A warm summer breeze is blowing as I type this blog on my outdoor patio. A hint of autumn is in the air and I’m so looking forward to cooler temperatures, hikes in the mountains, fall colors and crisp blue skies. However, before autumn comes, I’m looking back over this past summer. Today, I want to take you with me on a stroll through my beautiful city of Delft. I don’t live there anymore, but I still consider it “my” city.
During our trip back to Delft, we visited so many people and crammed so much into a small time frame, it really is hard to process it all. One afternoon, I joined my best friend, Solange, for a walk through Delft and we ended our stroll at one of her favorite places, Lunchcafe Vrij!
Having lived in Delft for almost twelve years, it was amazing to come back and truly see it again. When I first visited Delft as an 18 year old, it was all so new, so different and so beautiful. After living there, it simply became “home”. Yes, it remained beautiful but I took it for granted, as we so often do. I walked without seeing because I was used to it.
As Solange and I walked through downtown, enjoying one another’s company, I soaked in the sights around me. For those living there, it must have seemed crazy what I found captivating and worth photographing. I understand that. What they don’t realize is how amazing it is to live in such an incredibly beautiful historical city! Not only that, the city is laced with memories of our lives there. I remember where Anton and I had hot chocolate together when we were first interested in each other. I see the places where I sang on the streets during church outreaches. I remember walking with my babies…and cycling with them too. Date nights, family outings, shopping trips, meeting with friends….every street held a story…a memory. It’s impossible, really, to capture it the way it lives in my heart. But take a walk with me anyway…
This is one of the most popular spots in Delft to grab something to eat or drink. The Beestenmarkt is the place to be!
While we were there, they were featuring an art exhibit in the canals! So original!
Well, this is pretty “Delft”! A street artist performing with Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring in the background.
One of the best drinks I’ve ever had, Vriz! So good! It’s made with basil, mint, tarragon and lemon!
A thunderstorm moved in, so we left the terrace for the inside of the lunch cafe. I couldn’t resist photographing this happy pair!
