Delft Blue is a style of pottery renowned for its white surface painted with cobalt blue, a pigment that withstands very high kiln temperatures without fading. It gained prominence in the 17th century when Dutch traders imported a large amount of Chinese porcelain. The style blended Dutch imagery with Asian artistic influence. We visited the…
The Red Hat Society
Wandering Delft today, we ran into large groups of women clothed in royal purple dresses with red, large- brimmed, flowery hats. Grubb guessed it might be a British tea society. Really? Huh. I approached a couple of these women to inquire. It’s the Red Hat Society. It all started with a tongue-in-cheek poem called “Warning”…
Tale of two towers
In Delft the Oude Kerk (old church) is known for its tower that leans towards the left. The Gothic church was built in 1246. The tower is about 2 meters off vertical due to the unstable ground near the canal. Inside are a number of gravestones laid flat as part of the floor. Burial inside the…
Schama is for the birds
Simon Schama is a British historian known for his high brow television commentary in the tradition of Kenneth Clark. (His passionate appreciation for Bernini’s sculpture is practically operatic.) He has curated an exhibit in den Haag at the Mauritshuis called BIRDS that explores how humans have always had an emotionally conflicted relationship with birds. We…
Tilting at windmills
The iconic Dutch windmills still stand although not so many are still in operation. Molen de Roos is the one remaining working windmill in Delft and if you dare, you can climb the vertical, wooden ladders to peer at the inner gears and ropes. I dared. Grubb called me nuts but there he was right…
More pics from Agneta Park
We had dinner again with Esther at her home in the UNESCO neighborhood Agneta Park. Her son-in-law, Josh, and two granddaughters were there as well. Very cute Juneau and Cleo (not sure I’ve got the spelling correct). Abive: more bird life near the pond. Photos says Grey Heron. I think it’s in the family but…
More than old masters
One visits the Mauritshuis in den Haag to see old masters. Rembrandt and those other guys plus a few Vermeer’s (Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft are the famous ones). One does not expect to see, hung next to these illustrious paintings, contemporary black and white photos making commentary on the neighboring…
Swaying with the Tower
Yesterday, after our Vermeer sampler, it was time to go to grab a bite at my favorite broodje stand in the whole world that Hendrik introduced me to years ago. The secret to a broodje is fresh herring. And a sign of fresh herring are the seagulls that want to steal your snack. Once the…
A View of Delft
You’d think that to get a good view of Delft all I’d have to do is walk out the door of where we’re staying in Delft and take a look around. But no, not for the art snob. I have to take a train to den Haag and drag Ella to the Maritshuis to see…
Connecting with old friends brings joy
Wednesday morning (May 6) we had the chance to catch up with Esther in Delft, for cappuccino and a lusciously decadent slice of apple pie at Stadskoffyhuis, a local prize-winning coffee house in business for 60 years. You know those relationships that remain familiar despite time and distance? It’s like that with Esther. These types…
The Last Frontier
In talking with our friend Hendrik last night he reminisced about how wonderful it was to visit Venice in 1972. The adventure of a Baby Boomer exploring the world. I thought of Kit Carson whipping by me on his bike, how in an earlier incarnation, retired from mountaineering, he might have had nostalgic moments in…
I saw Kit Carson riding a bike
We were in den Haag. He was sporting a Custer’s Last Stand goatee and dressed like a fur trapper in a fringed leather jacket and floppy wide-brimmed hat. He wheeled by me without so much as a two-fingered salute. Later I imagined if I saw him in a café the conversation would go something like…
Lots of water around here
We’ve been spending time with friends. Yesterday Esther here in Delft. Today, Hendrik and Gina in den Haag (The Hague). Fuller posts coming soon. For now, more canals… Above: canals in den Haag. Above: More canals in den Haag Above: Photos is identifying this as an Egyptian Goose
The Shadow of the day
Finally a sunny day for shadows
After the Thunderclap
After coffee and pastry with Esther this morning, we dropped in to check out Delft’s Vermeer Center. Years ago (ten?) we went to an exhibit on the history of Delft and there was Vermeer’s “The Little Street” on display. Back then I was thrilled since we were staying at a place a block away from the…