Delft

This past Tuesday I spent the afternoon in the city of Delft (of the famous Delftware). It was a gorgeous city, so old and full of history. I took the tram there which was my first venture on public transport here. The city is close enough to cycle to (about a 30 minute bike ride) but I had cycled far the previous day and decided to be lazy. It was easy to figure out the tram and it stopped right in front of Prinsenhof which was my first stop of the day. Prinsenhof is an old Catholic convent from the 14th century and in the latter half of the 16th century housed William of Orange for a few years and was where he was assassinated in 1584. They had a big exhibit on William of Orange and what was going on in the Netherlands at that time. They also had an exhibit on Delft artists and on Delftware. I was able to use my museumkaart there so it only cost €1! My next stop was to the Oude Kerk (Old Church) of Delft which was founded in 1245.

It was a gorgeous church which huge stained glass windows and had gravestones incorporated into the floor. The church is also where the painter Johannes Vermeer is buried.

 Then it was off to the Nieuw Kerk! 

The New Church

Mausoleum for William of Orange

The New Church was founded in 1350 and completed in 1655. It too had beautiful stained glass windows, gravestones on the floor, and is were many members of the royal family are buried (including William of Orange). I paid the extra €2 to go up into the tower at the New Church. I'm glad I did! I had a fantastic view of the entire city. I of course bought some delftware while in the city, both for me and as presents for people. I will definitely be visiting Delft again and next time I'll have to go to the  Vermeer Centrum.

Town hall and the
center of Delft

The Old Church as seen from the tower of the New Church

First week in the Netherlands

Welcome to my first blog post! I decided to start a blog to keep you, my friends and family, updated about what I'm doing. 

My first two weeks have gone great! The trip here was a bit tiresome though. I had an overnight flight to London, an 8 hour layover, and then a 1 hour flight to Amsterdam. I only slept about 2 hours throughout the whole journey. Heathrow airport is huge! I mostly just walked around and read on my new kindle (thanks mom and dad!). Also thanks to Tara and the Gentry's for supplying me with some pounds to use at the airport! As soon as I go through security at Heathrow I saw a sign for a Doctor Who area so of course I made a beeline for that. They had a TARDIS and a Dalek.

Coming out of the TARDIS!

 My first few days in the Netherlands involved a lot of cycling. The center of The Hague is about 25 minutes by bike so it's quite easy to get there. I spent last Monday and Tuesday exploring The Hague, Voorburg (where I live), and a couple other surrounding towns. Have I mentioned how easy it is to bike here?! Nearly every street has a dedicated bike lane and on the larger streets the bike lane is physically separated from the automobile lanes. There's probably about as many people cycling in The Hague as there are driving! I am also getting used to riding the bakfiets. It's really sturdy and while it's a bit difficult to steer at first, I've gotten used to it; it's great for carrying kids or groceries. Parents also use baby seats on regular bikes to hold kids (often one on the front and one on the back). I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing young toddlers sitting in them without helmets!

Windmill!

Painted bridge on the way to The Hague

Peace Palace

Last Tuesday I went to my first museum here, the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. It's a big art museum in The Hague. Mauritshuis, which is another art museum here that houses art from many Dutch painters, is undergoing renovations. So, about 100 paintings from Mauritshuis were on display at the Gemeentemuseum. Unfortunately, their most famous painting "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is currently in New York City. Hopefully it will be back in the Hague before I leave! While at the Gemeentemuseum I bought the museumkaart which lets you into hundreds of museums in the Netherlands free or at a reduced price. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to visit many of them! 

Well, that's all for now! I'll try to make a new post every other week or when something interesting happens.