This morning, we said our farewells to our ship and crew of River Adagio and boarded our bus along with 40 other travelers. Our first stop was Delft, a canal-ringed city in the western Netherlands, known as the manufacturing base for Delftware, hand-painted blue-and-white pottery. After a brief tour of the old town, we attended a Delftware demonstration. From right to , we were shown the process of going from the slip to the finished product.
We were also shown how to tell a real Delftware product from a knockoff and watched a woman carefully hand painting a piece of delftware.
In its old town, the medieval Oude Kerk (Old Church) built in 1240 is the burial site of native son and Dutch Master painter Johannes Vermeer.
As we left the old town, we passed by the scenic Eastern Gate with a small draw bridge.
We stopped for lunch at a windmill restaurant in a small picturesque town between Delft and Ghent.
At the recommendation of Petra, our program director for our trip extension, I had to try their cherry beer. This sweet beer tastes like a cherry soda with a subtle beer flavor.
Our next stop was Ghent, a city in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Leie; and in the Late Middle Ages, it became one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe with some 50,000 people in 1300. Today it’s a university town and cultural hub. This scenic port is lined with historic buildings.
Below is the historical center of Ghent – from left to right: Saint-Nicholas Church (patron saint of the traders) 13th century, Belfry 14th century, and Saint Bavo Cathedral 15th century.
We arrived in Bruges around 6:00 this evening. Tomorrow, we will tour the city and take an optional trip to Flanders.
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