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Cathleen and John Visit
Sunday, October 01, 2000; posted by Paris
Last weekend we were treated to a visit from Cathleen and John. They spent their vacation in Holland and Belgium and met up with us when they weren't travelling. Last Saturday we met them in Amsterdam and toured the Van Gogh museum, walked through the city and sampled beers at the old bars and patios, and finished with a tasty dinner at Entre Sol.
On Sunday, we met Cathleen and John in Delft. It was a beautiful fall afternoon. The shadows were long and the warm breeze blew the first leaves of fall around our feet. We toured and made some significant purchases at the Delft factory. Afterwards, we strolled through Delft, had some great ice cream, visited some gardens and an old shop, then sat in the city square and tried some beers as the sun began to set. Finished the evening with an excellent Thai dinner right beside the Nieuwe Kerk. Other than the terrible driving conditions (lack of clear, concise signage and parallel/perpendicular intuitive street plans) it was one of the nicest afternoons in recent memory.
We got to meet Cathleen and John for dinner the night before they left. Tried another restaurant in Amsterdam - Indonesian. Another good meal. John, Cathleen, and I had the rijsstaffel - rice with about 12 different spicy toppings of meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Lisa had a vegetarian mini-rijsstaffel.
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This is a picture of the tranquil garden in the center of the Delft factory complex, complete with fountain and flowers. The perimeter of the garden is lined by a hall that contains a series of Delft tile creations from years past. Great artwork - some pictures included.
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Inside the Delft factory one can see the plates and bowls going through the manufacturing process.
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An old tile map of the Delft complex from 1876 (I believe) seen as one begins the tour.
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Three examples of the decorating process at the Delft factory.
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One of the tile murals that line the garden at the Delft factory.
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John, Lisa and Cathleen outide the In De Wildeman bar in Amsterdam. Dozens of tasty beers to sample in this 310 year old bar.
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Lisa, John and Cathleen enjoying french fries, Belgian beer and beautiful weather in the main square in Delft.
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A year-long project at the Delft factory. They are reproducing a life-sized copy of the famous Rembrandt "Nightwatch."
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John, Cathleen, Lisa and Paris at the entrance of the Delft factory tour. Photo courtesy Olympus self-timer.
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