Confinement, the lost tapes

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement, the lost tapes
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement, the lost tapes

I missed playing tapes in my car while driving through Rotterdam or the country. So I bought a new old stock radio cassette original to my car dating from 1997 and replace the radio CD player. What can I say, maybe I’m stuck in the past, maybe its the memories. But I’m planning to drive a lot when everything returns to normal. These are a few cassette tapes I still got at home, how big is your collection?

Confinement, shore leave withdrawn

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement, shore leave withdrawn
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement, shore leave withdrawn

While waiting for a traffic light we spotted this ship – or a shipbuilding – home of a fish shop. You don’t see this everyday while driving! Location: Spaanse polder.

Confinement, dark days

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement, dark days
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement, dark days

This photo was taken by the shop assistant of the flowershop who created this flower arrangement. Made for Theo, my father in law. Unfortunately, he no longer had the strength to overcome the latest crisis. Hero.

The flipside of three of the oldest houses in the city

Rotterdam Daily Photo: The flipside of three of the oldest houses in the city
Rotterdam Daily Photo: The flipside of three of the oldest houses in the city

I photographed the front of the houses a few weeks ago, now its time for the flipside…

Confinement flowers

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement flowers
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Confinement flowers

This picture is taken at our home. Because of certain measures we got to stay home as much as possible. The flowers add some color to sometimes grey days.

Spot Batman

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Spot Batman
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Spot Batman

Somewhere in this image flies a lonely bat, can you spot him? Taken from the window of my house. Every evening around sunset a few small bats fly by looking for diner! Bats love Rotterdam! Its one of the largest bat reserves in the Netherlands! Why so much in the city and not in the forest? There are 22 species of bats and 10 of them live in Rotterdam. A big, stony city like Rotterdam makes it easy for bats to stay. There are also many in the parks in the city. Good for insect control! From March they fly off and on again!

Its a wrap!

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Its a wrap!
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Its a wrap!

Because of Corona and continuous duty at work I couldn’t and can’t easily take a daily photo, hence the occasional “golden old man” …

March 28, 2007, Its the year of the architecture in Rotterdam. Chosen buildings are wrapped in purple to let them jump out in the surroundings and as a festive wrapping! Location, the Overblaak, the Kubus appartments!

No queue

Rotterdam Daily Photo: No queue
Rotterdam Daily Photo: No queue

Due to social distance measures, no no long queue at the stops.

ZOHO, Urban development; slow urbanism

Rotterdam Daily Photo: ZOHO, Urban development; slow urbanism
Rotterdam Daily Photo: ZOHO, Urban development; slow urbanism

Near where I live you can find this building and area;
“ZOHO is a living and working area on the edge of the center, a 5-minute walk from Central Station. For and by makers in design, art, culture, media, tech, food, architecture and urban planning. All pioneers who want to use their craftsmanship to strengthen themselves, ZOHO and the city in an innovative way. Sandwiched between Heer Bokelweg, Hofbogen, Teilingerstraat and Noordsingel, also known as the Zomerhofkwartier, this former industrial area was struggling with vacant space. In 2013, it was decided that the area will be developed for 10 years through a gradual form of urban development; slow urbanism.”

I do like it, in a next post I will show the urban landscape in that neighborhood!

Black and white throwback, sunny tracks

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Black and white throwback, sunny tracks
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Black and white throwback, sunny tracks

Taken in March 2018. View from the drivers seat of the tram, line number 7, at Willemsplein.

For the good cause

Rotterdam Daily Photo: For the good cause
Rotterdam Daily Photo: For the good cause

Is this also Rotterdam? Sure! This container is very important because if you still have clothing, shoes or other textiles that you no longer wear, but it is still good to wear further, put this stuff in this collection container. Everything is then sorted and then passed on to the people who need clothing or shoes! Isn’t that beautiful !?

Art on the ceiling, Cornucopia

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Art on the ceiling, Cornucopia
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Art on the ceiling, Cornucopia

I had already shown the outside but this is the ceiling of the Market Hall, Grote Markt. An artwork of 11,000 m² (two football fields) by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam, entitled Cornucopia (Hoorn des Overvloeds).

Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud appreciated him

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud appreciated him
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud appreciated him

There’s a big storm now over the Netherlands so I stayed indoors and instead of a photo of rain and clouds a cultural fact! After the lamppost that gave a twist to the street, I came across this portrait of a famous Dutch writer, Multatuli, a pseudonym for Eduard Douwes Dekker. Above the portrait a known quote: Van de maan af gezien zijn we allen even groot… (translated: Seen from the moon, we are all the same size). He lived from 1820-1887. He was read internationally, with fame in Indonesia and the Soviet Union. But especially in Germany: much of his work was translated into German around 1900-1910, and this was a source of inspiration for the feminist movement there. Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud appreciated him, and even attempted to read it in Dutch! Again, you can find this portrait on the wall in the Van Oldenbarneveltstraat

Source: Wikipedia.

Day off…

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Day off...
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Day off…

I’m a bit exhausted today, and all I want is… to take a break. So a peacefull photo of the Norwegian Sailor’s Church, located on the Westzeedijk next to the entrance of the Park. Sorry… you still get a photo, but no facts and figures caption today…

Stop in your tracks

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Stop in your tracks
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Stop in your tracks

This monday evening while waiting on the taxi to go home I noticed these signs at the entrance/exit of the tram depot here in Kralingen. Some are very clear “STOP” “STOP” but one is not so simple to understand. The sign “Rangeren, sporen 11 t/m 18” is not a sign you see very often! This sign tells the tram driver to stop there whenever he must drive backwards to park the tram on one of the tracks 11 up to and including 18. When he stops there at the line, the people in charge of the tracks, changed the track to the direction the tram has to go for parking… Thats it, just something you only know when you work there!

Go to jail

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Go to jail
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Go to jail

If you ever played Monopoly there’s a chance you’ve got the card “Go to jail”! And this is one of those places you would be send, but in this case, a real jail! I took this picture at the former court house and prisonbuilding located at the Noordsingel. The court house was build in 1898-1899 and designed by W.C. Metzelaar. Executed in neo-renaissance style. In 1996 the court moved to a new building and nowadays al kind of businesses use the building. Just behind the court house is the former prison. Build in 1872 and used till recently. It was so outdated, some of the cells still had buckets for the toilet! The prison is now being converted into an apartment complex.

Fact: On July 16, 1941, the crew managed to maneuver a crashing British bomber in such a way that it did not end up on the houses, but in the Noordsingel. The Courthouse was badly damaged in the process. A group of residents of the canal have founded a memorial here in 1946.

Hacked

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Hacked
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Hacked

This is a shop window of a former Forever21 shop but now showing the results of a workshop at the Willem de Kooning Academy about using H&M sale items and rest-products to create new designs. They transformed existing garments using different techniques in a unique pieces. I don’t know much about design and fashion but I like the idea and project.

Plastic fish?

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Plastic fish?
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Plastic fish?

I walked along the canal that circled our residential complex and saw this! Large numbers of plastic bags and bags that covered the bottom like plastic fish! Rotterdam has long been trying to make residents aware of the proper separation of waste, but that didn’t really work. Now it is done better than ever in the waste plant. Used plastic packaging, metals such as cans and beverage cartons (PMD) are taken from the residual waste in the factory. PMD can therefore be disposed of with the residual waste, in the normal garbage bag. Waste energy company AVR expects to eventually remove 75 percent of the PMD from the residual waste. That is much more than the 7 percent that residents threw in the PMD containers!

Let’s hope it will work out, so far we have to go in and out by hand (and boat) to catch the plastic fish!

And now you won’t get lost

Rotterdam Daily Photo: And now you won't get lost
Rotterdam Daily Photo: And now you won’t get lost

No, I am not lost! And now you won’t get lost in Rotterdam anymore either :-), this is the first (road) signpost for the ANWB in the Netherlands! Around 1885 the first ANWB signpost appeared in the Netherlands on the corner with Hoflaan in line with the Kortekade where the Oudedijk becomes the ‘s-Gravenweg. The pole pointed the road to Rotterdam (4 km to the west then), Utrecht, Gouda and Schiedam. This is a replica in the garden of the Dutch Reformed Church on Hoflaan, the former driveway from Oudedijk to Slot Honingen (destroyed in the Eighty Years’ War).

Bee there, at mural tuesday!

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Bee there, at mural tuesday!
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Bee there, at mural tuesday!

I’m happy! After my visit at the dentist I’m free of visits for half a year! And how do I feel? Look at this mural wich can be found at the Van der Sluysstraat, very beautiful right? A wall painting with a giant drone. “It is an ode to nature and the insects that are threatened,” says artist Nina Valkhoff. Worth a visit!

