Delft is a beautiful city. It seems like it may have been the most important trading center in the world about 300 years ago, but now it’s resigned itself to be a beautiful city for tourism and dealing in Dutch pottery, which is aptly named “Delftware”. Climbing the tower of the “New Church” in Delft was not without challenge, but being able to see the Hague, Amsterdam, and I think Rotterdam from the top was rewarding.
We also visited the Windmills of Kinderdijk, which were far more interesting than I expected. They would catch wind for a variety of utilitarian purposes using these windmills, and they’ve managed to remain in good working order for at least 300 years. The Dutch are a funny people, and I imagine they had a reputation for being clever, if a bit greasy, merchants in the past. One of their favorite holidays is King’s Day, which usually happens on the current king’s birthday every year. Most Dutch don’t care for the king himself, but love the holiday, as they can sell their goods without any taxation for that one day.
