CW'S 2016 Travel Notes: Rotterdam,Delft and Hague

Day 17

Rotterdam, Netherlands

The ship must have come in about 4am. At 0630 we awoke to a silent and motionless ship. Tearing the curtains open I looked out into offices. Looking down I found we were secured outside the Rotterdam Ship Terminal. That is port side to the terminal and starboard side to....whatever was out there. Another ship was tied up ahead of us; also port side to terminal. Just a short distance away is the New York Hotel which now occupies the former headquarters of Holland America Line. Uncle HAL is still based here although most of the offices are now in the US in Seattle. This is the home port for our ship, which also is named for the city.

View from aft deck of the ship

This weekend was to be the gay pride festival in Amsterdam with extra trains and buses flooding the city with festival goers. We decided to avoid the crowds as best we could and remain in the area of Rotterdam. There were several things we wanted to see and experience, thanks to our friend Bas from this area so we had elected to engage a private tour through the services of Uncle Hal. (Holland America.) This would provide the flexibility of time and event, tailored to our interests. We had provided some input a few days ago as to our preferences for activities and that gave the guide time to prepare. Once cleared for shore, we wandered out to the terminal and there found our guide for the day; Sjef. Sjef is a retired business owner with a deep interest in the history of Rotterdam and the surrounding areas. He is particularly focused on Rotterdam (the city and the harbors), the Old cities of Delft, Dordrecht and Gouda as well as the Mills of Kinderdijk. As we would discover shortly, he studies daily to advance his knowledge of the area and has a keen interest in the connections found between people, places and events. A short walk together and we were introduced to Michael, our driver for the day. Michael, 24, is a social worker and a professional driver. For a few minutes we discussed the itinerary for the day, made a few alterations to allow for busy times, opening and closing times and for us to take into account the knowledge and experience of our guide. After a few minutes we arrived at a final plan and took off. On the way out of the terminal area our guide pointed out two good restaurants within walking distance of the ship; the Hotel New York and Las Palmas.

First we drove about the immediate island, stopping at times to view the architecture and historic sites., Sjeff providing a background on the late history of the city. The city was shelled by the Germans during WWII and all but two buildings were destroyed. What is here now has been built since 1940 and shows a variety of forms, from traditional to deco to post war modern to ultra modern. We got out of the car to stand at the memorial to the Jews of Rotterdam sent off to the camps during WWII. Especially touching and thought provoking are the plates with the names and ages of the children who were taken. A couple of blocks away is another memorial for the Jews of Rotterdam, in the heart of what once was their community. The statues depicting the starvation and displacement of the potato famine were along the river walk. We explored this area for a bit, crossed the river and headed North along the coast, inland route.

Memorial for Jewish Children

River view

sample of apartments

street scene enroute Delft

Our target was Delft and after a short drive we parked and walked to a square off the tourist path and enjoyed coffee and talked about the local architecture and history while watching locals pass by on foot or bicycle. On to the Catholic Church and viewed a chapel, these at the site of the birth home of artist Johannes Vermeer. A short walk took us to the large Market square and into the “New Church” , began in 1240 and completed in the 14^th century and a resting place for over 400 people; many of note.

the square, once a cloister then an open air market; we stopped here for coffee

Michael, our driver

a paint shop

Sjef, our guide

entrance to Royal tomb in New Church

a memorial and tomb

one of many floor stones marking a tomb

the square in front of the New Church

After absorbing the rich history here we proceeded to a shop/factory of Delftware next to the church named De Candelaer where pottery is made, met the owner/artist and bought a vase.

Anna painting an urn

Back across the market square past the Town Hall, crossed a canal and walked parallel to the canal taking in more of the history and architecture. Then a stop at the “Old Church “ and toured the interior. (Check out the Old and New Churches here.)

Town Hall in the square

View of New Church in the square

canal view

old church

an old brewery, now office

inside old church

tomb of Petrus Heinous who brought wealth of the Indies to Holland

A few blocks more of walking, crossing another canal and visiting a chocolate shop, we found the car and headed off again. Our target was Scheveningen, or Hague. Sjef led us to the fishing wharf and to a restaurant Simonis aan de Haven for a fresh seafood lunch.