DELFT... Long before I even knew where Delft was, I knew I wanted to visit. It was the home of one of my favorite artists, Johannes Vermeer. The Dutch Baroque artist lived in Delft in the 1600's and is famous for his paintings of daily life of the time. He was known for his use of light. And, if you ever see a painting of some Dutch lady with a white hat, cornflower blue and golden yellow dress, pouring milk from a pitcher, you've probably seen a Vermeer painting.

I had to go to the Vermeer museum. It had English text everywhere and reproductions of every painting by the master. I was, however, disappointed that there were no originals in the museum.

If you don't do art, there are other reasons for a visit to Delft. There is a weekend antique market that lines the canals in the center of the old town. It's huge, but most of the items for sale are small and reasonably priced. Of course, you'll find some Delft blue ceramic items. But even if you find nothing to purchase (shame on you!) it's just a beautiful old town to wander.

I traveled to Delft by train. But if you are a true Dutch citizen, you'd be more likely to be found on a bicycle. The bike park around the main train station was a sea of metal and wheels.

MARTIN