A Weekend in Rotterdam
We had the most amazing weekend in Rotterdam! I've been to the Netherlands once before - with my friend Emily McGovern - to enjoy all the tulips in the springtime (2024). But this was Scott's first visit, and it was our first time seeing both the temple and the city of Rotterdam together.
I think this was also our first time using 100% public transportation in a foreign country - together. In 2021, I traveled through 7 countries on my own over the course of a month, and I only used public transportation the entire time. For our trip to Rotterdam, I conducted a whole lot of research ahead of time so things would potentially run smoother, and it really did help.
I began by studying a few travel blogs and other websites, but the best help for me came visually by watching a handful of videos on YouTube. These videos helped to explain the public transportation system in the Netherlands - how to buy your ticket, how to get from Point A to Point B, etc. Seeing the actual process really helped to cement in my mind how we could replicate the steps on our own little trip, too.
Everything went seamlessly that first night, as we made our way from Schiphol Airport (pronounced like Skip-hole) heading south to Rotterdam. We used the information from one of the YouTube videos to purchase a much more direct train for the journey, cutting our time in half - but only increasing the fare by 3 euros.
We chose the InterCity Direct line to Rotterdam Centraal, shown on the bottom left of this photo . . .
Knowing which direction you're HEADED is super important as you're piecing together each step of your journey. Thank goodness for Google Maps!! Armed with a step-by-step set of instructions, this is how we knew to take the next train toward Roosendaal from Rotterdam Centraal Station. This would get us to the Rotterdam Blaak Station, which was right next to our hotel. We only had to go one stop and then we were there.
Sadly, the Markthal was already closed by the time we got to our hotel around 9:00 p.m. Scott found us a restaurant that was less than a 5-minute walk away, so off we went. We walked past those funky yellow cube houses . . .
Saturday, January 17th: We headed out for some breakfasty grocery items at a nearby store called Albert Heijn. It sits in the basement level of the Markthal and has its own escalator entrance to go downstairs even when the Markthal is closed above.
I'll show you a picture a little later, but my new favorite breakfast item is Chia Pudding. I ended up getting this every single morning in Rotterdam. It's so incredibly good - and healthy for you, too! It consists of chia seeds (great for fiber), optional fruit, milk (could be almond milk, soy, oat, etc.), and a teeny-tiny sprinkle of granola and dried berries on top.
These were some other cereal flavors that I saw in the grocery store - they all sounded so good!
Vendors were already setting up their stalls for a Saturday Farmers Market, but we had somewhere else to be, so we didn't stop to do any browsing . . .
Here's a quick snippet of the entrance as I tried to keep up with Scott: (6 seconds)
I listened to the session in English through my headphones and translator device, while Scott chose to just listen in Dutch. He did alright, he told me later. :)
Something interesting about the Markthal is that people actually live in the space above all the food stalls. There are windows up above and occasionally you can see someone walking by or working in their kitchen or something. I don't understand the geometry of the build, but somehow it works out just fine!
Another interesting thing about the Markthal is that they boast the largest art display in the WORLD! It required the help of Pixar Studios to piece it all together. The massive digital artwork covers 11,000 meters (118,403 square feet). The overall size of the Markthal can be compared to two football fields.
Here is a great website with more photos from even better angles than what I could get:
From corndogs to duck burgers, from Korean to Chinese and Japanese, from traditional Dutch to Latin America, from gyros to kebabs and paninis, and from stroopwafels to frozen yogurt and chocolate for dessert . . . pretty much every cuisine from around the world was represented inside this giant dome.
I chose a Korean restaurant called Soju. I was drawn to this colorful bowl on the menu, with lots of veggies and a fried egg on top. I told them I didn't need any of the rice underneath, though . . .
The fries were amazing. They were coated in onion powder and other herbs, and then you dip them in mayo. Yum!
They have had crazy low temperatures lately, dipping down as low as -27 degrees. Holy frijole.
After we finished chatting, Scott and I parted ways briefly so that I could do a little "girl-time" shopping at the Primark store (my favorite). He walked back to the hotel and I happily wandered around the huge store, picking out a couple of sweaters and a nice puffer vest.
On my walk back to the hotel a little later, I noticed this interesting caption on the front of a building . . .
It says, "I have to change to stay the same." Like, what does that even mean . . . ??
We walked around the harbor area after the sun went down. Everything was so pretty with all the lights reflecting on the water.
We walked partway down the harbor toward the Erasmus Bridge, an iconic Rotterdam bridge that resembles a swan. We passed a long row of flags from many nations on the way, including our own USA flag.
Back in our hotel room, I opened up my Dutch kroketten to see what I was dealing with.
And just in case that wasn't enough to fill me up, I also grabbed a stroopwafel. Because when you're in the Netherlands, you just GOTTA.
