Woman’s history of Holland heritage
She’s on a small platform of the Gouda city hall. It’s almost as if she steps forward to offer us the chalice she holds in her hand. Her whole being radiates with gratitude and humility. Or is it a sign of resignation? Does she know she is going to lose her Holland heritage?
Delft route blue love & kisses
On this Delft route blue love & kisses you'll pass the unseen borders of the city and countryside. You'll step on the crossroad of farms and greenhouses accompanied by the famous Delft kissing couple. You follow the water and feel the city's connection with its green surroundings and watermanagement. Use these route suggestions on Valentine or at dusk or dawn and fall in love with the city and its amazing Dutch landscape.
Delft route: blue kiss, royal love
Two shy teenagers, waiting for the other to take the first step. It makes sense to start our Delft route blue love & kisses at the Delft blue factory. The place where love stories are told through ceramics. While we're looking for the famous Delft blue kissing couple, we bump into these two farmers' kids. Is this the moment before their famous kiss or did they just have an argument?
One of my favorite stories in this museum is about the royal love. Every celebration or big event the Dutch royals immortalize in a plate, cup or even a full dinner set. To mark their love for their better half and for Delft pottery. And the Delft blue factory is proud of its connection to the royal family.
The park where Delft city connects with countryside
A few kilometres further on the Delft route blue love & kisses we pass Land Art Delft. In this park they've found a fascinating way to show the connection between city, urban life and the countryside, the land surrounding Delft city center. Near the A13 highway they've placed a gigantic tulip vase. In the 17th century Queen Mary Stuart was in love with tulips. To display these expensive flowers she ordered special tulip vases made of Delft blue ceramics. This giant tulip vase pyramid is an art work Land Art created in collaboration with Royal Delft. More about it in the video below or via this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqTVnhkCNXY
Delft route water management
Now we have to get to the other side of the water to continue the Delft route. If we take the longer option we see beautiful examples of Delft's connection with water management
Delft heart beats on a bridge
It's the view on the bridge on a warm summer night that takes your breath away. Romance is in the air tonight.
Having crossed the water, we follow it into one of Delft's neighborhoods where tourists are hard to find. It's fascinating to again see the connection made between city and countryside. This part of the city literally is connected to its green surroundings. By bridges. Bridges with beautiful imags of all Delft is proud of. From William of Orange to Hugo Grotius. And when it comes to love, it is the depiction of the iconic Delft heart & the endless expression of love: the Kissing Couple.
Delft route connecting flowers & food
One of the many bridges leads straight into the beautiful nature area around Delft, Midden- Delfland. As we hit the water, it might well be we spot the Kissing Couple again, this time floating by on one of the decorated boats of the Floating Flower Parade.
Didn't get the chance to see the famous Delft couple? There will be other signs of love passing by. The Delft - The Hague- Westland Flower Parade is one big expression of love. Love for all things they produce on their land and in the greenhouses. Flowers, vegetables are creatively combined in arrangements.
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https://veritasvisit.nl/en/2016/08/07/impressions-flower-parade-westland-hague-float/
The forbidden marriage of Vermeer
We follow the water and the flower parade to one of my favorite places. This church always reminds me of the marriage of Delft painter Vermeer. He was a protestant, his fiancee a catholic. At that time a marriage between these two religions was forbidden. So they went to Schipluiden, a small village near Delft. In a barn that served as church they got married. The church on the picture is part of another story in which green plays an important role. Happy to share the story with you on a tour or celebration.
From this magical & romantic spot it's a 15 minutes bike or boat ride to Delft city centre where we'll end with a kiss. A kiss of death.
The final kiss of Delft
The market square is usually the spot where many historical events happened. Same goes for the main square in Delft. To me it always seems cold there. Now that I know Jacqueline's story, it makes me think. Maybe the gloomy vibe I get there is the result of her tragic story.
Her kiss is one of the few on this Delft route blue love & kisses that has little to do with love. The Kiss of Delft is a famous one. In 1428 Jacqueline of Bavaria kissed her nephew after having signed a peacetreaty. In the Middle Ages it was common to seal a deal with a kiss. With the kiss she lost her titles, her fortune her land. Was it a kiss of death as well? Read it in my next blogpost.
Hope you enjoyed our Delft route blue love & kisses. Off course there are many more off the beaten path stories & alternative daytrip programs in Delft and its green surroundings. Check the link below for some ideas or contact me for your customised Delft group activity.
https://veritasvisit.nl/en/destination/delft-en/
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Typical Dutch activities with your kids
The Netherlands is calling and here you are: making plans for a family travel to Amsterdam and beyond. Include one of these typical Dutch activities with your kids in 2022. I'm sure your family is going to love it.