A time capsule that was found with Emma

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A time capsule that was found with Emma
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A time capsule that was found with Emma

I had to go to the dentist again and on the way I found the facade and entrance of this building on the Schiekade beautiful enough to photograph! This is the Emmahuis (The Emma House) building which can be found at the Schiekade. It has an interesting story. A time capsule from the 1930s has been found in the old building. Demolition workers found the capsule embedded in a wall of the senior complex. A parchment was found in the capsule that refers to the construction of the building. There were also silver coins in it. Once this building on the Schiekade housed elderly people in need of help, but nowadays its a apartment complex.

A little bit of history:
Designed in 1932 by architectural firm P. Hooykaas and M. Lockhorst from Rotterdam. Provided for the high-quality housing of needy old people in the large western part of the complex for that time and of old people from the well-to-do state in the iconic building on the Schiekade.

The Hofbogen Park

Rotterdam Daily Photo: The Hofbogen Park
Rotterdam Daily Photo: The Hofbogen Park

Photographed at the same day as the streetscape, the Hofbogen Park, build on the platforms of a former railway station, the Hofplein Line. Designed as a public park: the Hofbogen Park. It is open to everyone daily from 10 a.m. to sunset. A unique place to picnic or walk with a magnificent urban view. In collaboration with the DakAkker, an orchard with 150 fruit and nut trees is also managed which is called “the Dakgaard“. The fruit trees are framed by heme vegetation. Part of the Hofbogen Park consists of an event area. Worth a visit!

P.S. Some more picts of the Hofbogen Park, entrance/exit, the former platform.

February 1st, 2020, theme day “Streetscape”

Rotterdam Daily Photo: February 1st, 2020, theme day “Streetscape”
Rotterdam Daily Photo: February 1st, 2020, theme day “Streetscape”

Yeah! today is February 1st and it’s a theme day! Today’s theme is… Streetscapes! I’ve chosen the Waterplein (or Water squere). The second water square in the world has been realized on the Benthemplein in Rotterdam. It took almost seven years to develop the water square idea into the final design. The Rotterdam water square is located between the three buildings of the Technikon complex which houses, among other things, the Zadkine College, the Grafisch Lyceum and the Hofpleintheater.

How it works: The design consists of three basins that collect rainwater: two shallow basins get the water when it rains from the immediate area, a deeper basin only gets water if it keeps raining consistently. The water runs through large shiny gutters across the square to two shallow basins where it collects. The areas that can overflow are painted in the blue colors. In the event of drought, the basins can be used as a sports field or theater and due to the differences in height, they offer plenty of room to sit. Benthemplein has green areas with grasses, flowers and trees. Here another view >>

And here you can find more
streetscapes of the citydailyphoto community >>

Here was the fire, May 1940

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Here was the fire, May 1940
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Here was the fire, May 1940

Its so long ago but here in Rotterdam we still remember the fires of the bombardment in may 1940. This is a table stone, a monument, with a map of the city center and the spots where the bombs of German airplanes hit the city and set it on fire. You can see the line/border to where the fire came, the “brandgrens”. In the streets you can find a lamp in the sidewalk with the symbol of a flame that indicates where the flames came … You can find this stone/monument at Pompenburg – Admiraal de Ruyterweg.

P.S. Here’s a detail of the stone (click here), difficult to photograph due to the mirror surface, but then you have at least an idea of ​​what there is to see…

A football castle

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A football castle
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A football castle

Working late I had a stop just outside the stadium of the football club Sparta. Their stadium is nicknamed “Het Kasteel” (‘The Castle’)! you can see for yourself why that is the case 🙂 Founded in 1888, Sparta is the oldest professional football club in the Netherlands. Since 1916, the club has had its stadium in Rotterdam’s Spangen district.

No Crew Required?

Rotterdam Daily Photo: No Crew Required?
Rotterdam Daily Photo: No Crew Required?

The last few months photographing for the blog ensures that you look differently at your surroundings, pay more attention to photo moments and no longer walk through your city so quickly. This afternoon I spotted this rowing boat at the Delftsevaart. You don’t see that often and the crew was not visible either. I found it to be a photo moment and so you can see it for yourself here! The building at the right is a district heating substation. Parts of it dating back to 1925. The building, carried out by the Hollandsche Beton Maatschappij, was based on a concrete floor slab of 1.35 meters thick and the rest of the construction is made of concrete. In 1949 almost the whole building was finished. You can find the building on the corner of Delftsevaart and Grotekerkplein.

