A daily dose of Rotterdam since august 2019
While waiting for the tram I looked around and saw the light, the buildings, traffic and everything fell into place. I quickly took my film camera and took this picture! Yes, film camera! Developed and scanned today and for the world to see! Location: the intersection Blaak – Andre van der Louwbrug, direction of the river Nieuwe Maas…
Why the black and white? I like the repeating pattern of it. These doors are to be found at the Bergselaan in the neighbourhood Liskwartier, part of Rotterdam Noord, and typical for Rotterdam. I don’t know if they are open all hours but they look inviting 🙂 Buildings in this area are from around 1906. Its a nice neighbourhood to walk with beautiful houses, streets, avenues and canals. Peace and quiet is to find here, so let the weekend begin, enjoy!
Inspired on a poem of the Rotterdam poet Ramsey Nasr (link Dutch only). You can’t walk past it without looking and reading the stanza! It is made-up street language. The Rotterdams language as spoken in 2059, a mishmash between the Rotterdam slang, street language and poetry. You can find this mural at Delftseplein.
Today a simple picture taken at the P.C. Hooftplein in the direction of Marconiplein with the three towers or Lee Towers. The sun burst through the rain clouds and every cloud has a golden lining…
This afternoon I took this picture on Noordplein located in het Oude Noorden. This square dates back to about 1860 with the streets surrounding it dating from 1860 – 1895 till about 1930s. Till about 1968 there was a vegetables market supplied via the nearby river Rotte. The trees in the picture are not that old, in the 90s a tree disease made sure that the old trees had to be cut down and these new trees were planted. Nowadays there is a small market (saturdays), concerts, a fair etc. And you can see at the far left the old buildings from the Heineken brewery sadly closed in 1968. Keep breathing, the brewery just moved to a new location at Zoeterwoude, so everything is ok 🙂
Remember friday night, shopping night? This is the same spot but the picture is taken from the other side, facing the location where I stood then. I like this photo for the festive lights reflections in the stairs and sidewalks, it was a rainy monday evening but I was there!
A lovely day with beautifull light! I took this one through the windshield of the tram towards the terminus of line 24, the Esch. This is also near the centre of Rotterdam but you couldn’t guess that! And of course near this view>> Tomorrow is Monday again, until then!
Today this picture of the football stadium owned by the pro Excelsior team. Founded in 1902 and located at Woudestein. And its not really a picture of the stadium but from the lights that put everything in a bright glow!
While travelling to work I passed the former water extraction company terrain located at the Esch and of course near the river Maas. Between the rain showers the sun broke open the clouds and showed again how beautiful autumn can be! On the right you see the silhouette of the old water tower. The entire location is now full of houses and business premises. I have to work this weekend but for those who have the weekend off, have fun!!
A few weeks ago I photographed the columns of the flyover underpass at the Oostzeedijk Beneden. According to the artists – Transister (Nelleke Boerkoel & Hanneke van Leeuwen) – Painted columns and laminated panels depicting the local residents, installed as graffiti prevention. The dimensions: 2 slopes, 15 columns and ceiling: total 834 m2! Made in 2009, the ceiling is popping pink, the 15 pillars with super cute prints and hand-painted with skill, both sloping walls act as a real portrait gallery with people from the neighbourhood. Thats what I called a piece of art!
I always wanted to take a photograph of the tile tableau on this buildings facade. And today I took the subway and did it! The “Rotterdamsche Cooperatieve broodbakkerij en verbruiksvereeniging Vooruitgang“* founded in 1898 to provide good-quality bread and other foodstuffs at an affordable price to the working class. The bombing of Rotterdam in 1940 destroyed various stores and the head office of the bread and pastry bakery “Vooruitgang” or “Progress”. Short after the war a new head office was opened on a new location, the Schiekade. And in 1967 a whole new building at the Rotterdamse Zomerhofstraat combined all the old locations, the head office etc. In 1972 it all ended. Nowadays the location houses small businesses and many creative entrepreneurs.
