Day 2 23/3/08 - Netherlands

Rotterdam

Highlight

• The boat arrived late, and I couldn’t sleep because of the noise as we were really close to the stairs and the lifts, and every time the lifts arrive, it makes a big “ding” sound.
• The coach for Rotterdam only left at 9:40, most of the people went to Amsterdam, it only took 30 minutes to get to the city centre.
• Rotterdam surprised me. It was very pretty, with nice architecture. The sun was not but it was very cold, and certainly not many people out and about on Easter Sunday.
• The tourist info was very good, we picked up a few guides.
• Dropped by ALL the Maccas, there seems to be one on every block, just to get warm.
• Looked at an old church, but it wasn’t opened.
• The highlight was the funky cube house, which reflected the forward thinking nature of their architecture.
• Took a walk along the harbour, really nice and peaceful.
• Couldn’t find any place open for lunch.
• Cheered on riders of some bike race with big foam hands.
• We wanted to go to this restaurant for apple pie and afternoon tea, but it was booked out, so we got chips instead.
• We thought we would find stuff open in Chinatown, but I was disappointed. Only a few places were opened, and they were all doing a roaring trade. Who knew there was such a huge Asian community in Rotterdam? It seemed like every single Asian has come out for yum cha, as we couldn’t get a table at all.
• As it was already 1:40, and I was anxious to get to the museums, we left Shan & Aileen, and headed to the Architecture Institute (NAI).
• It was nearly 2pm when we got there, and Slokky had already made me mad.
• The display though was very interestingly presented. The highlight was definite the Schov house, a 1930s house that was way ahead of its time.
• Back to Chinatown for takeaway noodles before boarding the boat.
• More cards and chocolate before dinner, which tasted very bad and not because we were prejudiced either.
• More cards, cocktails and a good piano player at the lounge before bed.

Food

• cardamom cake
• tomato baguette (£.49)
• chocolate and cream waffle (€2.50)
• McDonalds bitenballen
• chips with tomato and mayo
• Japanese udon fried with seafood (€12.50)
• Fried beef noodles (€10)
• P&O dinner:
  • bread roll
  • Field mushrooms with bacon & Lancashire cheese
  • Char-grilled rib-eye steak, Bearnaise sauce
• Sea Breeze cocktail: vodka, cranberry, grapefruit
• Fruit Paradise cocktail: Malibu, pineapple, orange, Chambord