Blogs from Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands, Europe - page 10

And here I am again.. Back in sweet old Rotterdam :). It's good to be back, in my own city, with the Oude Haven, Kralingse Plas, Koopgoot, de Maas, etc etc. And back in the country of the best cheese of the world, of bikes, of affordable fresh products and alcohol, ... But most of all it's good to be back with my friends and family. However, I must admit, I'm already looking a bit forward to my next travels, starting this September. To be continued..... read more

Yesterday Brenda and I met the devil in the form of Dutch train-inspector. We were minding our own business on the train heading to Rotterdam for the Australia vs. Netherlands pre-World Cup soccer match. The train-inspector (the devil incarnate) walked past & mumbled some obscenities about being Aussie. I am not too sure how he knew we were Aussie or honorary Aussies (Brenda) - the Aussie hats, the Aussie flag that was draped around me, the inflatable kangaroo & my Green & Gold outfit might’ve tipped him off but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, we arrived at Dordrecht (the station just before Rotterdam) & he casually walked up to us & told us that if we wanted to go to the game we needed to get off. Although I was confused (as the game was undeniably ... read more

Well I survived Amsterdam and had a great time in Rotterdam. What can I say about Amsterdam? I didn’t much care for the area around the station- otherwise known as the Red Light District. I dared not venture into its confines at night for fear of my virgin eyes. I got there in the late afternoon, so after I found my hostel I set out for a walking tour of the city. I found all the points of interest that were in my guidebook and really enjoyed my walk. Once you get into the more residential area along the canals it is really nice and pretty. Just some places get more attention than others. In the morning of my second day there I went straight to the Anne Frank House Museum. It was really really cool. ... read more

Now keep in mind that by Day 3 of the 4-day weekend, I was pretty beat for several reasons 1) I walked more than I have ever walked in my life over the past 2 days in Brussels and Antwerp, 2) I only had 5 hours of sleep to rest up from said walk-a-thon across Belgium, and 3) I made the mistake of going out for a karaoke night at an Irish pub with Eugene and his party animal friend Ryan. Hungover at 9:15 in the morning is where our Rotterdam adventure begins. I make it out of bed and to the train station to meet up with 3 senior colleagues from Shell and their spouses only to realize I forgot my wallet. Great...10 minutes of jogging is the perfect way to shake a pounding headache ... read more