Friday, July 6, 2012

DELFT IN PICTURES

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

DELFT IS SUCH A LOVELY AND LOVINGLY PRESERVED TOWN WITH ITS WORLD FAMOUS 'GREAT MARKET SQUARE' AND NETWORK OF CANALS THAT TO VISIT HOLLAND AND NOT COME TO DELFT IS SACRILIGIOUS.

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Barge on one of Delft's innumerable canals
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Treelined canal
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Natives relaxing by the canal or maybe they are also tourists
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Kitschy paddle boats quite spoil the ambiance as they should be more artistic
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Floating restaurant on canal
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Same view
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Bicycles are everywhere! And Holland is so rich but the locals love biking, even the Dutch Queen
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Clogs and tulips represent Holland
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Delft's City Hall and New Church at opposite ends of the Great Market Square
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Daniel, Princess Becky, Linda, Angie, Raphael and Gloria Mantz
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This high end shop sells expensive Delft porcelain made in Delft itself so the lovely pieces cost a bomb, unless the normal shops selling identikit pieces made in China!
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At least these cheeses are really made in Holland
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The New Church is around 600 years old!
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Tulips, cheese, clogs and New Church
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The man with the open mouth is a local icon
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The stalls in the openair market sell all the usual stuff like clothes, food, drinks and souvenirs
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New Church
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To market, to market!
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Happy Mantz family
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He needs a makeover desperately
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This gull has no respect for Cornelius de Groot, the advocate who established the international codex of law which explains why The Hague is home to the International Court of Justice
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Pesky gull shitting on the head of poor Cornelius de Groot the great lawyer
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Bad birdie
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The twin turrets are the Eastern Gates
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The New Church
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Els, Lisa and Jos;The family that own and run Holland House, the best souvenir shop in Delft that sells pretty blue and white Delft porcelain at rock bottom, unbeatable prices. Well, the 'Delft' porcelain are actually made in China but they are obviously not sold in China so you might as well buy them at Holland House!
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Look what I found in my box of strawberries at 2.5 euros for 2 boxes---a super rare double strawberry! I should have sold it to a museum to be preserved for a million euros but I ate it as it will bring me great good luck and make all my wishes come true
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Bikes and blooms
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Eat pasta and watch the canal flow by
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Picturesque
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Bet food tastes better on a berthed barge
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Pretty as postcard
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Postcard perfect
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The City Hall of Delft
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Delft-blue sky
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Tulips, City Hall and New Church
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City Hall and New Church
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A nation of bikes
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Kee Hua Chee as the Tiger of Delft
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Kee Hua Chee caused a major fashion stir in staid Delft with his tiger outfit
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So pretty it looks like Potemkin village
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Too perfect to be real but this is real!
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Loos with a view! Crown Prince Willem-Alexander the Prince of Orange and Crown Princess Maxima
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Look at the loos! Crown Prince of Holland Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima denote the Male and Female toilets!
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Princess Becky Leogardo, Daniel Mantz and Michael Mantz
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Kee Hua Chee wearing Dutch clogs
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Daniel Mantz and Kee Hua Chee
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Delft City Hall
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Ornate facade of City Hall of Delft
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The New Church at opposite end where Dutch kings and queens are buried
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Lifesized toy soldier
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The roads are for biking it seem
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Reflections
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The still waters reflect the houses wonderfully

I took these 3 pictures in The Hague from Michael Mantz's car in order of appearance. Notice the sharp, angular building stands on its own
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I thought it was attached to the other building but this is a free standing structure
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