Night location: Amsterdam

We woke to a drizzly morning and ventured out to find somewhere for breakfast. After getting a little lost and finding that the recommended cafe was full, we lowered our expectations and settled for a quick coffee and blueberry muffin at the train station!

Today we caught the train to the south west of The Netherlands to the small town of Delft. The train raced across the countryside and we saw windmills and flower fields. It is still early in the flower season but we saw daffodils, tulips and lavender. The rows are neat with tiny tracks for workers to hand pick the blooms when they are ready.

Delft is famous for its hand painted ceramics in a distinctive blue and white design. The old town area is very pretty, spreading out from a large open air Markt. We perused some of the delftware shops and markets before stopping for a delicious lunch of egg salad sandwiches. When we sat down, it was pleasant and the sunshine was quite warm so we decided to eat outside. Sadly it became quite cold and overcast so we regretted this decision very much!

Upon returning to Amsterdam we boarded a canal boat for a tour that advertised 100 sights in one hour. This was a tourist trap but the cruise was lovely and we did see some of the interesting sights in Amsterdam. The canal houses that line the water ways are all slightly different but equally beautiful. They are pencil thin, most measuring three windows wide and rise about four storeys high. The gables range in shapes which make the rows particularly interesting. Most have what appears to be a pulley system at the highest point of the gable, presumably to lift heavy things to the upper floors so as to avoid the ladder stairs. The windows are most often white to contrast against the dark brick buildings. A truly beautiful city.