A tiger at the station, International Film Festival Rotterdam

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A tiger at the station, International Film Festival Rotterdam
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A tiger at the station, International Film Festival Rotterdam

Dark, cold but I took this picture just for you! A tiger on the square in front of the station! Why? Because the whole of Rotterdam is devoted to film for twelve days during the largest film festival of the year. There are 500 films to choose from, but also all kinds of parties, talks, Q & As, exhibitions and concerts, something for everyone. When? From Wed Jan 22 2020 – Sun 2 Feb. 2020. More info: iffr.com

A monastery as a unique example of modern eclecticism

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A monastery as a unique example of modern eclecticism
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A monastery as a unique example of modern eclecticism

The sun came up and shone its light on this
unique part of Rotterdam. I took the picture.

On May 14, 1940, the Germans bombed Rotterdam. The entire city center was destroyed, including the church on Hoogstraat. After the war, plans were made for rebuilding. On May 14, 1960, exactly twenty years after the bombing, the church and monastery were inaugurated. The mosaics on either side of the entrance are made by Theo Mols, the reliefs on the tower and in the roof frame were made by Pim van Moorsel. Because of the location of the church and monastery on the Steigersgracht, it is better known as the Steigerkerk, Steigersekerk, Citykerk Het Steiger or simply Het Steiger.

Het Steiger (The Scaffolding) is included in the Protection Program for Reconstruction 1959-1965. The church was recognized as a national monument in June 2016.

The Red Guard

Rotterdam Daily Photo: The Red Guard
Rotterdam Daily Photo: The Red Guard

Not the Red Guard of Moscow but a red police alarm column from the 1950s. The style of the column is at least similar to that of the 50s. Its located at the exit of the Maas tunnel, a important connection between the North and the South of Rotterdam. The Maas tunnel is the oldest submerged tunnel in the Netherlands. The tunnel comprises four tubes: two for cars, one for cyclists and one for pedestrians. Construction started in 1937 and was completed in the WWII, 1942. I was happy that there was no emergency today but just a nice picture!

Sunday Toko

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Sunday Toko
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Sunday Toko

Today a peaceful Sunday, just like yours I hope! Although the weather is grey I managed to take this picture full of color! I took this picture at the Bergweg, a busy street with traffic, the trams, shops and houses. There are a few Toko’s there, small tropical supermarkets. Not too many people so a quiet walk and good to recharge your nerves for a new week!

Hudson’s bye

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Hudson's bye
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Hudson’s bye

I photographed this empty store/building at the Korte Hoogstraat. A few days ago this was a Hudson Bay department store (in Dutch warenhuis). Exactly two years after Hudson’s Bay the first Dutch store opened, the Canadian department store started to leave the Netherlands. All fifteen branches and the web store are closed on 31 December 2020. Hudson’s Bay opened ten stores in the Netherlands in September 2017. Five more branches followed later. From the outset, the Dutch branches had to contend with disappointing sales figures. Exactly how the stores performed, the chain never disclosed. Reportedly, last year it involved a loss of 80 million euros!

In this store/building another department store chain had to close, Vroom & Dreesmann. Almost same story but this chain opened in 1887 and closed in 2015. More and more socalled “brick shops” are closing their doors, blaming the internet etc. I don’t know if that is the only reason or one of the reasons but it is not nice to see how shopping streets show empty stores or become one-sided in terms of choice.

Swan stone

Rotterdam Daily Photo; Swan stone
Rotterdam Daily Photo; Swan stone

If you walk at the Beneden Oostzeedijk you will pass a large complex of houses and shops arose between 1946 and 1949. The architects were E.H. and H. M. Kraaijvanger. Each of the apartment buildings has an inserted ceramic tile panel in the end façade. You can see that in the photo above, just above a shop door. This is a swan, there’s also a fish, a bee and a horse.

Flood defense, status blue

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Flood defense, status blue
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Flood defense, status blue

Early sunday evening. Passing by the “Gemaal Schilthuis”, a pumping station. Status purple as the lighting indicate 🙂

Text from Wikipedia: Until the Second World War, Oostplein was part of Schielands Hoge Zeedijk, Holland’s primary flood defense. The Maasboulevard became the primary flood defense during post-war reconstruction. The Gemaal mr. U.G.  Schilthuis is on Oostplein. Schilthuis of the water board of Schieland and Krimpenerwaard, a pumping station pumping water from the Rotte two to three meters to the Boerengat and the Nieuwe Maas.

