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Rotterdam, my hometown

61K views 571 replies 30 participants last post by  AtomicTom 
#1 · (Edited)
 
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#71 ·
And this is now:

 
#72 ·
 
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#74 ·
Also now (authentic interior):

 
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#76 ·
All over town, old (pre WWII) hand painted billboards are rediscovered and restored. This one is close to our home and is an advertisement for a long forgotten Dutch jenever (Gin) brand:

 
#77 ·
Per fortius certamen

Per fortius certamen (Stronger through Battle). This is the City of Rotterdam's motto since 1948 and given because of the hardships and battle during WWII. It's also the motto of football club Feyenoord F.C. who will stand a very great chance to become national league champions again after 18 long years. This is HUGE. The whole city is almost exploding. Below a picture of the gigantic banner with the motto in Dutch that has been placed by fans on the former Shell head office close to the centre of town. Behind that building you see a block of red roofed houses. In the back of that block is where our house is:




Up close:

 
#81 ·
 
#82 ·
 
#83 ·
This building is nicknamed 'The Pencil'. Can you guess why?

 
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#85 ·
Although quite unique, the (cube) houses are incredibly space inefficient. Some of the first residents had to move after a year or so because those slanted walls made them feel very uneasy and sick. They are located alongside a road called 'De Blaak' and the whole complex is called 'Het Blaakse Bos' (The Blaak Forest'). The Cube Houses attracted so many spectators that one of the residents decided to open his house to the public, at an admission fee of course.
 
#88 · (Edited)
Yesterday, Feyenoord became Premier League Champions (Dutch: Eredivisie) for the 15th time in its history. It took them a whopping 18 years to achieve this feat again. Yesterday, the city exploded with euphoric happiness. Grown men crying, complete strangers falling into each other's arms. Today was the official honouring on the balcony of City Hall in front of close to 200,000 fans.

Close to that building is a huge fountain that is the centre of all festivities.

Before the start:




During:




The fans in front of the balcony:







Feyenoord is a blue-collar football club and the fans are the most loyal on the planet. One of our best documentary makers followed some fans during the four weeks that led to the championship and one of them (gravely ill) did not make it. They eat, drink and breathe Feyenoord. To many it's all they have. One couple never leaves the country during their vacations (they stay in a 2-hours drive radius from the stadium) because they want to visit every home match.
 
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#89 ·
This is the view from our balcony, Summer is almost upon us:

 
#90 · (Edited)
Veerhaven (Ferry Harbour) taken from the water. This is part of a yacht club and goes back to the late 19th century. I pass there every weekday on my way to work. The club house is very, very beautiful.

 
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#91 ·
Frans:
Planning on a 2018 trip to see son and family in Klaukkala Finland
Wonder if I could charter a ride from Schipol to Rotterdam?
The small part of Holland we've seen really rocked our boat. If I
buy a watch in Amsterdam I'll pay a high VAT. Correct?

Bought a watch on the Silja Cruise liner. NO VAT!!! VAT exempt

Lou Snutt
 
#92 ·
Visitors from outside Europe will receive a form to get the VAT back. But please let it be explained to you in detail how the process works. If you have to visit a customs office at Schiphol and the processing takes forever you might miss your ride back home. Schiphol to Rotterdam is a 48 minute direct train ride from Schiphol Airport itself (escalator down to the platforms) to smack in the middle of Rotterdam (Central Station). Car rides or taxis are to be avoided because of traffic jams or high costs. We always take the train to Schiphol (or a pre-booked taxi bus shared with family or friends) as the parking tariffs will turn your hair grey in an instant :D There's also a high-speed train that takes only 20 minutes but that's over twice as expensive.
 
#93 · (Edited)
 
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#94 ·
Last weekend we visited the annual World Port Days. Well, visited, we watched the event across the river from the aft deck of the SS Rotterdam enjoying lunch.

BigRoll heavy marine lifting vessel, payload up to 40,000 metric tons:



Royal Dutch Navy support vessel HMS Tromp:

 
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#96 ·
Yes, and the third ship since the 17th century to be christened with this name.
 
#98 ·
 
#100 ·
Jerry Storch has quit, the expansion in The Netherlands alone has cost 300 million Euro and they are not shy about it. Top locations, marble clad buildings. I do hope they pull it off.
 
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