They had several different options to choose from, but I just asked for the traditional one.
Video of the stroopwafel varieties: (8 seconds)
And in case you missed it last time (April 2024), here is a video of how a stroopwafel was made at the Markthal: (41 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/vsHTg13WNgEvFgZF9
Sunday, January 18th: This was the beginning of our big walking day . . . First, we walked over to a new supermarket called The Jumbo because the Albert Heijn wasn't open early enough for what we needed. On our way to The Jumbo, about 2/3 km from our hotel, we saw a couple of odd/interesting sculptures . . . That's me leaning up against the gargantuan foot statue below . . .
I noticed a man who was clearly down on his luck standing quietly outside the grocery store entrance. He had a puffy red eye that looked like it was more the result of an infection rather than a potential bar fight. I decided almost instantly that I wanted to do something to help him. Rather than shower him with money that I didn't even have on me, I carefully selected some grocery items that I thought he would enjoy. I chose a large banana, a pear, a meat sandwich, a protein smoothie, and an immunity boosting fruit drink to give him some extra vitamins. When I stepped outside after paying for the items, he was absolutely gobsmacked when I handed him one thing after the next. He kept saying, God bless you, God bless you. Thank you, thank you. It felt amazing to do that.
Sometimes you just gotta follow that gut instinct rather than trying to justify your way out of helping someone. I do fall prey to some lousy justifications from time to time, and I am always sorry afterwards. In those instances, I pray for the person that I didn't help, and I pray for the ability to do the right thing the next time.
Our next walk was to and from church, which was about 15 minutes east of our hotel. We took a moment to check out this military monument on the way that honors the local seamen of Rotterdam . . .
The sun was still slowly trying to come up as we made our way back to the hotel to eat our little grocery store breakfast.
While we waited for our food, we surveyed the sheer enormousness of the Markthal, including the escalators that went down to the Albert Heijn grocery store and other shops below.
Video here: (14 seconds)
Unveiled in 1953 in response to the bombing of Rotterdam, the artist was inspired to create the national monument as he traveled through Rotterdam on his way to visit a friend in the Netherlands. He saw all of the destruction and decided he needed to memorialize the city.
According to Wikipedia:
The statue is made of bronze and depicts a human figure without a heart, symbolizing the heart of Rotterdam that was lost in the fire that broke out after the bombing of Rotterdam . Rotterdam received the statue as a gift from the management of the Bijenkorf department store. One of the conditions of the donation was that the statue would be placed on Plein 1940 and would remain there only.
The statue aims to commemorate the city's destruction by the Germans. The artist himself said of the sculpture:
- "It [the image] aims to embody the human suffering that a city had to endure that only, with God's grace, would live and flourish like a forest. A cry of horror at the inhuman cruelty of this execution."
The large granite stones that serve as the base for the monument, were originally intended to support a large statue of Hitler . . . but thank goodness that never happened.
On one side of the monument, the translation for the wording reads:
The Maritime Museum . . .
This museum is one of the oldest maritime museums in the world, having opened its doors in 1873. I'm going to try really hard to just share a portion of the photos that I took . . . please bear with me. First of all, I love being a photographer. Secondly, I love anything related to world history - it seriously fascinates me. Thirdly, it's hard for me to focus on the information when I'm IN the museum. Buuut, if I take a photo with the intent to read it later, it's much easier for me to process the information in the quiet surroundings of my own home.
Something that I loved about this museum is that they did a nice job connecting the visitor (me) with a local face and a background story. There is a long history of shipbuilding in Rotterdam, so one of the things they did in the museum was to spotlight a modern-day person in a specific context. It made the history seem much more personal and current.
Like this series, for example. First, they give you a little bit of historical background. (click photo to enlarge and read)
Above and below: These were some of Rotterdam's most elite men in the 1600s . . .
I absolutely loved this painting. I have a long history of maritime captains and sailors in my family tree, so learning about this kind of history is captivating to me. Get it? CAPT-ivating? Captains...?
The description of the painting above is this:
During the first half of the 17th century, a ship left from Rotterdam for Asia every year. Colossal profits were made with the cargoes that the ships returned with: spices, rubber, lacquer, indigo, silk, cotton, all kinds of woods, saltpetre, sulphur, porcelain, tea, and gemstones. Trade kept growing and more and more ships were needed. They were built by private shipwrights until 1632, but then a VOC shipyard was set up at Scheepmakershaven (Ship Makers Haven). So the VOC was creating not only wealth, but also jobs.
The painting depicts a VOC ship returning to Rotterdam, accompanied by a warship to protect its precious cargo. In the foreground, you can see the administrators of the Rotterdam Chamber of the VOC sailing out to the vessel. They wanted to be the first to hear how the voyage went.