Sleeping in Delft during Pentecost
Early Saturday morning. A couple of students wake you up by loudly ringing their bicycle bells right in front of your door. This way sleeping in Delft during Pentecost is impossible! With the sanddust stil in your eyes, you look outside. The group carries big crates of Dutch doughnut look-a-likes. Your curiosity is sparked & you decide to follow them.
Whitsun sleepy head
In West Holland the Saturday before Whit Sunday is known as Luilak. It was an exciting day for young people. They rose early morning to make noise, shake up the city and wake up those who were sleeping long and being lazy – the so called ‘luilakken’. It was the time to say goodbye to winter, clean the house and welcome spring. There was no room for lazy people.
Sleeping in Delft for the holidays
In the 19th century this was still a decent festivity, if you came to work late, you had to buy your colleagues some drinks. That was it. Like any celebration, Luilak took on a different form as time went by. Just like New Year’s Day nowadays, the youngsters started disbehaving. Riots & vandalism became a common sight on the Saturday morning before Whit Sunday. There was no way to get any rest in any of the cities where the celebration. Government & municipalities looked for solutions, created their own parades and bonfires. Sleeping in Delft during Pentecost became a challenge and while a group of Delftians lay awake at night an idea emerged.
Food is the solution to sleeping well in Delft
For centuries bakeries made a special treat for Pentecost: de luilakkenbol, a sweet bun similar to a Dutch doughnut. This group of Delftians came up with the idea to create a parade for the youngsters. At the end a full load of luilakbollen would be thrown on top of them. It became a huge success and it was the start of an annual Delft festival called the Delft Bun Saturday or Delftse bollenzaterdag.
Nowadays Luilak is not celebrated any more. Its means sleeping in Delft during Pentecost is relaxed and quiet. The luilakbol is not sold by Delft bakers. But, you can make them yourself, they're similar to the English scone.
Recipe for Pentecost luilakbol
- 40 grams of yeast
- 500 grams of flour ( of which 2/3 wheat flour and 1/3 rye flour)
- 250 grams of milk
- 10 grams of salt
- 20 grams of brown sugar
- 50 grams of butter
- 300 grams of raisins
- 100 grams of currants
- tea spoon of cinnamon
Step by step making of Delft bun
Mix the yeast with 4 spoons of lukewarm milk. Take the flour and mix it with the salt and sugar. Then make a little whole in the middle of the flour. Pour the melted butter in the yeast mix and add this to the flour. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Cover with a clean cloth and leave it to rise for 30 minutes.
Wash the raisins and currants and make sure they're dry. Then add them to the risen dough with the cinnamon. Knead and leave to rise for 15 minutes. Set the oven on 240°C. Out of the dough, make buns of about 60 grams. Put them on a well-buttered baking tray, cut each bun on 4 sides. Leave to rise for another 15 minutes. Then brush them with egg and bake them for 15 minutes. Eat them with butter and syrup (or jam).
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Sources of inspiration:
https://www.bakkersinbedrijf.nl/recept_artikelen/recept-luilakbollen
https://www.maxvandaag.nl/sessies/themas/terug-naar-toen/luilak-het-uitstervende-kwajongensfeest/
https://www.beleven.org/feest/luilak
Delft & Gouda light festival: winter in Holland
The Delft & Gouda light festival are two charming December events in Holland. They take place in the historical city centre and put their own unique local culture in the spotlight.
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When small town boys visit the canal parade
When small town boys visit the canal parade they get hyperactive and super excited. Maybe it is the surrounding. The story about Vermeer and his secret marriage. All of a sudden they fall silent and look serious. Not for long though.
Secret marriage in Delft countryside
We’ve just walked through the chapel and the group’s laughter and chitchats turn into a respectful awe. Now the three men sit opposite of me, hands supporting their heads, eyes looking straight at me. I tell them the story of protestant Vermeer and his marriage with the catholic Maria. Catholicism was forbidden in those days so they had to get married in secret in this village not far from Delft.
Back home in Dutch farmland
The handsome small town boys know how it feels to hide your true self and sigh. “North of New York is where I grew up, but it wasn’t like NY at all. Just farmlands. Nobody travels, everyone stays in their comfort zone.”, one says. He almost jumped up and down on the bike when we started the tour. Now he looks at the others and finds comfort in their expressions.
