Categories for Rotterdam

A walk in the Kralingse Bos today. It did start to rain a bit halfway, i was happy to have a hood on my coat.

I went through some parts i never visited before.

First i walked through the children’s farm. I had seen it before, but went around it then. This time i looked at the rabbits, the chickens, the ravens outside looking for the food of the chickens, the goats, the sheep, the ponies, a cow, the birds. There was a huge grey bunny, sitting there washing himself. Huge!

I went to the Heemtuin after that. This is sort of a botanical garden, with a focus on communities. The Heemtuin was close to the water, with long curvature paths all through it.

I walked past the lake towards the golf terrain at the east side of the forest. It started to rain pretty hard then. I did remember the shepherd telling me there were orchids flowering near the golf terrain. But that is in summer. Even though i could see new plants coming up and buds on the branches, because of the unusual warm wether the past weeks, orchids need a bit more warmth i suppose.

I walked out of the park, went up the Laan of Nooitgedacht. Discovered the tram, as of today, would not go this far because of work on the roads. So i walked up to the tube at the Voorschoterlaan and went home. Two and a half hours it took me.

Some people said hello, some said good day, some said nothing, didn’t even look my way.

When i entered the tube station a woman sitting across on the other platform was watching me and smiling while i looked into a mirrored wall and slightly adjusted my hair. I smiled back.

I remember sitting on a bench and watching the city skyline. The sounds of far off cars was all around. I don’t think you can find a silent spot anywhere near the big cities in the Netherlands.

I also picked up a worm crawling on the asphalt path. I set it down in the grass. No idea if i helped him with that. It just seemed to me to be a better spot for the worm. Ground to dive into.

Enjoy the photos i made!

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Today i made the same walk as the one i did for this website the very first time: A walk in Rotterdam: Noordereiland. This week I will make a new video clip about Rotterdam and it’s two main bridges the Erasmusbrug and the Willemsbrug over the Nieuwe Maas. Today i walked over the Willemsbrug and the Noordereiland. Tomorrow i will walk along the Boompjeskade, the Erasmusbrug and the Wilhelminapier to Hotel New York.

I haven’t decided what music i will use for this video clip. My thoughts are going to Brian Eno and David Byrne, the one album i have My life in the bush of ghosts or a song from Daft Punk. In my mind i do have this rectangular view of the clips i’m making. Following the old view on the demolished train bridge, using sky views on the bridge, slow horizontal views on the shores of Rotterdam. This does give me ideas for the music, but i need to listen more.

The walk took me longer than i anticipated. I had planned to sing a song today. Hopefully i will sing one tomorrow.

Writing a bit more after having something to eat, lying on the couch, watching Heel Holland Bakt. I also listened to some songs from the Cinematic Orchestra. It does feel a bit too quiet to me. And then my eye fell on this song from Chris & Cosey. Re-education through labour. I always had a soft spot for this one. So i’m trying this. Tomorrow i will listen to other songs. David Holmes is an option too. But hmm.. this Chris & Cosey one might work.

Bye bye!

Friday i went for a walk around the Kralingse Plas. It was a lovely day, around 20ºC with an almost clear blue sky. I did take a tram and started close to the park. I did a short route this time. Over the Verborgenlaantje to the water. I sat there for a short bit, enjoying the view, the birds. I walked back along the Boezemkade and visited the gallery where a friend curated an exhibit. He wasn’t there though. I will make an appointment soon to see him! After that i walked back home.

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I like coffee. I don’t drink any at home at the moment, so once or twice a week i go out and drink some coffee. Usually i go to the Coffee Company, close to my house. Occasionally i go to the Urban Espresso Bar, a bit further on. Charlie’s Kitchen is close by too, but that is not my favourite.

So what makes the Coffee Company my favourite? Well, i do enjoy the coffee. I usually have a medium latte. Sometimes with cake or tart or a cookie. But what i do love is the view. Its terrace is situated at the top of the Meent. You can see the aqua color of the high rising Beurs building at the Coolsingel. People coming and going, talking, eating, checking their phone. Just doing their stuff.

I do read the newspaper when i drink my coffee. Usually the NRC Next. I had a subscription to the NRC for around twenty years. I did stop over a year ago, price being one reason. Another reason was that i didn’t read it fully each day. So all the time i get a phone call or i walk into a person on the street trying to sell me a subscription to it, i politely say no. No thanks. It’s always hard to get away from them, they are trained to make you think, make you want. But a no is a no. Usually. I do sometimes chat with them. I once had a chat with two young people with the Volkskrant, that was a lot of fun. But still, no.

