love the pictures – do you stop every time you go over a bridge and look around or have you gotten so used to them that you just cross? (I think I would be forever stopping!)
I love the symmetry in your first picture of the canal and the trees on either side. I know you mentioned that the old church leans but does the new one lean too or is that just me sitting at an angle? (I tried to tilt my head a little to compensate but it didn’t work). I don’t know how comfortable I’d be around leaning buildings, especially steeples.
Julia, one of the reasons I take photos (and blog) is because it forces me to slow down and REALLY look at where I am. Live in the now, so to speak. I am sorry to say that after nearly three years, I am a tiny bit immune to the beauty around me. That just means I can walk at slightly faster than a snail’s pace when strolling through a town.
I am not sure if the new church leans… it’s probably the angle I took that photo. And I think those leaning towers are safe… they’ve been around for centuries!
BTW, I didn’t notice it at the time, but in that first photo, did you notice how close those cars are parked next to the canal? Yikes!
oh, Ask An Expat question…does anyone wear wooden shoes, not for show or for the tourists but maybe in their home? Do you ever see them outside people’s front doors?
OK–I’ll cover this next week. Thanks, Julia!
Love the photos as usual! I wonder, was the church spire built in different stages? The stone seems to be different as you go upwards! I love that cafe by the way!!
I think you’re probably right, Lucylucia. This is a very original looking church. I’d like to take a tour inside one day!
Do you know why the Nieuwe Kerk steeple is all those different colors? Was it constructed in parts, during times when different kinds of stone were in vogue? At any rate, it’s really stunning looking.
I like the shoes and ice skates picture, particularly, also!
Kathy, I am guessing your theory is correct. Here’s what I found on the church: http://www.nieuwekerk-delft.nl/eng/kerkgebouw/index.html
I guess I’m not surprised it was hit by lighting. It is easily the tallest building in that area!
Your photographs manage to be both grand — and intimate. Lovely memories for me.
I thought of you while I was in Delft, Bee! I remember chatting with you about that big wooden shoe.
Gorgeous photos. I’m getting my fill of traveling just being a voyeur on your trips. It’s great!
Tricia, I’m glad you’re enjoying them :-)
Hi Japra,
Lovely,interesting photos. What struck me was the absence of litter Not a crisp packet, can or bottle in sight. There is a dyke near us and it is absolutely full of rubbish. I feel ashamed when i see the cleanliness and tidiness of Holland. How do they do it I wonder ?