When Fields of Dreams meets the Big Apple
“Do you know the movie Fields of Dreams?, that’s where I’m from”. The guy who’s talking is quite the opposite of his friend. He took his time to take in the scenery while cycling. You can see he thinks before he speaks and right now he has a stern look on his face. A mix between melancholy and pride. He’s clearly goal driven: “When I was young I told my mother I wanted to live on Sesame Street. Now I live one block away from it”. They moved from small countryside villages to the Big Apple. Dreaming of a good job, meeting like-minded people and being accepted for who they are. They succeeded and are proud of themselves. So they should be.
Birthday celebration in and out of Amsterdam
These three beautiful men celebrate a birthday in Amsterdam. At their arrival they stumbled upon the first Pride parties. They’re all excited for this afternoon, when these small town boys visit the Canal Parade. An endless flow of questions runs through the air:
“Will the Canal Parade be like the one in New York , celebrated in different districts? Will it be as big?”
Juicy stories and good food in Vermeer's wedding town
They left big city Amsterdam and Pride to wonder through the countryside near Delft with me. Even if they would have liked to be at the Canal Parade the whole day, they don’t show it. Their attention is on me and that makes me feel real special. When one of them gets a flat tire, we’re all sad. I promise them beer and good local food. Their laughter and juicy stories can be heard from far away. Somehow, with some effort, we make it back to Vermeer’s wedding place. In my favorite restaurant we savor local delicacies and good beer. More stories, more questions follow. They miss their train back to Amsterdam. And the next one. And the next one. Then they decide to really make a move. Ready for Pride Amsterdam!
When small town boys visit the canal parade
When the small town boys visit the Canal Parade, they make a trip in Delft to visit the farmlands. I’m happy they did.
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Gouda team event Dutch culture & diversity
Half day team event Hague area
Pack your bags! You’re going on a trip to the Netherlands. The grand finale: a half day team event Hague area with your work team. After a couple of days of trainings and workshops in the company’s Dutch headquarter you and your international colleagues head out for adventure!
Relaxing or active half day team event around The Hague
The global organisation you work for has given you carte blanche for a half day team event The Hague. It’s up to you and your team to decide if you want to do an active event or something relaxing. It could be a workshop Delft blue painting or a boat race on the Leiden lakes.
Connecting with your global team
Due to time differences it’s not easy to get your team members from US, UK, Europe and South Africa together in a meeting to discuss the subject of the trainings in the Dutch headquarter or the content of the company outing on the last day. So, emails go back and forth and you manage to set up a call with some of the colleagues who have been in the team for a while now.
Dutch culture activities in cities around the Hague
These hardcore team-building event participants have quite some suggestions. One of them reminds you: “We’ve done a canal cruise in Leiden a few years ago and a cooking workshop in The Hague”. “The activity should definitely something fun. I don’t mind traveling outside of The Hague, see a different city” another colleague writes in a email. After a while yet another colleague adds:
“Indeed! See a bit of the area, would love it if we could incorporate some Dutch culture. Food would be great too.”
Fun group activity on Dutch food
Food does give an extra dimension to a group activity, you think. After having gathered all suggestions, you have an idea of what kind of half day team event Hague area could look like. After the trainings and workshops you don’t want to have to think too much. So, it should be a fun and relaxing outing. It should not take too long either. Some kind of tour in a historical city not far from The Hague to absorb the Dutch culture and maybe add something food-related. Could you combine it with a local festival or typical Dutch event that already takes place?
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What if it rains on the day of your bike tour Holland?
A Vermeer-like sky greets locals and visitors of Delft. A few cotton clouds float in an otherwise blue sky. Still, weather in the Netherlands is unpredictable. What if it rains on the day of your bike tour Holland?
Story Dutch Kissing Boy and Girl
Just like Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring the Dutch kissing boy and girl traveled the world, mainly in the shape of Delft blue souvenirs. Those who know them as the porcelain figurines link them to Delft. But were they originally from Delft? A story of the kissing couple from Holland for Valentine's Day. Or any other day.
Share a Kiss and Become Famous
The Dutch are down-to-earth people and from what I've seen not overly romantic. We love a good Dutch tradition. On Valentine's Day we gift our loved ones a box of chocolate, red roses and complete it with a kiss. Simple as that. And simple is best. Look at the kissing couple, let's call them Val & Tine. Two figurines who have become the most romantic icon of the Netherlands. It's one of the most bought Holland souvenirs. And sharing a tender kiss in traditional Dutch folk costumes was all it took to become famous.
