Delft

It was another chilly, rainy and windy day but we still had a lot of fun on our day trip to Delft. The central train station is a short, 10-minute walk from the hotel, and Delft is only a 15-minute ride from Rotterdam. So, in no time at all we were heading to the Royal Delft factory for a self-guided tour.

Its official name is the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles N.V. The company was founded in 1653 and has been in its current location since the 1920s. Its most famous product is the Delft Blue pottery.

In recent years they have expanded their line with different types of pottery and colors. I really liked the colors of the polychrome pottery.

The tour explained how the pottery is made and it is fascinating. The process has been the same for centuries. I found a short YouTube video that explains it. Notice the piece of black paper that’s put on the shape. It has tiny holes punched in it which gives the master painter the shape to draw. It is so cool.

Notice that the paint is black. It’s a special formula so that after it has been in the kiln it comes out Delft Blue.

Here’s a very short video I took of a master painter at work.

A few years ago, they were asked to design new dinnerware for the royal family. Because they needed many pieces, they are not hand painted. But they’re not exactly mass produced either. An overlay is designed that is then placed on the pottery once it’s removed from the mold. The pottery is then submerged in a special bath that transfers the color on to the pottery.

These pieces do not include the famous Royal Delft logo or the initials of the master painter on the bottom. But they’re still considered hand-made, just not hand painted.

They also make plates to commemorate special events. Unless they’re one of a kind, they would also be made with the overlay process.

Even though I couldn’t afford to buy the hand painted shoe I loved, I wanted to get something, so I bought a small tray that was made with the overlay process. Johannes Vermeer is a Dutch master and is my favorite painter. I bought a small tray that had one of his most famous paintings overlaid on it.

Speaking of paintings, we saw several famous paintings recreated in tiles.

Watching how this famous porcelain is made was fascinating. After browsing the gift shop for a very long time, we stopped for our morning snack in the coffee shop. Peter had a cheese filled pastry while I had this scrumptious hazelnut concoction.

Then we were off for the main square where we found…

And the new church.

Europe’s definition of “new” and ours is very different. This new church was completed in 1496. But when compared to the old church, which is 200 years older, I guess you could call it new.

This is the burial site of William of Orange who, as a wealthy Dutch nobleman, led the revolt against Spanish rule which ultimately led to independence. As a result, he’s considered the Father of the Netherlands. The current royal family are direct descendants.

After the church we popped into a pub for lunch and had delicious toasties of ham, cheese and pineapple.

And of course, a little liquid refreshment.

Just behind the pub, was the Vermeer Center. Johannes Vermeer was born and lived all his life in Delft. The house he lived in was demolished to put up the town square, so the town put an information center into one of the buildings used by him and other painters as a gathering spot.

Vermeer’s most famous painting is the Girl with the Pearl Earring (you can see a picture of it at the doorway to the building) which hangs at a museum in The Hague. Depending on weather, we may go there tomorrow.

Our last stop before heading home was the Old Church of Delft. This one was completed in 1246.

Vermeer and his family are buried in this church. He was only 43 years old when he died and not particularly well known. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that his work was appreciated.

All-in-all, we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay in Delft. Had the weather been better, we might have wandered the streets a little more, but it was damp, and we were getting cold.

Exactly 3 months ago today we arrived in London. On the one hand, it seems like just yesterday that Kathy and Jim dropped us off at the airport. On the other, it seems like an eternity since we’ve been in London. So much has happened in 3 months and we’ve seen so many amazing places. But we still have 6 1/2 weeks to go and lots of incredible places left to visit. We’re so glad that you’ll be seeing them with us. Love to all.