Cherished memories of the port of Rotterdam, a city filled with vibrance and resilience.
In this installment in this series, I’m going back to the year 2011. This year I had to travel to the Netherlands several times due to family members passing away. While this happens to all of us at certain times, it’s never pleasant and these trips are etched in my memory. At the same time, there are also great memories from these trips. I spent time with my favorite aunt, as well as some good outings with much of the family.
As I was sauntering by the water with my aunt, I captured this photo…
Port of Rotterdam
The port of Rotterdam is a significant part of the city’s industry and pride. It has long been the most important port for getting goods up and down the Rhine river. Getting this shot was a bit tricky due to the low light conditions, so I placed my camera on a mooring post for stabilization. This enabled me to get both a reasonable exposure and depth of field.
Rotterdam will always be my home city, as this is where I grew up. It provides me with lots of great memories, whether school times or museums. More than anything this is a vibrant city, always alive with an energy that connects to its motto: Sterker door Strijd (Stronger through Effort).
Best wishes for Thanksgiving! On a rainy day, we go back to a memorable visit to Kinderdijk in the Netherlands.
Greetings everyone and a Happy Thanksgiving to folks in the United States. As today ends up being a rather rainy day in Massachusetts, I thought that an image with rain in it might be appropriate.
This shot is from one of the stops that my wife had along our cruise with Viking River Cruises from Amsterdam to Basel…
Kinderdijk Rain and Shine
In the Netherlands the weather can change pretty quickly and this day typified that phenomenon; as rain was falling the Sun was already making an appearance creating for a rather interesting vista.
This wonderful site is a great place to visit to get steeped in the history of windmills and what the Dutch did centuries ago to keep their feet dry and water table under control. Of course, this tends to be visited mostly by tourists, as those of us who grew up in the Netherlands are very familiar with windmills, as they literally are just about everywhere across the western part of the country.
When people think of visiting the Netherlands, they always think about Amsterdam and, possibly, The Hague, but relatively few think about visiting Rotterdam. Each of these cities has their set of attractions with Amsterdam’s museums and canals, and the beach and parks of The Hague, but for my money you can’t beat the variety of what Rotterdam offers! And, as the mystery slide for this week is set in Rotterdam…
Centraal Station
The best way to visit Rotterdam is by public transportation; if you’re coming from outside the city, you’ll likely arrive at the central train station, or ‘Centraal Station’. This completely modern transportation hub combines train, street car, bus and metro (subway) in one convenient package. When using public transportation in the Netherlands you’ll want to get get an OV-Chipkaart, which is used for all modes of transportation; as a tourist you can buy an anonymous OV-Chipkaart, which comes preloaded and can be loaded at many check-points using your credit/debit card. Just don’t forget to swipe your card when you get off you disembark!
Skyscrapers!
A unique feature about Rotterdam’s architecture is the presence of skyscrapers in the center of the city. Every other city center in the Netherlands consists of older architecture. This is due to the fact that during the early days of World War II, the center of the city was flattened by German bombs during the so-called Rotterdam Blitz. The notable surviving building from this onslaught is the St. Lawrence Church (St. Laurenskerk), which was damaged, but was restored and still stands proud surrounded by modern architecture.
De Koopgoot
The center of Rotterdam is well-known for its shopping district that extends along the Coolsingel and the streets surrounding it. As the Dutch love walking in their cities, the center has been set up to minimize the need for crossing the street. An example of this is the Beurstraverse, which is better known as ‘de Koopgoot’ or, literally, the shopping gutter; as you can see, one just walks down the incline and continues shopping at the stores below ground level, as you cross the busy Coolsingel to get to more shops.
Delftsevaart
As Rotterdam is a major port-city (‘Gateway to Europe’), water is never very far away. As the port has expanded over the years and ships have become larger, some of the old harbors are no longer used for shipping, such as the Delftsevaart above. They have either been filled in to make room for building or preserved as picturesque living areas right in the center of the city.
Hope you enjoyed this little overview of the city of my birth!
