Biking About Delft

Many cities and towns in Holland have a distinctly Dutch feel to them: old-fashioned and adorable with narrow streets and canals carved throughout.

Rotterdam is not one of those cities. In Rotterdam we have skyscrapers and an enormous glass farmer’s market and cube houses. And when I want to pretend I’m a city girl, I go into Rotterdam and do city things.

But when I want to ride my bike and wear scarves and drink oversized coffees at outdoor cafes, I go to Delft.

I ride my bike there, because after 6 months of living here, the Dutch are really wearing off on me. The path is a narrow road that winds through farms and past little Dutch cottages. The ride takes 30 minutes, assuming I can resist stopping along the way to take pictures or feed the cows. And then Delft appears, and suddenly there are hundreds of bikers and it’s all somehow bustling and quaint at the same time.

Last weekend my family converged from all over the globe to celebrate the 4th of July, and even though there were no fireworks or RWB outfits, we rode bikes, wore scarves, and drank preposterously large cups of coffee.

What and Where to Eat in Delft

The Living: They cook up an array of super lekker (tasty!) vegetarian and gluten-free food and present it in a home cooked buffet style. Serve yourself as many times as you want and pay at the end by the kilogram.

Bitterballen and Kroketten: Bitterballs are traditionally little fried meatballs. Kroketten, which are also little fried snacks, can be meat, cheese, or vegetable. Head over to Beestenmarkt, the main food square of Delft, and try out these Dutch classics.

Coffee: Relax with a fancy espresso art coffee at Coffee Company, or get an oversized cup of joe at the Dutch/German chain cafe, Bagels and Beans.

Stroopwaffels: Heaven in a cookie. Get them in any grocery, but for best results, visit the Saturday market on Brabantse Turfmarkt and Burgwal to get them hot and fresh.

Appelflap: Dutch-style apple turnovers!