I arrived in Delft on a gloomy Tuesday summer afternoon in the Netherlands, after a chaotic two days in Amsterdam. The hour train ride was soothing, the gentle ride and the picturesque landscape led me to have a quiet nap on board.
"You'll see all of Delft in a day," my friends said. "It's a weekend town full of tourists, but there is nobody here during the week."
Sounded perfect to me.
I met Marah at the local university and she showed us her boyfriend Phillip's house in town, where he was living with 12 others! It truly is a sight to see. Each year they paint and decorate the whole house in a particular theme and throw a massive summer party to celebrate.
I loved the mix of shops and residencies in the heart of Delft, it truly felt like a place where people felt a part of a community. Phillip's house was an old butcher, so one of the house projects is to jazz up their house front (but not into an old butcher).
After a coffee and brunch at local favourite cafe Kek, Marah and I climbed up to the top of the New Church, which was right across the road from the Old Church.
Towering over Delft and the flat hills of the Netherlands, you could see the entirety of Delft and all the way towards The Hague and Rotterdam.
The point sharp roofs, the use of bricks in the buildings and paved roads made the town feel traditional yet dynamic. Movement is everywhere, from a lady hanging out her washing in her terrace, to the many bikes circling the streets, to the streets themselves coming together to form a tessellating labyrinth full of surprises.
After a nap, Renske and I walked over to Marah's for a typical household dinner. Marah lives in student accommodation, where 18 people live in the one apartment! While the concept felt unreal when I first heard it, I could see how wonderful this arrangement was for students!
Everyone had their own individual rooms for privacy, but there were also common areas such as a bar (which two housemates built!), the kitchen, the lounge and a study area.
Everyone has to cook for each other over the fortnight, so everybody learns how to cook a half-decent group meal (catering for dietary requirements too!).
And of course, there is the yearly party which involves everyone coming together to clean, repaint and decorate the whole house. The place felt like a never-ending, cool, hip gathering.
After dinner, we went to town for terrasje pikken. These adorable modernist mint-green residential buildings led us there.
Every week, there is a market with local, fresh produce which rolls into Delft. Each day of the week, those shops travel to different towns selling everything from fruit to phone cases to gourmet cheeses to terribly tacky clothes. It's the only day outside of the weekend that the town square is filled with people.
I bought three mangos and two punnets of raspberries for four Euros. Outrageously cheap.
Nearby is the local windmill! Surprisingly it was the only windmill I visited in the Netherlands, but luckily for me it was still in operation! Underneath was a store selling flour milled by the windmill, as well as all kinds of artistan varieties of sourdough starters.
I took a slow walk back to appreciate the serenity and quaintness of Delft. With so few cars coming in, the streets were quiet outside of general chitter-chatter of locals. I did a double-take as I walked past a tiny little library in the neighbourhood.
Delft is the only place where I've seen residents grow roses over their door-fronts. They were in full bloom and were one of the few sights of plants in the streets.
The flag and backpack hanging out the front are of a high school student about to celebrate their graduation.
Thank you to Marah for hosting me and having me for a few days. It feels so wonderful to be able to experience a place with a local, even more so when they are a dear friend.
Delft was special.
With love,
Thomas
© 2026 Thomas Feng
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