rapunzll

When I went to visit my daughter and sil in the Netherlands last year, we went to Alkmaar to see the cheese market. That was a disappointment, but we found the city to be not only lovely, but a good shopping town to boot!

I plan to visit them again in late Sept.-early Oct after she has her first baby, my first grandchild. She's due in early Sept. and wants to go back to Alkmaar when I go, although she thinks at this point that I'm not coming, I plan to surprise her. I wouldn't mind going to another city, like Delft for instance, which I didn't get to the last time.

So............ what I'm wondering is, is Delft a good shopping town? She lives in Brunssum in the SE of the country and we would just do a two day one night trip.

TIA

Ida101

You will love Delft, if you like a variety in small shops, sometimes along small canals.
On Marktplein there are many souvenirshops, but also nice places to have a drink at a terrace and watch people walk by.
In the big church in that square (usually open to the public) Dutch royals are buried.
Also you can visit Porceleyne Fles, THE worldwide trademark for Delft Blue. Take a tour and visit the shop, see:http://www.royaldelft.com/index.cfm?

Tulips

I don't know about Delft, but nearby Den Haag has some nice shopping streets; I particularly like the small streets Denneweg and Hooikade, right behind the Des Indes hotel (where you can have a lovely afternoon tea).

rapunzll

Thanks guys!

It's always fun to go shopping with my daughter and Delft would be closer to where she lives.

Tulips

rapunzl; did you go to Maastricht on your last visit to Holland? I don't know Delft well, but cannot imagine that the shopping will be better than in Maastricht.

jenviolin

Delft is enchanting, but not the greatest for general shopping (and I live here). However...

head for "Speel en Leer" just off the Market square for great toys (wooden, creative, and educational emphasis)for all ages. Check out Verkade & Jaques on the Brabantse Turfmarkt for the greatest selection of cheese, wine and nibbles. And visit Gallery Terra on the Niewstraat for fabulous contemporary ceramics. These are just a few tips.
The emphasis in Delft is on quality rather than quantity!

rapunzll

Tulips, I didn't make it to Maastricht, my daughter has to go there for work often, and didn't want to go there. I am going to see if her best friend could go as well to surprise Keely and if she does, maybe she and I can go there and check it out.

rapunzll

Thanks Jen! Those are great tips. Toys, ceramics and cheese, does it get any better? <G>

Oh yeah, how about good chocolates? Is there a good chocolatier in town?

SuQue

Leiden is a real gem ..

rapunzll

Leiden? Isn't that where Keukenhof is? My daughter and I went there last year on Queens Day (Amsterdam was awful that day), but we only went to the garden.

MyriamC

Keukenhof gardens are indeed close to Leiden. The city of Leiden is indeed very pretty. Good for shopping, too!

Byrd

I'm saving all this great information for our October trip.

Thanks, everybody.

Byrd

rapunzll

Thanks Myriam! I'm going to check into it!

europa

Is Alkmaar small enough to walk around?
Is there a central area where most of the shops and restaurants are?

Thanks

dsm22

I have never been to Alkmaar, but I just came home from a trip where I went to Delft. I enjoyed my time there.

I went to the the Delft Pottery Factory. I really enjoyed that. I took so many pictures, and just loved looking at everything.

www.delftsepauw.com

Then we walked through the town, and along the Canals. They had a big market there with all kinds of stalls, and booths set up. We ate our way through the market, basically. Fresh tiny strawberries, fries with mayo, fresh raspeberries, coffee and tea, and pastries.

I looked at a lot of things that I wanted to buy, but I behaved myself. I had just bought a really expensive ring the day before at the diamond cutters in Amsterdam.

Some of the things that tempted me were shoes, scarves and chunky necklaces. I am sure that is also the place where they had one "street" of beautiful flowers that stretched along side the canal. I had to stop and smell so many flowers and take pictures.

Congratulations on the grandbaby.

Ida101

Alkmaar is a small but nice city. Walking distance from the station and more or less around the big Church are many nice shops.

rapunzll

Europa, Alkmaar is not a real big town, and the good shopping is not far from where the cheese market is.

rapunzll

Thanks dsm22!

Your post about Delft makes me wish I was going tomorrow! <G>

dsm22

If I could get my computer to cooperate, and my trip pictures posted, and you saw the ones of Delft, you would really wish you were there.

I am going to try my parent's computer Sunday. Whatever you decide, you must give us a trip report.

rapunzll

There won't be all that much to report as most of the time I'll be at my daughters, but I'll make a point of posting a report about the side trips we take!