Delft Days 2 & 3 and then to London
Delft Days 2 & 3 and then to London
The last two days were fantastic. My wonderful
hosts/friends: Marc and Helga in Delft and Rijkswijk,
respectively (their two homes) made my experiences in
Delft fantastic.
After waking up yesterday we had a breakfast full of
fun conversation. Then Marc and I went off to TU
Delft, the Technological University of Delft. Marc
toured me around by car first pointing out the various
buildings: engineering, ship design, computers,
physics and industrial design. He is a professor in
the Industrial Design college and teaches creative
problem solving courses.
When I first signed onto the internet and joined my
first discussion group in 1991 it was Marc's list:
CREA-CPS and we have been cyberspace friends ever
since meeting once in Buffalo at CPSI.
We spent some time in the college while he did some
planning and I did some internet writing. Then off to
lunch with his department head and two other staff
members, one, Case, who also teaches the creativity
course. They are also involved in the IDEA SAFARI
conference coming up in the Netherlands in December.
If you want info write to me.
Lunch was fun learning about their students and their
creativity programs. Then off to tour the studios and
classrooms in Industrial Design and to talk with a
couple students about their project.
A few errands in Delft and off to Den Haag Centraal to
train to Utrecht to meet two Springboarder friends
from CPSI 2001: Nienke and Bert. I discovered that
Dutch trains sometimes don't run like Swiss or German
trains. We spent more time studying the scenery in a
standing position than at 70 K or faster.
A little stress built about missing my friends because
the train was over a half-hour late.
I made it to our rally point and there out of the rush
hour crowd appeared two smiling and hugging friends.
Off we walked through the streets of the historic area
of Utrecht to tour some and in search of a fun
restaurant. We ordered and talked for nearly 2 hours
and then they walked me back to Utrecht Centraal to
help me buy a ticket to Rijkswijk.
Enough of those details, details of traveling.
Marc and I talked about our common and different work
in creativity until 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning.
In the morning today it was time to discover which
boat I would take to London today.
Once that was finished it was time to return to the
historic section of Delft for some walking meditation.
I love Delft. The streets, buildings, shops, spaces
are so peaceful. No two buildings or even doors or
windows are the same in the historic section of the
city.
Once arriving at the famous square between the
cathedral and the town hall I climbed the many steps
to the top of the cathedral to look out onto Delft
below.
Returning to the ground level I wandered through
several of the streets in varying directions soaking
up the sensual pleasures that pleased my eyes, ears,
nose, mouth and fingers.
Capturing the feel of Delft in photos is fun but a
poor second. The beautiful images and reflections in
the canal grid, the varied paving patterns (each with
its own specific purpose or function), the beautiful
sounds of the various churches, the cathedral and the
carillon, the many different groupings of people
enjoying the same environment in the own special ways
from the American to the German to the Italian
tourists to the Japanes film crew doing a documentary
or television show on Delft with a Dutch man who
towered over them with his 7'-2" and their 5'-2".
I sat on a bench for most of an hour just watching and
experiencing the environment through my senses, mind
and heart.
A wedding party came out of the Town Hall filling the
air around the entrance with soap bubbles, crepe paper
and streamers in anticipation of the bride and groom.
When they came out the bubbles flourished and filled
the sky above them above their heads.
Gelati: bosenberry and chocolate chip with Slagroom.
A must when I come to Delft.
walkers, bicyclers, motor scooters, motor bikes, motor
cycles, cars each driving through the square, a few at
a time. No rush...just simply a variety of movement.
I got up and walked over to the statue of
Erasmus...(that was for you Chris Barlow)...actually
it is a statue of Hugo Grotius, first McDonald
franchiser in Delft (ha ha).
For about 20 minutes I played manicun slowly turning
360 degrees over and over scanning the vast square
looking for Marc and Helga to go to lunch in Delft.
Their friendly faces arrived with their very broad
smiles and off we walked to one of Marc's favorite
sandwich shops a short distance from the square.
We chose a table, sat down, got our menus and Marc and
Helga translated for their wandering American friend.
After the waitress took our order and left all of a
sudden I felt a tremor.
Ooops!
We were eating on a boat in the canal. I was so glad
to be sitting down with them I hadn't noticed that we
had stepped onto a boat.
Great chicken salad with sprouts, tomatoes, boiled egg
and stuff sandwich and fun conversation.
It was to be my treat.
At least it was until I got up to the cashier and she
gestured that they didn't accept VISA (or any fee
charging credit cards).
Oooops! Earlier I had the same thing happen when I
went to buy a Dutch cartoonist book and went to the
nearest ATM machine to get a little money. I
mistakenly convinced myself that I wouldn't need much
because I would simply charge our meal.
WRONG!!!
After a great lunch together we hugged and off Marc
and I left for the coast for me to take the fast boat
to England.
Zipppp! Now I am in London in Paddington Station area
writing to you.
The sunset filled half the sky with brilliantly pink
clouds surrounded with intense blue skies accented
with small purple clouds.
Off to Stratford on Avon in the Morning.
