Royal Delft (16/03)

Now it’s safe to stay that Delft is a place I have been to before: one of the first places I really fell in love with (click here) and one that I loved sharing with my sister when she came to stay (more on her visit here) and just recently, the lovely IKEA Delft with Ma! However one thing I hadn’t yet seen was one of the Delft Blue pottery factories. A short walk from the centre The Royal Dutch Delftware Manufactory seemed the perfect choice...

Included in the price of admission was an audio guide and mini tour to get us started. An initial introductory video taught my 2 friends and I of the Chinese origins in the pottery design and of its rise and then decline in popularity. Indeed at one point the Royal Delft in which we sat was Delft’s sole producer of the now world renowned pottery. The next room took us through the making process, in which automated machinery followed the guide’s voice and video screens seamlessly. It was fascinating to hear that some pottery was still produced using the traditional methods and indeed all pieces are signed using the original trademark signature. We were even able to observe up close one of Delft’s master painters at work!

Following the audio guide round the museum, its beautiful courtyard, working industrial factory and shop (where the prices were astoundingly high, a mark of how highly it is held in esteem!) was truly an experience. Thankfully photos were allowed! There's even a Miffy in the Delft Blue style...

   

Rotterdam, not just anywhere (09/02)

Rotterdam is around 26km south-east of The Hague, that’s merely 30 minutes on the train, and is the 2^nd most populated city in the Netherlands (only Amsterdam sits above it) so a visit there was well overdue. The dawning of the Chinese New Year and the annual China Light Festival in Rotterdam’s biggest park, the Euromast Park, which proceeds it provided the perfect push. A very busy city by Dutch standards there were endless amounts of things to see. We took some time to simply soak it all up with a walk through its many high-streets, side streets (bursting with creativity!) and last but not least its harbour.

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen:

Along the way we simply had to stop by one of the most well-known art museums in Rotterdam. You can travel from the Middle Ages to the 21^st century passing masterpieces by none other than Van Eyck, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Magritte and Dalí. Their special exhibition on Van Eyck, The Road to Van Eyck, was of particular interest to me as, to this day, he is seen as the progenitor of realism in painting. The exhibition is literally centred on 7 pieces known to be by Van Eyck and the surrounding works are those of his predecessors. A delightfully simple way to outline his revolutionary development.  

Seeing the development of Impressionism, Modernism and Surrealism in the main section of the museum was also interesting. My favourite find was Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Edgar Degas as I’d studied the piece at school. I was fascinated by the use of mixed media, a wax figure with real clothing, but also by the tragic story behind such girls at the Paris Opera of the time. The sculpture was smaller than I’d imagined but her primitive features and dutiful poise had as bigger effect as any in real life! Another section of the museum explored the way that everyday objects have changed over the last 800 years, quite the undertaking and one of the reasons why the museum itself is so huge!

China Light Festival:

With the onset of snow we made our way to the Euromast Park to walk around over 35 wonderfully colourful light sculptures depicting a variety of subject matter. From flowers to temples to gods to animals to a 100 metre long dragon floating on water…they really had everything required to make you feel like a part of the festivities. Traditional Chinese dancing and cuisine were also on show! The view from the top of the Euromast Tower, some 185 metres tall, although slightly weather impaired, showed off the lights with great drama especially as night began to close in on us. Looking out across the skyline of Rotterdam, and indeed further, I promised myself a return visit.