* Translated: Rotterdam Cooperative bread bakery and consumption association Progress
In the Proveniersstraat near the railway station there’s a house where you would not know that a violin builder is housed until you see the violin on the facade (and of course the nameplate also helps…). De Blitz violin makers started around 1905 by Calman Blitz, his son Lou took it over and his son Otto was his successor then again from 1969. This small business still goes on.
This picture is taken in the neighbourhood where I live, Heliport. Walking home I noticed the lights and all the stairs who have chosen their own way so it seems…
The theme day photo yesterday was taken while on my way to the south of the Netherlands. Beside the bench I shot also this picture of a corner and one of the many entrances to the great hall of the station (the new station, opened in 2014, here a photo of how it used to be, the 1957 version >>), nice light, nice fall weather and a very nice travel companion, what else could you wish for?? Have a great weekend and if traveling, goede reis!
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!
This is also Rotterdam. I found this car parked nearby home. Its a vintage Citroën, I don’t know the details exactly, but the model is a Traction Avant produced from 1934 to 1957! In France, the Traction is known as “Reine de la Route” (“Queen of the Road”).
Yes, go ahead! Shake the hand of this tree! And its a warm hand (37 degrees Celsius – 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or normal body temperature)! Made out of bronze you can find this tree in front of shopping center De Groene Passage, at the corner of Goudsesingel / Mariniersweg. The tree symbolizes the relation between human and nature and is made by the artist Hans Lemmen in 2001. The name of this artwork? You guessed it: the tree!
This is the Erasmus University College building, located at the Nieuwe Markt (the New Market). This building was the former Gemeente Bibliotheek (municipality library) 1923 – 1983. In 1983 a new building was built at the corner Hoogstraat / Binnenrotte in a style that is reminiscent of Centre Pompidou in Paris (I show you a picture later). And from 2013 till now about 750 students attend here the Erasmus University College, the undergraduate college of Erasmus University Rotterdam. At the right you see a glimp of a fountain, that is a subject for another day!
This morning while walking trough the still quiet city centre I spotted this woman in her little place in the sun. She enjoyed the moment before the city woke up again. Sunday at its best.
Cycling is popular in Rotterdam. And Rotterdam helps cyclists with, among other things, placing bicycle pumps on the street, storage options, adjust traffic lights more bike friendly and many more! The bikes in the picture are just a part of the many bikes parked in the city near buildings on the sidewalks etc. despite the more than 6800 places in bicycle parking, just not enough probably! I often ride a bicycle to work, to the shops and yes even when it rains!
Its a friday night and beside a night on the town its also a shopping night. Shops in the center of the city are open till 21.00 hours. Festive lighting is coming into place for the coming months as you can see in this picture of the nicknamed “Koopgoot” – slang for buy (koop) ditch (goot). I didn’t buy anything tonight but enjoyed the ambiance. Have a nice weekend!
There used to be a big cattle market in Rotterdam at the location I photographed this part of the original fence (corner Goudserijweg / Hugo de Grootstraat). Parts of the fence are the only reminders of this cattle market. On monday for sheeps and pigs and on tuesday horses and cows. The market was located here since 1867 and moved to a new location in 1974. The whole location was redeveloped and was filled with houses. The slaughterhouse nearby (closed in 1981) was reused to house students!
Looking for a few photo opportunities this tree in front of the main library of Rotterdam caught my eye. I liked the light through the leaves and on the bench. So here it is, not the best picture but for sure a atmospheric one, and do not forget, this tree can become a book one day…
This is the Stadhuisplein (Cityhall square) right in front of the cityhall. Its free of traffic and has many cafes and restaurants and is popular with tourists and locals alike! And if there is a big victory of one of the local footballclubs thousands of people celebrate here. I didn’t spend the evening here, I just shot this photo for you and went home to put in on the blog…
Its sunday so again I found it appropriate to show you a church. Its the Allerheiligste Verlosserkerk (Most Holy Savior church) located at the Goudse Rijweg in the neighbourhood Crooswijk. Build in neogothic style between 1882 – 1884 with a connected monastery build in 1885. About 1050 people could find a seat inside the church, so quite big. Closed in 1978 due to declining church attendance and severe damaged in 1979 by a fire it was decided in 1982 to convert the church to house students. The name of this appartment building? The church…
Instead of the promised rain and grey skies this saturday was reasonable sunny as you can see in todays photo! This is the “Markthal” or in english market hall 🙂 located at the Grote Markt, near station Blaak. The inside is full of stalls, small and big with all kind of food. There are restaurants and takeaways. Also contains the largest work of art in the world, the 11.000 m2 Horn of Plenty. The arch of the market hall contains appartments. Mainly tourists visit this spot, in groups with a local guide because of the design etc. Building started in 2009 and the hall opened in 2014 so this year it was celebrated, five years already opened! I celebrate this at home, have a good weekend!