(*Note: I only photographed a portion of the painting because it was very large, so you won't be able to see the administrators sailing out to meet the cargo ship.)
The artist was Jacob van Strij, circa 1790-1795.
Next is a beautiful painting of the Leuvehaven district in Rotterdam, 1782, made by the artist Gerrit Groenewegen.
This is a description of how Rotterdam became Rotterdam in 1270. A dam was built along the River Rotte . . . can you see where they're going with this story? ha ha
1510 - showing the district of Delfshaven, on the outskirts of Rotterdam.
A very interesting thing happened while I was reading this next sign about the manometer, a tool used for measuring pressure, such as steam pressure. I had a powerful feeling that *someone* was standing next to me and was so excited that I was learning about a tool that meant so much to him. I have no idea who it was, but it brought tears to my eyes. Knowing that I have mariners in my heritage, I'm sure this is something we will eventually bond over when I get to heaven someday. And I'll be happy to hear whatever stories they will tell when that day comes.
Above and below: Next to the manometer area was a shipwright's tool box, filled with chisels, gouges, hammers, and a saw.
Similar to an architect or drafting engineer, a ship cannot be built without perfectly detailed plans. You'd need a good brain for such nitty-gritty work.
Above and below: A model of a ship from circa 1425.
Above and below: Strong women are often tucked into the background of everyday life, not seeking the spotlight - but ever so deserving of it. I loved this painting and the story behind it. Artist: Hein Burgers, 1867. "Woman towing on horseback"
I connected with this next painting deeply as I recalled all the times I had to say goodbye to my own husband as he "set sail" with the military too many times to count . . .
Artist: ?? I'm so sad that I didn't make note of this . . .
Above and below: Willemtje Gerrits was discovered serving as a sailor on board one of the Dutch Navy ships during one of the wars against England in the mid-1600s. She had a very strenuous job of turning heavy barrels of gunpowder and securing the cannons. She didn't mind the hard work, though, and wanted to fight "out of love for her country." She was just 13 years old!!
In the Netherlands, their directions of N, S, E, and W are spelled as follows: Noord, Zuid, Oost, and West. Interestingly, Zuid is pronounced like "zowtz".
Delfshaven . . . As I may have mentioned earlier, Delfshaven was a rare district of Rotterdam that wasn't annihilated in the bombings that took place in 1940. The Dutch charm and antiquities are alive and well in these neighborhoods.
This was an interesting building that has a cool history. It used to be known as Zakkendragershuisje - or Sack Carriers House. The building dates back to the 17th century (1653) and was where the Zakkendragers Guild was responsible for unloading all the ships in the Delfshaven harbor for over 100 years. Later it was also used a prison for a brief period. Today, it is used as a performing arts theater.
Above, the plaque on the corner near the performing arts building reads: "Aelbrechtskolk was a water lock and named after Aelbrecht van Beieren, 1330 - 1404, Count of Henegouwen, Holland and Zeeland, to whom Delfshaven owes its existence. In 1389, the city of Delft was granted the privilege of excavating a canal between Overschie and the river. The lock was connected to the outpost called Old Harbour (now Voorhaven) and necessary to overcome the tidal differences at this point in the river."
Below, the plaque on the performing arts building reads: "The office of the porters guild was built adjacent to the already existing crane house. The crane house was used to operate the sluice to the Achterwater by means of treadmills. That became necessary when the Achterhaven was connected to the Aelbrechtskolk via the Actherwater.
"The bell in the tower was rung when a ship was to be unloaded. By the number of strokes the porters could identify the kind of cargo (e.g. 3 strokes meant grain). The cargo was carried to the warehouses on the back of the porters. Later the house also served as a prison, a watch house, and as a fire station. The 4 ornamental stones at the side came from old demolished buildings."
This is where we get to an incredible story . . .
Before Scott and I left the hotel to start the long walk over to Delfshaven, I looked at Google maps one more time just to zoom in and see if I had missed anything in my earlier research. That's when I saw something on the map called "Pelgrimvaderskerk". The translation was "Pilgrim Fathers Church." Whoah . . . what???
That's when I learned the following: In roughly 1607/8, a group of English Puritans left England for Holland, in search of a better life. They spent the next 12 years trying to put down roots and find success, but they were still very poor after all that time and they were struggling with the language. They communicated with like-minded friends back in England and together they made the decision to sail to America together.
These Dutch pilgrims packed up their belongings and met down at the docks on 22 July 1620. They entered the church next to the water and said their final prayers inside, asking for safety and deliverance from the elements along their route. And then with hope in their hearts and excitement for their future, they sailed to Southampton, England to meet up with their friends there before sailing the rest of the way to America.
