Delft

Wednesday Uncle Larry and Tante Hanneke took Kim and I to the historic town of Delft.  Wow!  I've never had the chance to observe and absorb so much history in my life.  First we went to the Nieuwe Kerk (and of course I was mesmerised by even the picturesque streets lined by cute rows of houses).  The Niewe Kerk (which translates as New Church) happens to be well over 600 years old!  We went inside and wandered around admiring it for quite some time.  There are pews for hundreds of people in there, a very ornate pulpit, fantastic organs (several of them in varying sizes).  I think there were four pipe organs in that church! 

Another fascinating thing in the church was the floor panels, which happen to be graves.  Some of them dated back to the 1400's!  Some of them were so faded and trod upon that the designs and writing on them was illegible.  There were also several statues, including of William of Orange.  William the Silent was buried in that church, along with his descendants.  There were also family trees hung up in several places, and footage from several of the more recent royal funerals.  I was glad on that day that I was not royalty.  It would be so creepy knowing that all your ancestors from the past several hundred years are down in the crypt, and that it's only a matter of time before you join them. 

 

 

Needless to say that after those heavy thoughts came upon me I was very glad to have the opportunity to be distracted by something considerably less morbid: climbing the tower!  It was very exciting!  The stairs go in an almost endless spiral.  First stone, then wood, then concrete (or something similar), then wood again.  About half way up there was finally an unlocked door!  It led outside to a balcony that encircled the tower.  The view was breathtaking!

 

We waved at Uncle Larry far below on the ground and he took a picture of us!

 

 

After that we went back into the tower and kept climbing.  There were almost 400 steps in total, and two more balconies to explore before we reached the top.  It was quite the adventure.  I absolutely love exploring churches.  Especially climbing towers with winding staircases.  The way down was almost dizzying though because it just goes on and on.  By the time we got to the bottom I had a huge smile, and rather sore legs.  It was an adventure I'll never forget.

 

 

We came across a wooden shoe, so we just had to sit in it!

 

After the Niewe Kerk we went to subway for lunch and I had a crab subway sandwich.  I figured I might as well try the one that wouldn't be on a Canadian menu! 

 

After that delicious lunch it was off to the Oude Kerk, which was built over 800 years ago!  It didn't have a tower to climb, but it was still very fascinating.  The fact that it's so incredibly old is almost unfathomable.  It sort of puts history into a whole new perspective.  People only have one life each, and when they die they either go to heaven or hell, and very few of them are remembered after they die.  It shows how important it is to glorify God while we're alive.  It's the only thing that lasts.

 

 

After the Oude Kerk we admired some genuine Delft Blauw objects, and some old fashioned tie-on-the-shoe skates, and then went to the place where William of Orange was shot.  It was a convent, and now it is a large museum full of paintings and artifacts.  I have never seen so much history, so many paintings, or such old things.  I must say that modern abstract 'art' cannot begin to compare with the paintings inside that museum. 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day I was very tired.  I think I saw and read a bit too much history and my brain was stuffed to the max.  But wow!  What a day.  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to learn so much and see so much about what the world is, and was, like.  I only wish that in school we could've learned about European History a bit more, and the fur trade a bit less.  Instead of studying the fur trade and the natives over and over, couldn't we throw a bit of European History in there somewhere?