I photographed already a ornament on the facade of the city hall but I didn’t show you the city hall! Here it is (the front of the city hall it is). With proudly displaying the flags of Rotterdam and the Netherlands. If you look closely you can see exactly the time I took this picture, not the day, about two weeks ago, sorry!
Living history here in the center of Rotterdam, the socalled “Lijnbaanplataan” or translated “Lijnbaan plane tree”, nominated as tree of the year 2019 and named after the location where it grows now. But this location is the second life location of this remarkable tree. Planted in 1851(!) in the garden of the former Coolsingel hospital the tree survived the bombs and fire of the war in 1940. The hospital itself was severe damaged. In the 1960s the inner city was rebuild and new shops were build around the tree and former gate of the old hospital. A reminder of the recent past!
Update: Unfortunately the tree ended second place in the “Tree of the year 2019” with 9212 votes. First place: Noord-Brabant: Heksenboom (witch tree) in Bladel (9840 votes).
This sunday morning I walked by this hidden spot. Its maybe difficult to find but its still there, sandwiched between the tall buildings, a Jewish cemetery that dates back to 1696! First used for the Portuguese commune and since 1710 used by the “Hoogduitse” commune, in 1811 consisting of approximately 2100 people. People were buried there until 1820. There are about 200 gravestones, but the older graves are under the most recent ones.
At the start of WWII in 1940 some 13.000 Jews lived in Rotterdam. Nowadays there is not much left of this community. The foundation Boete en verzoening (penance and reconciliation?) takes care of maintenance of this historic place so that it is not forgotten.
Using the tram or lightrail in Rotterdam has its advantages. You don’t have to look for a parking space, it is relatively cheap and the stops are almost everywhere. But now and then work is needed because of wear and tear at the rails. I took this shot near Rotterdam Centraal, the hub for public transport in Rotterdam. Work is in progress and the deadline is near, october the 20th. So in a few days we can enjoy fresh rails for the coming years. I keep track of the work and show you a shot of the result!
Yes! The weekend started today but the weather didn’t feel like it belonged to the weekend! Rain, rain and a bit of rain and the weather forecast for saturday and sunday aren’t better. But a few days off is a good prospect, so have a good weekend!
Tonight while visiting the main library (grote bibliotheek) here in Rotterdam, taking the escalator to the 4th floor this view through the windows caught my attention. A view on Rotterdam with at the right the Grote of Sint-Laurens church, in the middle a greenish building – the world trade centre and on the left a glimp of the Markthal, a now architectural tour de force of Rotterdam. Liked the view, hope you like it too!
Taken near my house I liked the colors of the trees and the light of october. Last days and the coming days much rain so for me much photo opportunities!
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!
Walking to and from work I pass the “Student Hotel” (more info her). And as the name already indicates its a hotel for students 🙂 Besides giving the students a place to sleep they provide al kind of different spaces to study, be creative or whatever. On one of the windows of these spaces “Join the club” is shown, I liked it and now you can enjoy it too!
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!
Tonight I passed this shop, full of cigars! Inside there’s a lounge where a few gentlemen smoked a cigar together with some small talk. I liked the smell and yes I know that it is not fashionable these days to smoke but…
Last evening it was raining, there was wind and a almost empty street. Even the colors faded. Only a blue light above a entrance put some color in this image. This street scene is shot at Willemsplein, near the river Maas. In daylight many tourists and buses, at night almost deserted!
When I saw this on the Erasmus bridge I had to photograph it for this blog. Starting this blog and hoping to reach people over the world as they do with their blog is the goal, so this message is for you!