Good night from Wandering Alan
The last two days were fantastic. My wonderful
hosts/friends: Marc and Helga in Delft and Rijkswijk,
respectively (their two homes) made my experiences in
Delft fantastic.
After waking up yesterday we had a breakfast full of
fun conversation. Then Marc and I went off to TU
Delft, the Technological University of Delft. Marc
toured me around by car first pointing out the various
buildings: engineering, ship design, computers,
physics and industrial design. He is a professor in
the Industrial Design college and teaches creative
problem solving courses.
When I first signed onto the internet and joined my
first discussion group in 1991 it was Marc's list:
CREA-CPS and we have been cyberspace friends ever
since meeting once in Buffalo at CPSI.
We spent some time in the college while he did some
planning and I did some internet writing. Then off to
lunch with his department head and two other staff
members, one, Case, who also teaches the creativity
course. They are also involved in the IDEA SAFARI
conference coming up in the Netherlands in December.
If you want info write to me.
Lunch was fun learning about their students and their
creativity programs. Then off to tour the studios and
classrooms in Industrial Design and to talk with a
couple students about their project.
A few errands in Delft and off to Den Haag Centraal to
train to Utrecht to meet two Springboarder friends
from CPSI 2001: Nienke and Bert. I discovered that
Dutch trains sometimes don't run like Swiss or German
trains. We spent more time studying the scenery in a
standing position than at 70 K or faster.
A little stress built about missing my friends because
the train was over a half-hour late.
I made it to our rally point and there out of the rush
hour crowd appeared two smiling and hugging friends.
Off we walked through the streets of the historic area
of Utrecht to tour some and in search of a fun
restaurant. We ordered and talked for nearly 2 hours
and then they walked me back to Utrecht Centraal to
help me buy a ticket to Rijkswijk.
Enough of those details, details of traveling.
Marc and I talked about our common and different work
in creativity until 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning.
In the morning today it was time to discover which
boat I would take to London today.
Once that was finished it was time to return to the
historic section of Delft for some walking meditation.
I love Delft. The streets, buildings, shops, spaces
are so peaceful. No two buildings or even doors or
windows are the same in the historic section of the
city.
Once arriving at the famous square between the
cathedral and the town hall I climbed the many steps
to the top of the cathedral to look out onto Delft
below.
Returning to the ground level I wandered through
several of the streets in varying directions soaking
up the sensual pleasures that pleased my eyes, ears,
nose, mouth and fingers.
Capturing the feel of Delft in photos is fun but a
poor second. The beautiful images and reflections in
the canal grid, the varied paving patterns (each with
its own specific purpose or function), the beautiful
sounds of the various churches, the cathedral and the
carillon, the many different groupings of people
enjoying the same environment in the own special ways
from the American to the German to the Italian
tourists to the Japanes film crew doing a documentary
or television show on Delft with a Dutch man who
towered over them with his 7'-2" and their 5'-2".
I sat on a bench for most of an hour just watching and
experiencing the environment through my senses, mind
and heart.
A wedding party came out of the Town Hall filling the
air around the entrance with soap bubbles, crepe paper
and streamers in anticipation of the bride and groom.
When they came out the bubbles flourished and filled
the sky above them above their heads.
Gelati: bosenberry and chocolate chip with Slagroom.
A must when I come to Delft.
walkers, bicyclers, motor scooters, motor bikes, motor
cycles, cars each driving through the square, a few at
a time. No rush...just simply a variety of movement.
I got up and walked over to the statue of
Erasmus...(that was for you Chris Barlow)...actually
it is a statue of Hugo Grotius, first McDonald
franchiser in Delft (ha ha).
For about 20 minutes I played manicun slowly turning
360 degrees over and over scanning the vast square
looking for Marc and Helga to go to lunch in Delft.
Their friendly faces arrived with their very broad
smiles and off we walked to one of Marc's favorite
sandwich shops a short distance from the square.
We chose a table, sat down, got our menus and Marc and
Helga translated for their wandering American friend.
After the waitress took our order and left all of a
sudden I felt a tremor.
Ooops!
We were eating on a boat in the canal. I was so glad
to be sitting down with them I hadn't noticed that we
had stepped onto a boat.
Great chicken salad with sprouts, tomatoes, boiled egg
and stuff sandwich and fun conversation.
It was to be my treat.
At least it was until I got up to the cashier and she
gestured that they didn't accept VISA (or any fee
charging credit cards).
Oooops! Earlier I had the same thing happen when I
went to buy a Dutch cartoonist book and went to the
nearest ATM machine to get a little money. I
mistakenly convinced myself that I wouldn't need much
because I would simply charge our meal.
WRONG!!!
After a great lunch together we hugged and off Marc
and I left for the coast for me to take the fast boat
to England.
Zipppp! Now I am in London in Paddington Station area
writing to you.
The sunset filled half the sky with brilliantly pink
clouds surrounded with intense blue skies accented
with small purple clouds.
Off to Stratford on Avon in the Morning.
Good night from Wandering Alan
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