In July I wrote about a recent paper covering my lab’s recent work with a concept called “Error Type Refinement.” Then, in late September, I got to travel to the city of Delft in the Netherlands and present the work. I presented at the ASSURE workshop, which was co-located with this year’s SAFECOMP conference. The workshop and conference were great — the presentations were really interesting, and I got to meet a lot of people working in the field (many of whom I knew previously as names on papers that I had read!)
I also had a lot of fun exploring Delft — the city is very old, and has a lot of really cool history, including a couple of neat churches — the Nieuwe Kerk (or New Church, though construction actually started in 1396) and the Oude Kerk (or Old Church, which dates to 1246). I also got to see more modern buildings (like the University library, which is a giant cone built into a hillside) as well as very small ones at Madurodam, which is a theme park that has 1:25 scale replicas of famous Dutch buildings, roads, ships and trains.
It was really nice to have nearly everything in the city easily accessible by foot, though I felt like I was always at risk of getting run over by people on bicycles, which was quite a change coming from the US. The canals (and accompanying ducks and geese) around which the sidewalks and streets were laid out were also a very pleasant change from the more mundane Kansas.
All in all, it was a great trip, and I learned a lot — both about safety critical computing, and about the history of the Netherlands. You can check out the photos I took below!
Delft and its University
The Aula Congrescentrum, where my conference was held. It’s a pretty impressive looking building, very much in the brutalist style.
The “Senaatszaal” where the actual conference was held.
Delft’s university library is a striking modern structure built into a hill. The cone section contains 5 concentric rings of study areas, and the top is a skylight.
The university library, this shows the base of the cone which extends up through the lawn.
A view of the university library from inside — this shot is “inside” the hill looking out.
Delft’s town hall, viewed from the ground.
The Nieuwe Kerk, viewed from the ground (with tents being set up for a cheese festival)
Some of the apartments in Delft are over 500 years old.
A street in Delft’s old town
The Nieuwe Kerk at night
Swans, judging me for not giving them food (except the one in the back, who is a bit more pragmatic)
A statue of Hugo Grotius, in front of the Nieuwe Kerk
Where there are canals, there are ducks.
This is the “parking lot” of the Delft train station. There are a number of rows just like this, it’s a pretty breathtaking number of bicycles.
This 18th century painting by Johanne Huibert Prins shows Delft’s market square, which has had a market every Thursday since 1246.
A map of the world, with considerable unexplored portions in America and Australia
These holes were from the gun of Balthasar Gérard, who assassinated William of Orange at this spot in his house (now known as the Prinsenhof) on July 10, 1584. It was the first assassination where a handgun was used.
This is the Oostpoort, or Eastern Gate, in Delft. It was built near 1400, and is now a private residence.
Nieuwe Kerk — Exterior
A view of the Delft town hall from the highest level of the Nieuwe Kerk’s (New Church’s) belltower.
Another view of the Delft town hall from the Nieuwe Kerk’s belltower, showing more of the city (looking southwest)
Looking North from the belltower of the Nieuwe Kerk (The Hague is shown in the distance)
Delft, as viewed from the Nieuwe Kerk’s belltower, while looking Northwest (note the Oude Kerk, or Old Church on the right side)
The Oude Kerk (Old Church) and Delft, as seen from the Nieuwe Kerk’s (New Church’s) belltower
The Oude Kerk, viewed through one of the extremely narrow arches on the Nieuwe Kerk’s belltower
Maria van Jessekerk, as seen from the Nieuwe Kerk’s belltower (looking south)
Delft, sky, and the Nieuwe Kerk
The Nieuwe Kerk itself, viewed from its belltower’s highest level.
Looking over the Maria van Jessekerk over Delft. TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) is in the background, and Rotterdam is barely visible on the horizon
Stonework showing masonry tools. I found myself greatly appreciative of all the workers and their tools, as the wind gusted and I glanced down at the ground…
Stonework showing masonry tools. I found myself greatly appreciative of all the workers and their tools, as the wind gusted and I glanced down at the ground…
The very steep, very tightly spiraling stairs used to access the belltower. There are 376 steps from ground level to the top (nearly 300 feet!)
Some ironwork, with the Oude Kerk in the background. All the points had (what I assume to be) lightning cabling running off of them.
Some of the larger bells in the Nieuwe Kerk’s carillon
Delft’s town hall, viewed from one of the Nieuwe Kerk’s lower balconies on its belltower
Maria van Jessekerk, viewed from the middle balcony on the Nieuwe Kerk’s belltower
One of the large clocks on the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk
Some of the machinery operating the belltower’s clock.
Delft and the Oude Kerk (Old Church) as viewed from Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)
Squeezing through these arches was pretty tough at times — they weren’t built for super tall people.
Everything was very narrow — including the steps, doorways, and balconies themselves
Sky, Delft, and the main portion of the Nieuwe Kerk
A gargoyle overlooking some Delft apartments
Through the towers of the Maria van Jessekerk
A gargoyle overlooking Delft
Delft’s town hall, through the stonework of one of the lower balconies on the belltower of the Nieuwe Kerk
The Oude Kerk through stonework on the Nieuwe Kerk’s belltower
A nearly full view of Maria van Jessekerk from the belltower of the Nieuwe Kerk
The heavy shutters in front of the Nieuwe Kerk’s carillon windows
Roof access in the Nieuwe Kerk. This picture was taken through the window of a door that was (understandably) heavily locked
Nieuwe Kerk — Interior
A view of the church lengthwise, with the tomb of William of Orange in the distance.
The tomb of William of Orange.
The tomb of William of Orange.
The tomb of Hugo Grotius.
The church’s large pipe organ.
One of the stained-glass windows in the church
The church had a number of old bibles, like this one from 1730.
Some of the machinery that makes the clock in the Nieuwe Kerk run. It dates to 1662 (when it was probably the first new pendulum-driven tower clock), but was dismantled in 1938 and then restored in 2004.
Some of the machinery operating the belltower’s clock.
Artifacts of the church, and a chromed Jesus fish for your car.
Madurodam
Madurodam’s river and a number of its structures.
Madurodam is a children’s theme park in the Hague that has 1:25 scale replicas of a number of the Netherland’s most famous structures.
We even got a tour of their workshop, where they custom build pretty much everything (like that train engine in front of our guide)
Even at 1:25 scale, the size of some of the models is really impressive.
There are also activities for the children (or other guests!) to do. Shown here is the green shipping container a friend and I managed to maneuver mostly onto the cargo ship using a large pneumatic grabber.
They have lots of 1:25 scale models of people walking around as well — and a 3D scanner that, together with a 3D printer, can make a customized model of yourself. The scanner, shown here, is called the “Fantasitron.”
At night the lights of all the structures turn on — most get harder to photograph, but this train station turned out pretty well.
Oude Kerk
The organ in the Oude Kerk
The grave of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the “Father of Microbiology”
A memorial to Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
The grave of the famous painter Johanne Vermeer
The memorial to Maarten Tromp, former supreme commander of the Dutch navy and popular hero.
The tomb of Piet Hein, a Dutch naval officer and privateer
Stained glass in the Oude Kerk
A view of the Oude Kerk from the back of the church (under the organ) looking forward.
Nieuwe Meer in Amsterdam
The ferry coming to pick us up.
The ferry on Nieuwe Meer
The Bosbaan, a rowing lake located in Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest)
A view of the Nieuwe Meer lake from the ferry.
The Nieuwe Meer is a small lake in Amsterdam, and when I was there (a Sunday afternoon) there were lots of people out enjoying the beautiful weather.
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