The metro line B (Hoek van Holland – Nesselande) crosses the water pipe below. Through the windows you can see the actual pumps. And so flows the weekend away and we find each other again on monday!

Two out of nine

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Two out of nine
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Two out of nine

You can find these nine eyes traffic lights everywhere in Rotterdam. Nine eyes? Thats the nickname for them, they are used by the public transport as busses and trams! Now there are two red lights, so stop! And when the bus or tram can go they light two white lights for the direction that is now free to go! Example: you go to the right, a white light left under corner and a light right upper corner show you the go. Do you have nine eyes traffic lights in your city?

P.S. Sorry for the late post, to busy at work!

Twin wheels

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Twin wheels
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Twin wheels

I almost always use public transportation in Rotterdam, or walk, or take the bicycle. But lately new types of transport have regularly appeared, electric bicycles, scooters and now these mini cars. A pilot started this summer with these trolleys in the Kralingen, Spangen, Blijdorp and Kop van Zuid districts. About 30 of these are riding here and there and they are called Lev. Everyone from the age of 18, with a valid driver’s license, can use the Lev between 07:00 and 22:00. They are not free, you can find more info here >>

P.S. I had some www trouble so this post was a bit late, sorry!

North, East, South and West is one direction

Rotterdam Daily Photo: North, East, South and West is one direction
Rotterdam Daily Photo: North, East, South and West is one direction

This morning I walked through this shopping mall and exactly in the middle of it you can find this shopping mall compass rose! It shows you all the directions, north, east, south and west but actually it is one direction, the shopping mall! This compass rose was unveiled during the opening of the mall in 1996 and has the following inscription:

het hart van de stad is meer dan een verzameling gebouwen
gebouwen, winkels, straten en pleinen, het hart is
die ene plek waar je kunt voelen dan een stad leeft

Translation:

the heart of the city is more than a collection of buildings
buildings, shops, streets and squares, the heart is
that one place where you can feel that a city is alive

Where did I park my tram?

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Where did I park my tram?
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Where did I park my tram?

I took this picture at the tram depot RET Beverwaard, a neighborhood in the south of Rotterdam. Here the trams are parked, maintained and start and end the services of, among others, the tram lines on the southern side of Rotterdam. There are seventeen tracks, several workshops and a laundry.

P.S. Tramlines south to north of Rotterdam, lines 20, 23, 25. Tramline only the south part of Rotterdam, line 2. RET stands for Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram.

Gravity is overrated

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Gravity is overrated
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Gravity is overrated

There is a large wall at the starting point of the Hofbogen, near Hofplein Station. OPPERCLAES, a platform for young contemporary artists, selects an artist a few times a year to show work on this wall. “Gravity is overrated”. A work of art with a message. The designers Hans, Vincent and Guido are members of the artists’ collective High on Type.

Derek Otte on the wall
City poet Derek Otte, poet from Rotterdam, wrote a poem especially for this artwork at this location. The ten lines are scattered throughout the work (translated from Dutch to English).

things keep weighing
weigh things all the time
sit still = a curse
standing still often a blessing

it happens around us
minuses and pluses
everything in between
we give the weight
who lifts his / her darkness
it carries a stronger light

Source: de Hofbogen

Ballerina balance

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Ballerina balance
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Ballerina balance

Another photo opportunity! Shopping for presents I walked by this small bronze statue “Evenwichtje” or “Balance” located at the Korte Hoogstraat. Made by artist Evert den Hartog in 1987. Remind me of the Little Dancer sculpture made by the famous artist Degas!  And this is also the link with the coming weekend, what is more beautiful than a few days off? Enjoy yours!

About the artwork
Evert den Hartog is known for his lightly styled bronze human figures. He is inspired for his sculptures by animals, but also by his daughter, who does ballet. Den Hartog made a number of ballerinas, which have found a place in Rotterdam. This girl is related to the dancing ballerinas, because she also manages to keep her balance. The statue was refurbished in 1990 and placed again at Korte Hoogstraat on the initiative of the retailers’ association. Together with the “Reading Girl” and the “Playing Beertjes”, this work is part of a series of very popular bronze statues in the shopping area of ​​Rotterdam.

A curtain lady in Rotterdam

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A curtain lady in Rotterdam
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A curtain lady in Rotterdam

Walking to work my “photographers eye” caught this curtain lady! In the shop window of a curtain shop. And certainly dressed for the holidays she liked to pose but for privacy reasons her face is obscured! Do you want to meet this Rotterdam lady? She resides at the Oostzeedijk Beneden!