Delft is such a charming city, still relatively unspoilt with traditional architecture, canals and lots of bikes. Delft came into my consciousness through the blue and white ceramics that I see at numerous museums all over Europe. It's about 20 minutes on the train from Den Haag and in some of the carriages, the NS train service provider offers free wi fi, which is more than one can say of train services in the UK.
Delft's old town is a short distance from the train station, although in the evening summer heat, the short distance seemed more than just a short distance. The centre (dare I call it a town centre?) is small enough to walk across in ten minutes.
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| The Old Delft Canal on a warm summer evening |
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| More of the Old Delft Canal A boat has been converted into a floating restaurant and two men were dipping their feet into the water to cool off |
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| The Town Hall in the foreground and the New Church in the background, Delft |
On the day, there were very few tourists sitting at the pavement cafes in the main square. A lot of the Dutch residents have already gone on their summer vacation, so the city looked a little bit deserted. It was a lovely place to escape the bustling crowds and indeed from the stress of work.
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| Tunnel leading to Delft train station |
What really hit me in the Netherlands is the number of bikes and the excellent condition of cycle lanes. I could hardly spot a pothole, and it looked liberating to ride on a bike and not be too worried about being knocked down by an aggressive motorist. Next to the train station is a bike park, double tier no less, where people leave their bikes before stepping onto a train.
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| Children playing in the city centre |
I spotted three young children playing in the city centre and they beamed at me when I asked if I could take a picture of them. Children playing on their own in city centre without parental supervision is absolutely unthinkable in the UK. The Delft scene tells of a safer and more trusting environment in which children are brought up.
