On To Delft (9/4/09)

Delft Tile circa 1650

Loads of gorgeous, old, funky doors, many of them tucked into the narrowest places! Looking across the main market square

Oude Kerk, built in 1246.  Yes, it is really leaning that much!

Final resting place of Johannes Vermeer.

Stairwell in the Princsenhof Museum.

The masonry work was absolutely exquisite in this building

I'm having a challenging experience with my internet connection (or mostly lack thereof) this evening.

I took some pleasing photos with my SLR and had to give up trying to upload them earlier.  Perhaps, after I get this post online, I'll make another attempt.

We traveled to Delft by train from Amsterdam today.  The trip took about an hour.  We passed numerous flower fields, along with pastures where cattle grazed that looked like bogs.  Each field is surrounded by a small canal, and everything looks quite soggy.  One can only imagine what the area looks like during tulip season, something I hope to see one day.

The weather ran the gambit:  we began with cloudy, chilly, and blustery this morning in Amsterdam, followed by sunny and windy (still cool) when we arrived into Delft.  We were lured into a false sense of security and left our jackets and umbrellas in the hotel room, only to get caught in a squall while we sat in an outdoor cafe (fortunately we were under a large market umbrella).  After trying to wait it out we decided to get wet and sprinted back to our room.  We made hot tea and listened to the street noise below us for awhile.

Armed with more layers, we ventured back out into the weather to find a restaurant.  Tim mentioned a wonderful place he had dined when he was here in June so we went back.  An interesting place, De Waag (The Scale) was originally the town market scale building:  merchants brought their wares into town via the canal, stopped at the back of the building and brought their items in to be weighed, then out to the market square to be sold.  The original part of the building was constructed in the 1100s.  The balance used for the scale was hanging directly above our heads.  I loved looking at the old brickwork, not only in this building but throughout the city.  I took some photos of the wall surface, and if I can be patient long enough to upload them I will post to the blog.

Delft is a much smaller city (population around 75,000) and has managed to retain the old-world presence in not only the architecture, but the general feel of the place.  

While we sat in the market square this afternoon we witnessed 6 wedding parties emerge from the Town Hall.  While most of them emerged and got into vintage automobiles or stretch limos, the final couple rolled down the ramp of the courthouse on a bicycle, bride seated sideways on the front fender in typical Dutch fashion!  The proceeded to ride around the square two or three times before heading off to their reception.  What fun!

Amsterdam Day 2 (continued): Pigeons, Leaning Houses, & more Hollyhocks

Tim found a new friend in one of the local parks

A leaning house

Check out the doorways:  more than a bit crooked!

another of my never-ending fascination with sidewalk plantings

Between museums Tim and I ran an errand to a local photography store.  On the way back we wandered through the large green-area near the Van Gogh museum.  Since it wasn't raining we decided to stop and sit on a park bench and soak up some of the fleeting sunlight.  Soon, we acquired some new "friends".  One bold pigeon took matters into his own, er, claws and got closer to the treats.

Throughout the city of Amsterdam the leaning houses are pretty frequent.  I wonder how these houses are stabilized, and what makes one lean more than others.  We stopped to examine this particular house because the doors were cut down to accommodate the problem.

I haven't had too much trouble with jet lag.  My roommate, however, has just succumbed to his!

Amsterdam Day 2 (continued): Rembrandt's House

Rooftops surrounding the courtyard of Rembrandt's House

A sign inside the house gives a brief history of Rembrandt's life here; exterior of the house

Copper etching (on left) and resulting print on right

paint-mixing table in Rembrandt's studio

I was happy to revisit Rembrandt's house for the second time in as many years.  The house is surprisingly large, by Dutch standards.  Of all the things that fascinate me about the house,  think seeing how people slept during that era was the most interesting.  Also, I feel a certain reverence in being allowed to walk around in Rembrandt's painting studio.  

Afterward, we wandered around the streets.  The rain let up during the latter part of the afternoon, but not the wind!  It was a blustery day throughout.  

Amsterdam Day 2: Rijksmuseum

Tim waits in line to enter the Rijksmuseum, a gargoyle downspout awaits the next downpour

people crowd around Vermeer's "The Milkmaid"

Today was a rainy, windy day in Amsterdam.  I loved every second of it.  I think it is due to having more than 50 consecutive days of temperatures over 100 degrees in San Antonio prior to coming here.

Bundled in my waterproof anorak, pashmina shawl, waterproof backpack, and umbrella, I was good to go!

We were disappointed that the renovations continue at the Riksmuseum so only a small portion of it is open.  I thought it was scheduled to reopen this fall.  We noted that there is now a large crane on the grounds, which is new from last year.  We enjoyed the museum as much as we did last year.  

After leaving the museum we took the tram back to Waterloosplein and the Rembrandt House.  The second half of our afternoon was a tour of this amazing place.  Photos follow on the next post!

Amsterdam

        Neighborhood canal in Amsterdam                 Tim & Leslie chillin @ an outdoor cafe

Trash truck squeezes through a tight street adjoining the Flower Market

I love this business name & the graffiti!

Flowers are everywhere in this city

After an uneventful trip over (the best kind!) we arrived in Amsterdam at 5:30 this morning.  We found a hotel room and crashed for several hours, trying to find a balance between getting a bit of sleep without ruining our chances of syncing our sleep cycle.  We arose about 1 pm and found some "brunch", then wandered the city on foot.  We stopped a number of times and watched the world go by while taking in the vibe of the city.  If there is anything more interesting than people-watching I certainly want to know what it is!

Early evening was spent sitting at an outdoor cafe.  What a gentle, welcoming city this is.

We sat outside in a small Greek cafe and ate a leisurely meal.  Afterward we took our time walking back to the hotel.  

The inside of our room looks like some sort of laundromat  we have wet clothes hanging over every surface!  I guess this is the side-effect of packing light.  

Leslie & Tim in Manhattah

Leslie & Tim in Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan Skyline

We took the train into Manhattan yesterday to spend time with our daughter, who lives in Brooklyn.  While there, we met my friend Iris Karp (Misty Fuse), and we wandered around a bit.

We attempted to visit the Museum of Folk Art where Paula Nadelstern has an exhibit, but they were closed on Monday!