Categories for Rotterdam

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.

Read more…

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.

Read more…

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 🙂

Read more…

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!

Read more…

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!

Read more…

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.

Read more…

Heijplaat is a place i had never been to before. I knew where it was, on the south side of Rotterdam. Looking on the map, i see it is on the opposite site of Marconiplein. I used to live close to Marconiplein, from 1985 until 1995. I looked on the map and finally decided to get out in the tube station Slinge and walk from there.

It was a good day, weatherwise. A clear blue sky, a slight breeze, not too hot. First i went through Pendrecht. Never read much about it. I talked with a person who saw me taking photo’s of the flats. According to him it is getting better. Houses and flats are improved. It is a slow process, but its getting there. I could see the new builds. I did feel like a stranger walking through the area.

The Waalhaven. An old harbour area, still used as such. With smaller boats. The bigger boats get unloaded more up the river. Or down the river? Closer to the North Sea anyway. Its sort of a faded look, not ugly, but utilitarian. This is not an area for beautiful landscapes, but a working area. Everything has a purpose.

And in the midst of all this, a living area, Heijplaat. It is bigger than i imagined. You couldn’t see the harbour around it. I bet you could hear it though. Not on a quiet sunday, but on weekdays for sure. I walked all the way up to the waterside. Museum Rotterdam and RDM, the Rotterdam Drydock Company are situated there.

I had planned to go back by bus. But i had to wait for around 15 minutes, so i got myself some water (i had forgotten to take some with me) and walked around a bit more. Then i noticed there was a boat going twice an hour. It stopped close to the Erasmus Bridge. From there i easily walked back home.

Read more…

Last saturday i went to the Rotterdamse Oogst Markt (Rotterdam Harvest Market). I’m a bit equivocal about this market. When the weather is good, like it was this saturday, it does feel nice. There is good food, and the stalls on the whole are diverse. The ones with vegetables and bread i like the best. There are also many ready made food and sweet stalls. I didn’t go to the regular market, but i do like that one better. You have to be more picky with what you buy there, but it is a regular market, where people simply buy food and other things they need.

This saturday i did buy some spring onions, some bread with seaweed and oregano freshly picked that morning in Heijplaat, an area in south Rotterdam. I also got some turkish bread, hummus and olives for later that day when i would drink some wine with my neighbour Angela. We made a walk around the city centre later on, got ourselves some icecream and enjoyed the sunshine and good weather.

Read more…