Rotterdam

 

 

 

Docked next to the Erasmus bridge in the heart of Rotterdam

 

After a long fourteen day sea voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Rotterdam, we left the ship at 9 am directly into a rain storm. A taxi took us to our hotel, and we checked our bags so we could walk around until 3pm when our room was to be ready. Just as we left the hotel, the rain eased up and the day's weather improved. We arrived on the day of the kings birthday celebration (57 yrs old today). Along with tons of merriment, this is a tax free shopping holiday, so the crowds were out shopping and partying with a vengeance.

First, a cup of coffee!

Fashion first for the King

While we waited for the rain to stop, we ducked in to MiniWorld, a few blocks from our hotel. They have a gigantic scale model of Rotterdam, complete with a model train set up. The whole thing is controlled with a bank of computers. Here's a link to the YouTube video that led me to this amazing creation: https://youtu.be/0JIZQU192gU?si=W6wk9vpLZ_b6sykq

 

Precious cargo

This is the location of our ship's dock

The Holland America Building

The rain just ended as we finished out visit to MiniWorld

A Henry Moore wall sculpture

Rotterdam was bombed heavily in WWII, so much of the city has been rebuilt. The modern architecture is some of the finest I've seen, combining great imagination and practicality .

Lots of green space in the city, pedestrians,  bicycles, trams and cars all manage to coexist

Some wall art on a grand scale

I'm melting!

Outside a restaurant

Orange for the King

Bad Dog

The Kuubs, a residential complex.

Bike Parking

The Food Mart in Blaak. Graphic panels wrap the walls an ceilings inside the hall

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Bikes are everywhere in Rotterdam. The bike on the right is a typical Dutch bike. Built to be sturdy, reliable and easy to maintain, it's a pragmatic solution to the transportation needs of many, many people. The Netherlands is a flat spot in the world, and they take good advantage of it.