
September. The light is changing. Sunrise is shifting. Mist and the light has a autumn vibe. I like it. Taken from my window.
A daily dose of Rotterdam since august 2019
Ok, another couple of days have passed before I post a image again… I’m not lazy but sometimes I have to forget what I do want and do the things I can and sometimes must do for someone else. I don’t mind and I hope you won’t either! I took this a few days back during my late shift. I like the vibe, cinema like!
Photographed at Rotterdam Central station
A few days ago (and early in the morning at sunrise) I visited the beach at Hoek van Holland and took many pictures. Is this Rotterdam? Yes! Since 2014 Hoek van Holland is a part of Rotterdam although about 25 kilometers west of the city. Hoek van Holland borders the North Sea on the west side and the Nieuwe Waterweg on the south side. Worth a visit! Moreover, a metro line has been built from the center of Rotterdam all the way to the beach, get out and you’re on the beach!
And did I take a dive? What do you think?
Photographed at Hoek van Holland beach, Rotterdam
A restaurant near the church leads the visitors the right direction…
Laurenskwartier, Rotterdam
Early walk before starting my shift this day and trying to catch the light. I’m happy with this picture with a bit of skyline and the recognisable silhouette of the Grote of Sint Laurenskerk. It is the only remnant of Rotterdam’s medieval city centre. Build in 1449-1525, bombed in may 1940, rebuild in 1952-1968 and still standing. Worth a visit!
You can find the church in the Laurenskwartier.
A new year, a new start. In june 2022 I posted my last picture on this blog. Many things happened, life happened. And now a new picture. Taken a few weeks back, autumn almost gone into winter. This tree is lighten up my day and just around the corner of where I live!
I hope to show you many more pictures in 2023, stay tuned!
Finally a update of the blog! During the morningwalk I came across this. A wall poem located in the neighbourhood Oude Noorden…
How we hang on to the pasts that only exist in dreams
How we can be craving for a time to come
Today was yesterday tomorrow
Tomorrow is yesterday today
What we know
Is called the present
All the rest
Is a question that remains
On the corner of Coolsingel – Aert van Nesstraat, the luxury hotel Atlanta is located above the shops there. The hotel was built between 1929 and 1931 to a design by the Hague architect Frans van der Togt in the Art Deco style and officially opened its doors on May 2, 1931. When it was completed in 1931, the hotel contained a double-height café-restaurant. on the ground floor where the shops are now. During the bombing of Rotterdam on 14 May 1940, Hotel Atlanta passed through almost unscathed. My grandfather lived in the streets behind the building before WWII. In the summer when the windows and doors were open because of the heat he could here the music of the orchestra in the restaurant/club. It has been a municipal monument since 1998.
Finally a new picture on the blog! One of the new streetlights on the Coolsingel. This mainstreet had a total makeover. A car lane has been removed and there is much more space for cyclists and pedestrians. In addition, these new street lamps have been installed. A bit 1930s style and of course energy efficient 🙂
Cleaning up the drawers and a few boxes with camera’s resulted in a bunch of films, some almost completed, some just a few shots. Here one of the results from a Leica C1 filmcamera, taken in 2019 I think… I have to develope and scan some B&W film’s, soon to follow!
Image taken at the Binnenrotte, near the Markthal.
This one I took a while ago in april, so a somewhat old pic from a somewhat modern building. This building dates from the seventies, had a makeover but still looks a bit faded. But I liked the “Rotterdam building”. Its in black and white, thats my mood the last few months…
I had dinner at the Bazar, a restaurant that is established since December 1997 in a monumental building at Witte de Withstraat in the center of Rotterdam. Most of the dishes on the menu are from the Middle East and North Africa. There’s also a small hotel. We had a very pleasant evening and I almost forgot to take another photo for you! Enjoy the weekend!
This morning the sun was rising and illuminated the other bank of the river Maas, the south of Rotterdam with the three towers of the building Rotterdam at the left. I stood on the Willemsplein while taking this picture and I’m happy with it!
First of the month again and themeday again! Theme is “brown” so the last days I was scanning for a photo op with a brownish je ne sais quoi… And the photo op occurred when I traveled by train to another beautiful town here in the Netherlands – Maastricht… Our brown travelbags on the brown bench in the great hall of Rotterdam Centraal, the mainhub for trains to all directions of the Netherlands! I was on my way to horizons and the picture to the world by means of my blog!
Apparently about 150 years ago we started eating baked potatoes or fries! And every dutch civilian eat 18 kilos of fries (in dutch you say “patat”) a year! Here in Rotterdam where there is a market there is a chip truck, easily recognizable by the blue checkered appearance. And here’s one of the several lists of where to find the best fries but you have to check that yourself! Took this picture at today’s market at the Binnenrotte and no I didn’t buy fries (this time)…
Maintenance of a building can be boring and when working with a lift that is on the sidewalk with a wooden fence around it for safety you can just as easy “lift” the fence to a work of art! I saw this near the subway this morning on my way to work. Its not a piece of art Sotheby will put on auction but makes life cheerful!
At home we have a dog but not as old and locally famous as this dog “Fikkie”. In 1963 “Fikkie” was donated to the city of Rotterdam by the Rotterdamsche Studenten Corps. After wandering through the city for a few years and even was stolen he finally found his permanent place (in 1992) at the Oude Binnenweg. Adopted in 1999 by the socalled XVIIe Lustrumcommissie Fikkie is assured of good and permanent care! And with this positive item I wish you a good weekend!
And its the first of the month, themeday for CDP! And the october theme is orange. And while walking the dog nearby our house I spotted this delivery boy of “Thuisbezorgd” the local delivery service for food delivery ordered online with one of the many participating restaurants. And is it orange or not! 😉
In Rotterdam we use for a great number of houses district heating or “stadsverwarming”. The houses get their warm water and heating from different sources, for instance via power plants (water that was used for cooling the plants), warmth produced through waste incineration and industry. Nowadays district heating is gaining popularity due to climate changes and less use of fossil fuels. This cover is one of the many used for maintenance of the network.
There are about 80 pharmacies in Rotterdam and this one is where I got my medicines. In 2016 a Rotterdam pharmacy was chosen out of 950 pharmacies to be the best of the Netherlands. Located in the Afrikaanderwijk and a real city pharmacy. The team speaks 12 languages, has short waiting times and takes the patient serious with time to advice.
Everytime I pass this restaurant Due Tonino, located at the Goudsesingel, I think to myself “I have to go there and taste the Italian life”. To this day its has not happened but this evening I took this picture to keep the flame of desire alive. And you can be sure that I’ll you know when I’ve been there!
Remember this picture? Today I was in front of the top! Not in a helicopter but in front of a model that is in the hall of the church entrance 🙂 Next time I climb the stairs of the tower of the Grote of Sint-Laurens church to show you the view of Rotterdam!