Canals, Churches & a Tiny Town

The next morning, once the boys had gone to work & school, Faye, Bill & I set off to catch a tram to Delft. Yes, you heard right, a tram. Den Haag has a great tram network and they are a wonderful way to get around, just like Melbourne. I know you have all heard of and seen the Blue & White Delftware and this is the village that it comes from. The little town is beautiful. Canals and Churches make for a very picturesque place. One of the Churches looks decidedly crooked and is in fact just that. Many say it was built that way, others say it is sinking. Whatever the reason it has managed to survive for many centuries so I imagine it will stand for a while longer.

As is usual in a lot of European towns the city square and Church is the main area and that was the case here. A large Church at one end and a Palace at the other make for a pretty impressive sight. It was Market day when we were there and the square was full of market stalls selling all sorts of things. Bill decided that a climb to the top of the Church Spire would be the best way to see the whole square and so climbed the 300 odd steps to get his photo's. Faye & I piked and found a cafe for a quiet coffee while we watched the action in the market.

On the way back to the tram I discovered that the people of this town have to have a real skill to drive and park their cars beside the canals without falling in. No rails or kerbs and they reverse park - I'm in awe.

The sightseeing continued into the afternoon and after we collected Ethan from school we went and visited Madurodam. It is Holland in a nutshell. The miniature city offers you the highlights of the Netherlands on a scale 1:25. All the famous landmarks, canals, docks, locks, airport & the boy with his finger in the dyke are all represented in this amazing park that delights all who see it. Many metres of working train lines, cars on motorways, ferries on canals and planes that taxi along the runways are just some of the many displays that are working models making for an even more entertaining visit.

So once again after a full day it was very weary legs that had to face those stairs at bedtime. Another adventure tomorrow, we are off to Amsterdam.

Until then..............