Jul 19, 2010 - 2 days in Amsterdam

Yesterday we took the train to Amsterdam and Dave saw his first windmills and houseboats on canals. We took a short walk from the station to Dam Square and then took a canal cruise before returning to Rotterdam. Today we went back to Amsterdam and went to Anne Frank's house where the queue to get in was so long we decided not to bother. So we walked to the Bible Museum which was an interesting little place and best of all it had a free loo. No public toilets in Amsterdam and you have to pay in shops. Then we walked back to the station via a...

Jul 17, 2010 - Cold in Rotterdam

Just to let you know we have arrived safely in Rotterdam and Dave has found car shows on Discovery Channel. Oh yay!!! The temperature is definitely cooler here and there is wind. I have even had to put on a light sweatshirt to go outside. But it is such a relief after the mid-30s we have been having. Only about 20C here. Not long now and we will be home. We are both ready for that now. Will be going to Amsterdam for the day tomorrow. Love to all.

Jul 3, 2010 - Rotterdam

Well I arrived in Rotterdam and boy is it different from the other places I have been. It is full of graffiti and smells horrible. I arrived at my hostel and feel like I have made a huge mistake coming here. It is a very old and mildew infested building that is covered in graffiti and down at the end of an alley.   Once I finally got checked in I walked into my dorm that was advertised as 20-25 people in one room. In reality it was well over 100 in one room when I just gave up on counting, with no ac, no fans, and a horrid smell. I looked...

Jun 30, 2010 - En route to Rotterdam

Hello!! tomorrow - the 30 - i leave for rotterdam for 2 days!! the first day is a speech on global justice with amartya sen and the second is a collowuium with amartya sen and some other names i have become familiar with!! i am really excited!! talk to you soon!! miss you all!!

Jun 25, 2008 - Rotterdam (Family)

Vandag BAIE rustig. Ek en Marina het lekker laat geslaap en toe is ons winkels toe. Allerhande goed gaan soek wat ek nog moet he om saam te vat. Baie winkeltjies deurgeloop, toe lekker broodjie vir middagete geeet en daarna het sy my die "strand" gaan wys. Ook maar klein, maar wel baie oulik. Toe terug huis toe en elkeen met 'n biertjie kom sit. Ook al na 5 teen die tyd. Moet vanaand my tas pak en weeg...ek is bevrees dit kan dalk maar moeilik gaan!!!

Jun 24, 2008 - Rotterdam (Family)

Het vandag die "long lost family" ontmoet. My pa se niggies (Henneke en Drea) en hul gades en kinders en ook tante Ans. Ons is almal saam na Schiedam...so oulike klein dorpie met baie meulens. Is op met die een. Toe op 'n rivier cruise al om die dorpie....almal lekker gebrand op die water. Daarna by 'n chocolate kuns winkel. Hulle maak die lekkerste chocolate en die mooiste goed...maar duur!! Almal mag net een geproe het!! Toe is ons so honger - party het al gedreig om hul skoene op te eet. Ek dring aan om krokette te eet....ek is in...

Jun 23, 2008 - Rotterdam (Family)

Marina het my vandag Madurodam toe gevat. Dit is soos Mini-Town vir Holland. Dit was te oulik. Soveel detail. En hulle doen regtig moeite. Dit was omtrent 'n dag expedisie. Aand by Baumann gaan eet. Dit is die Cafe/Bar waarnatoe hulle gereeld gaan. Hulle het onbeperkte spareribs. Dolf se dit is baie lekker so dit bestel. Dit is onbeperk, maar ek kon nie eers my eerste bord opkry. Bier met 7% alkohol gedrink....nogal rof, want ek is gewoond aan Windhoek lights! Weer volgens die hollanders lekker...ek kry koud. Die wind is mislik en my ore...

Jun 22, 2008 - Paris to Rotterdam

6am op met 'n hoofpyn. Ek wonder hoekom...? Dalk daai bubbles in die champagne!!! Moes my hele tas oorpak. Als maar net net ingekry...weet nie hoe ek gaan terugkom SA toe nie. Almal gegroet voor ons in die bus klim. Sommiges nog in die bus gegroet. By lughawe in Parys afgelaai. 15 van ons het afgeklim. Huil snot en trane. Amazing hoe mens iemand in 18 dae so goed kan ken....voel of mens al jare lank vriende is. Toe met al my pakaas die trein gesoek en na Paris Nord stasie toe. Daar aangekom en my doodgesoek na die Talys trein. Sukkel met...

Apr 15, 2008 - Holland-Rotterdam

Rotterdam, Amsterdam's arch nemesis. Even when we checked out of the Pig, Tom told me its more "metro" and not down to earth. We took a city bus to Leiden and then a 7 Euro train to Rotterdam, took about 30 minutes. Tom was right, this looked modern, the gritty crowded intimate alleys of the Dam were now replaced with a showcase of world class designed buildings, (like the cube houses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_houses) But it had transit so was easy to get around in. We had no place booked, so we showed up a place called the Use-It...

Jan 22, 2008 - 'n rot in Rotterdam ?

It is January 20th and I am so exited i cant sit still for 5 min. Not even to watch my favorite tv series Boston Legal. Tommorow is not only my birthday it is also the day I start my adventure. I will travel europe meeting up with friends , seeing , tasting , hearing and living the european dream for a whole year. The last few days where filled with last minute organizing. I had to get a bank account , visa and warm socks before i could safely enter the wild ( or so i ve heard ) european scene.I had it all figured out ..or so i thought. As...

Oct 19, 2007 - Rotterdam

Thursday after work I caught the plane to Glasgow. Lauren (workmate from Stornoway who has now returned to the mainland) picked me up from the airport and we went back to her place for a couple of hours. She dropped me off at the train station and I made my way to Prestwick airport. Got myself a great bed/bench for the night. Because I had a horrible cold that day I fell asleep rather easily. There is always something exciting about sleeping in airports and Prestwick was pretty good. Until someone started to play air hockey on the table at...

Aug 24, 2007 - A city that's central

Hi, We were in Rotterdam for three nights. Rotterdam itself is nothing special, except that, like a lot of cities in Germany, it is a testament to how butt-ugly architecture was in the time they were building up Europe after WW2. But it was a great centre to hit the Kinderdijk (windmills) and Gouda and Delft. I mean, in one day we shopped for Delft in Delft and ate Gouda in Gouda. Cool.