Back to the Coffee Company. I love sitting there when it’s sunny and not too cold, on the terrace. You are able to look far away onto the Meent. I love listening to people on the terrace. Today there was a young mother with her baby girl and a friend. Lovely.

I feel calm, at ease. Simply looking at the people around me. Sometimes a few words are said between me and someone else, usually i just sit there quietly by myself. Easy going yes. A nice coffee break.

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Today, this sun shining warm day, i made a walk to the Trompenburg Arboretum. An arboretum does have a technical meaning, but in general it refers to a botanical garden with many different kinds of woody plants. It is about a half an hour walk way from my home. The garden is larger than it shows on the map, after the break. There is a small piece across the Groene Wetering and a large small piece behind the sports fields. The garden is beautiful. Stunning.

I left for the walk straight after i watched the Filosofisch Kwintet with a new episode about solidarity and togetherness. Ms. Ghorashi was the most clearheaded person for me, telling about small stories told out of spontaneity. Not judge to quickly, being interested in another person, being emphatic. I do feel there are links there with what i’m doing here, on ellenpronk.com.

Yesterday evening i watched The Shining directed by Stanley Kubrick. Scary! At one point i felt like switching it off, but i did manage to continue. Happy i did.

I did write a short piece about Kubrick for my world map series yesterday. Still have the others to do, this post could be online the end of this week. I read his wikipedia entry, his filmography and i decided to put time and energy into getting more information about him. Reading about his work and his working methods. To begin with watching his movies with a bit more attention is good.

That’s it. Well, not entirely.. the photos! After the break. Enjoy 🙂

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Today i walked from Hoek van Holland to Kijkduin. I had planned to walk to the harbour of Scheveningen, but it was raining, i was getting cold, so i decided to take the bus at Kijkduin, the southernmost part of The Hague at the beach. I walked through the dunes for half of the walk, then i walked to the beach and walked besides the water, the kitesurfers and the people walking their dog.

It was a good walk, and i had the wind blowing at my back! A bit more sun would have been nice. Not that much rain. But oh well, it is Dutch summer weather. I still like it!

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Taking the metro to Graskruid this morning. I did want to go to Nesselande, closer to the Zevenhuizerplas, but i found out at the metro station that it wasn’t running. From Graskruid i walked to Hesseplaats, on a path along the metroline. From there i followed the bike path roadsigns to the Rottemeren.

I went through the Nessebos, which looked good. Very much like a park, but still good. Then along the beach at the Zevenhuizerplas. It wasn’t busy there, but there were still children playing in the water and older people sitting on the beach. I don’t think i saw even one older person playing in the water. Towards the end, where it was really quiet, i sat down for a bit and ate a sandwich i had taken with me.

Then the Slingekade. This was a curvy road through the Eendragtspolder, with man made waters. Some of them were crowded with birds, the right part was for when the water levels in the Rottemeren would become too high. A type of sluice would let water through once that happened and flood the entire right part, to prevent the waters from reaching houses. I had been thinking that these waters would be for sport rowers, but i didn’t see any in the beginning. At the end though i saw a building with platforms which were clearly for rowers. Walking along further i saw the main big row part appearing. I kept on walking around it, crossed a bridge and sat there for a while, eating my second sandwich.

I checked the map hanging there and saw there was a small ferry about. I followed a sign and got there, straight across from the restaurant i ate something when i did my first walk at the Rottemeren. I decided to go home the same way as then, with the bus and the metro. I was tired.

I left home at twelve, got back a quarter to five. I don’t walk that fast, i like to look around, make pictures and sometimes sit for a bit. But still. When i got home i was really tired, my feet hurt a bit. I switched on the tv and watched the final bit of the Tour de France stage of today, the first one through the Alps. Then i laid down on the couch for an hour or so. I do feel better now.

I know i know, i should walk more!

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A walk to Rotterdam-West. I love this area. It is the place i first got an apartment when i moved out of my home. The place where most of my friends used to live. The place with so many memories. It is nice to walk and see all the streets i’ve walked or biked into, where i knew people. Some people still do live there, or moved there. They went to the bigger streets and nicer houses. I do see many areas with new buildings, or old buildings cleaned up. I walked past Spangen, which used to be a creepy area with loads of houses closed. Now it’s back to its former glory, all shiny. Some parts are really feeling better. But yes, it does mean those parts have moved to other areas in Rotterdam, most in the south part below the river.

I made many photos along the way. I got me a new haring. A saoto soup. First i thought of walking to Schiedam, but i stopped at Marconiplein and got back with the tube.

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