Our Interail train trip was planned and it was going to be epic. We would go from Liverpool to Brussels, Belgium to Luxembourg to Strasbourg, France to Zurich, Switzerland and back into The Netherlands. We were ready to reserve our seats. The only problem was that Liverpool FC had just clinched a victory that would take them to the UEFA Champions League final in Paris, France. People traveling from anywhere in the UK would travel through London into Brussels, or direct to Paris. The day of the match happened to be our first day of travel and every single train was booked. You couldn’t even book a seat on a rubber raft that day. So, plans changed. With the Netherlands closing out our original trip, we decided to just tack on a few days to the front of that since we can fly to Amsterdam for basically nothing, and take a train to our destinations. What destination, you ask? Well, we could have just thrown a dart at a map, but instead we chose a small traditional Dutch village sandwiched between Den Haag and Rotterdam called Delft. You may have seen the blue and white pottery that Delft is famous for, you may even own some. We didn’t know anything about the village, however we quickly learned that it’s a place of stunning beauty, loaded with charm, and home to culture that embraces quality of life. Tree-lined brick streets trace the outline of ancient canals as bicycle travelers cross back and forth on ornate bridges. Historic churches touch the sky while extraordinary buildings saturate the city centre. I’ve never seen so many bicycles in one place! You do see cars, but bikes definitely dominate the streets. Quaint cafes and coffee shops abound, restaurants showcasing a wide variety of cuisine are everywhere, and the icing on the cake is the open air market twice a week in Markt Square. You can shop for anything from handbags to clothes to fresh fish, salami, nuts, fruits and veggies, and so much more. Delft is truly one of my favorite places in the world.