Boy Kisses Girl Goes Diverse
The tradition shows a Dutch kissing boy and girl, farmers, both in authentic folklore costume. Sometimes with tulips in hand and a windmill in the back. Typical Dutch representation. Some years ago, other versions appeared that demonstrated the diversity in the Netherlands. Small Delft blue statues of Dutch boy kissing Dutch girl and Dutch girl kissing Dutch girl. Then came the project To Kiss or Not To Kiss . The kissing couple became a multicultural souvenir, with figurines from Chinese, Surinamese and Arabic origin.
Origin of Kissing Dutch Boy and Girl
There is little information about the origin of the traditional kissing couple. Some say this picture of Jan & Grietje was the inspiration for the figurines. The kissing kids picture was taken in Volendam, North Holland around 1920. I immediately checked the clothing with that of the Delft blue statues. What a disappointment! Even the clothes of the Dutch kissing boy and girl differ per souvenir.
Delft Blue Farmer's Couple
In an article by Dutch News Delft city archaeologist Steven Jongma says figurines of the Dutch farmer's couple dating from mid 18th century have been found. Unlike Grietje & Jan they're not kissing though. The kissing part was added much later. Delft ceramics was invented in the 16th century as a cheaper version of the Chinese porcelain, Delft painters thought people only liked Chinese flowers, birds and scenes. At one point in time though, there was a painter who dared to create a typical Dutch scene. Mid 17th century the tiles with tulips, crockery with Dutch landscapes and little statues of farmer's couples with their authentic Holland dresses became more popular. Till present time people from all over the world love and cherish the Delft blue figurines of the Dutch kissing boy and girl.
What do you think is the story of the Dutch kissing boy and girl? Let us know! Extra points for when you add a creative kissing couple picture ;)
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Family Bike Tour Delft Countryside
It was a warm and sunny Friday afternoon. I was waiting for my participants at Delft station. We would do a family bike tour Delft and surroundings. I looked at the big digital clock on the busplatform. They were late.
From Europe trip to daytrip Delft
The family of four was on a Europe trip and was staying in Amsterdam for five days. Dad wanted to make a daytrip to Delft, where he had studied when he was young. Back then he mostly stayed in Delft so he thought it would be a nice idea to explore the surroundings of Delft a bit. Besides, they had already been in the city for some time so a day outdoors would be nice. Mum and dad were quite looking forward to doing something which was relaxing and active at the same time. Their girls were excited, it was one big adventure for them.
"Sorry we're late, I was just amazed by the interior of Delft station. So much has changed here in Delft!"
The family bike tour Delft went downhill
"Sorry we're late, I was just amazed by the interior of Delft station. So much has changed here in Delft!" Dad said with a broad smile on his face. While he was still taking in all the changes, we walked over to the bikes. It took a while to get started; the girls felt a bit uncomfortable on bikes which were not their own. As soon as they were used to them and got a good cycling speed we were flying! Especially downhill. We get to that later ;)
Holland bridges & windmills
We reached Schipluiden right in time to see the draw bridge being opened. Manually. The whole family was impressed and even I have to say I was quite surprised that this bridge is still drawn manually. Mum quickly slipped into a shop selling only local products. Her interest inspired me to show the big greenhouse behind restaurant Indigo. Everything produced here is used in their dishes.
We went through the Schipluiden village. Through the 'ohs' and the 'ahs' I could make out the family bike tour Delft & surroundings was a success. Mum was clearly enjoying the houses, the water and the girls happily pointed out all the flowers and young birds. When we reached the river Gaag I told them the story of the flour mill De Korpershoek. The train bridge once used for transporting fruit & vegetable is now part of the cycle route. The 10-year old threw her legs in the air when she went downhill. This train bridge is a big hit!
I promised the girls a farmers' ice-cream which they rapidly finished. When mum saw the special swing on the playground she gets the whole family together. That swing is quite an attraction every time I have a family on tour in Delft.
The famous Delft bike ferry
We continued out family bike tour Delft area with polders on one side, the water on the other. When we reached my favourite bike ferry the girls look a tad bit scared. "Do we have to cross with that, mum?", they ask. Dad took the lead, giving the wheel with the chain a good swing. We jumped onto the ferry and mum, dad and the girls had a good exercise bringing us across. - I always take the pictures of the whole activity which in itself needs a lot of concentration :P -
After drinks & bites on the terrace boats with view on the wetlands & sailing boats at restaurant Vlietzicht it was time to head back and end our family bike tour Delft.
What the family said:
We had such a nice time with you. Thank you for a fun day!
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