The Speedwell was the name of their ship, a 60-ton former warship that fought against the Spanish Armada in 1588, but was now refitted as a passenger ship. They made it successfully to Southampton, but then some issues began to spring up. The two ships left the port together on August 5th, but then 75 miles out, the Speedwell had to return to the mainland due to some leaks that needed to be repaired in Dartmouth. A second attempt was made, reaching 300 miles past Land's End this time - before leaks began to happen once again, prompting a swift return to the port in Plymouth. The Speedwell was soon deemed unseaworthy . . .
Those who still wished to continue to America collected their belongings and transferred everything over to the second ship, The Mayflower. A few people opted to just return to London. The Mayflower officially left Plymouth for good on September 16, 1620 with 102 passengers - plus the crew of 30.
Sixty-six days later, the Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod, Massachusetts on November 21, 1620. Due to the leaky-ship delays of the Speedwell, they arrived much later in the season than they had originally anticipated. They were not able to plant anything or have much time to prepare for the harsh winter that lie ahead. Local indigenous peoples came to their aid, helping them to gather some food. But in spite of everyone's best efforts, only half of the Pilgrims made it through that first winter, mostly due to disease that swept through their little colony. It wasn't until the next fall harvest that the newcomers and the Native Americans gave thanks and prepared a meal together to celebrate all that had transpired successfully during that first full year.
For an EXCELLENT read with more details, I highly recommend this link:
I dug and dug into this story because the more I read, the more pieces of the puzzle I kept finding.
I have a direct-line ancestor named Henry Samson who traveled on the Mayflower with his aunt and uncle, Edward and Ann (Cooper) Tilley. Edward and Ann had been living in Leiden, Holland since shortly after their marriage. They boarded the ship Speedwell and then later transferred to the Mayflower. I am not 100% clear on whether my 10th great grandfather boarded in Holland or England, or which ship he boarded first.
What I do know is that Henry Samson was only 16 years old when he left for America, turning 17 by the time they landed. From what I can gather, he was possibly traveling with the Tilleys because he was signed on as an apprentice with his uncle, Edward Tilley. Unfortunately, Edward and Ann Tilley both passed away that first winter due to the poor conditions. They left behind their infant daughter, Humility, and their nephew, Henry. Neighbors took over the care of Henry and Humility, including the Winslows and the Brewsters. Henry did very well for himself in life, taking on several leadership positions such as juryman, arbiter, surveyor, and constable. He married Anne Plummer and they had nine children together.
Henry Samson is waaay up on my Grandma Doris' line.
Jones > Thomas > Tilden > Oldham > Sprout > Samson.
Just in case you were wondering, dear family of mine. :) XOXO
Video of the church bells playing a happy little song for us as we left: (23 seconds)
I was videoing him as I walked into the bridge, but he was slightly annoyed with me because he wanted to tell me something super important, ha ha.
(6 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/vBajTFxh5foLexv67
Scott was working out all the details for how someone could potentially move their houseboat from this canal to somewhere else. He walked me through how the drawbridge worked and all the effort it would require just to move one boat. He theorized that the residents on this canal had probably been there a really long time . . .
This is Henry Samson, by the way. My 10th great grandfather.
FamilySearch has a lot of stories and sources for his life, which I'm so grateful for.
This little loop through the Voorhaven and Achterhaven neighborhoods was probably the highlight of our weekend in Rotterdam. (Equal to being in the temple)
~ 177,000 lbs of silver
~ 66 lbs of gold
~ 1,000 pearls
~ 37,575 skins
~ 3,000 bales of dyes
~ Sugar, perfume, and ONE parrot, ha ha
His motto was, "Gold is more than silver; Virtue surpasses both."
It's called Don Lopez Mexican Soul Food. When you just can't get good Mexican food in Italy, you gotta grab it when you can . . .
Video of the tranquil water lapping at the docks: (9 seconds)
By the time we got past the Erasmus Bridge, it was getting dark, which meant that all the twinkly lights had emerged again, offering colorful reflections over the water. Rotterdam is known as the "Manhattan of the Netherlands" because it's the only city in the country with a skyline to speak of. The modern nature of the city, after having to rebuild itself 85 years ago, does lend itself to a Manhattan-y vibe.
Video of this quiet little side harbor: (21 seconds)
Monday, January 19th: We walked back over to The Jumbo store for breakfast, picking up my favorite new item one last time - Chia Pudding.
It's seriously so good that I will be making my own version at home very soon. I just picked up all the supplies so I might even make some later today! It's relatively simple to put together, and it's really good for you, too. I'll share all about it in the next blog post, so stay tuned.
Before we checked out of the hotel, we went for one last explore. This is where I took the photo that shows how close everything was to our hotel each day.
I wasn't sure what to get, but I finally settled on something new - an Oriental crepe with fried egg, crunchy stuff on the inside, and some herby sprinkles.
I can't believe we did all of the above in just 3 days. Wow.
Comments
Post a Comment