Categories for Rotterdam

This Monday i went to Vlaardingen, a small town near Rotterdam. The town where i was born and spend the first 21 years of my life. I do go there occasionally, to visit my sister who lives there. But that’s a quick hop in and out.

It does make me a bit sad walking in that familiar but strange town. So many things have changed. My old nursery school in the Emmastraat isn’t there anymore. My old lower school the J.P. van der Schaar school on the Wilhelminastraat isn’t there anymore either. The town centre is covered now. The park has changed with a lot less green. It still looks nice. It’s a typical small Dutch town with some old streets, some new streets. It’s just not my town.

This isn’t any news to me of course. Years ago i spend a little time in Vlaardingen. I even made a few presents, title and home. It’s all part of my history. Done and dealt with.

The walk lasted for an hour. Than i took the train back home.

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A quiet walk on the Island of Brienenoord. There were only a couple of other people. One was at work on the allotments in the middle of the island. I saw two cars passing by. At the east part i sat on my coat for a while, in a mossy green patch. I ate an apple. I watched over the river. I stared at the boats passing by. At the end of the walk the sun came through a bit more.

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A walk to the Van Brienenoordbrug in the east of Rotterdam. A bit longer than i thought! My idea was to walk to the island which lies below the bridge, but i didn’t manage that. I saw a McDonalds and i couldn’t resist. I got me a Big Mac menu and took the tram home.

This was after a two and three quarter hour walk, so i gotta give myself a bit a leeway here.

I’m still tired. Yes, this post is gonna be a short one. The pictures with a caption. Enjoy sweeties!

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It is the first spring day of the year. I walk out the door around half past one. I go over the bridge and start to walk to the Noordsingel. Looking through the houses i change my mind and walk past Gare du Nord, a lovely vegan restaurant in an old train. Then i walk to the Noordsingel.

It is so lovely. The trees start to show buds, a first cherry blossom is visible. Birds are flying through the air. Two gooses sit along the water with their five hatchlings. There is only the quiet sounds of sunday traffic buzzing around.

I walk to the Gandhigarden at the end of the Noordsingel. A year and a half ago i went to the garden a few times and helped out with weeding and binding up the tomato plants. It is a communal allotment garden with several other functions. I walked around the whole garden, through the forest edge and through the other individual gardens. I drank a cup of tea, enjoyed the sunshine.

I say goodbye to everyone there and start walking back. This time i walk along the old unused traintracks to the old Hofplein station. I go up the stairs to the luchtsingel and then head back home.

A lovely day.

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Today i made a walk around the centre of town. It was a lot colder than i expected. The wind was blowing harder too. Some parts at high rising buildings it was freezing, other parts, in the sunshine it was suddenly mild. I heard later on that it will get a bit more springlike next week. Fingers crossed!

I went up to the wooden bridge, the ‘luchtsingel‘. Walking over the train tracks and down at where Bird is with some restaurants and shops. Reminding myself to actually visit Bird one day soon. A place so close to my house with gigs, dancing and food!

I walked through the central station to the West Kruiskade. I had forgotten to eat something for lunch. I went to Kiem Foei and treated myself to a small saoto soup with no egg and lots of sambal.

After eaten the soup real slow – to prevent myself from getting any hiccups – i decided to pup into the asian supermarket Amazing Oriental across the street. Last week i thought about this shop and remembered the back row with all sort of plastics to put food in. Maybe this shop had something i could put my laundry detergent in. My current packaging is getting old and is a bit narrow. Something like a small bucket with a lid would be much better. So i went trough the shop to the back and started looking for something decent. I found this 6 liter square plastic bucket, probably for rice. It was only 6,95 euros, which i felt was cheap enough. So yes! I can make lots more of the detergent now, and it will be easier to get the stuff out!

I walked straight through the centre, crossed the Coolsingel and walked up the Meent. Popped in the AH there to get some eggs for breakfast tomorrow.

And then home again.

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A week ago on this bright and sunny sunday i made a walk. I walked through town, along the Witte de With street, past Museum Boijmans, through the museum park, through de park. Which is called ‘Het Park’. I had to look it up.

And that day i decided to do the thing i never had done before. All these years i lived in Rotterdam, all these years i lived in Vlaardingen, only 10 kilometers away from Rotterdam. All these years i never ever climbed the Euromast. So i walked through the park, went out the west direction, over the bridge across the speedway to the Maastunnel, waited in line for like 30 minutes, bought myself a ticket and went up! Yes!

The photo above i made while i was waiting in line. It’s a shame the top part isn’t on the photo completely, but i still love this photo.

It was beautiful. It wasn’t all that clear, a bit misty towards the horizon. But still, beautiful. I made photos going all around.

And then, i tried to go up. There was a lift going up the final 30 meters. You had to go up a steel stairway going around the center. The first time i went back. I couldn’t do it. The steel was with holes in them. Perfectly alright of course. But still. At a certain level you didn’t see the deck below, only the stair and the view behind it. So i turned back, had a walk around the deck once more and thought about it a bit. And then i decided i did want to go up, i did want to go inside the lift and all the way up there. So i had to climb the stairs.

The second time i was lucky. There was a group of people in front of me and behind me. I walked close to the wall and did not look down too much. Still scary, but i made it! Up on the second deck there was a long waiting queue for the lift. After like 15 minutes i got into the lift. A stunning view. The lift moved around slowly, there was a bench you could sit on. Not that scary really.

Once the lift got down again, we all walked out. For me, my project was done. So I went down with the elevator, walked out and went back to the park once more. Truthfully, i love the park more. But hey, that’s just me and my minor fear of heights. I thought about taking a tube back home, but it wasn’t that long a walk. A few more photos were the result. A great walk!

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I love walking. Preferably when the sun is shining. So last friday there was a straight blue sky, not too much wind, still cold, but hey! that’s still plenty good things to me! So i went out for a walk.

I walked through the big area where there is a market on tuesday and saturday, past my old artschool towards the Willemsbrug. At the end of the bridge, i walked down the stairs and went on the roundabout way on the Noordereiland. At that time i still thought i would go around the island, and then on towards the Erasmus bridge. Towards the end of my round trip i changed my mind and decided to go back the way i came. I went past an empty block of houses, inside to the Burgemeester Hofmanplein and past that whole empty block. All the shops where empty too.

I asked a man who stood there what would happen to the houses. If they were being rebuild, or being put down. He told me they were going to be put down. A new block of houses was going to be build there. He also said that the rent would go up. He talked about a house he visited one time in Brielle, which costs 1400 euros a month. I said to him i was happy i bought my own place 20 years ago. He smiled and agreed with me.

After that i walked on, went through the small park close to the Willemsbridge. I sat there on a free standing chair in the middle of the park. There was a small enclosed area which i didn’t understand. Until i walked past and i read the sign. It was a special area for dogs, where they could be let loose and run around freely. And pee. With fences all around. Weird.

Past the bridge i walked down to a small footpath besides the river. After that i walked up again and i was thinking about getting me something to eat. After a few minutes i decided to go to Mellegers, the butcher on the Meent and get me a sandwich croquette. The selfmade veal croquette. Which i love!

It was a lovely walk.

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