June 15th 2016 – Rotterdam, Netherlands

Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday June 15th 2016

Started my walk this morning, I was trying to follow the waterway canal: Rotterdamsewey. But I felt my back was hurting so I took the train…8 miles (13 kilometers ) into this modern high tech creative arty place…so much water everywhere. Even on the train I notice there were places I would have run into dead ends. The issue is controlling it…this country is pretty much below sea level. The day after tomorrow I am headed to the best museum around for the science and technology of keeping the sea back, under control. There is a state department agency here for “Water Control.”

Arrived and stopped for a bit to take a deep breath at the size of this place, everything was huge…the skyrises…the flat screens to show the “security” of the place…police on water control, police on horseback.

I had a map and talked to the good folks at the visitor’s center to ask for help to find this hostel called The Cube Houses (famous for its modern design). I walked over here…always a trick when you’re not sure where you are. A true test of strength. There is a district here called “The Cool District”–sounds like fun!

Some of the history of Rotterdam (besides the ones you might suspect, those of keeping back the water, as the name “Rotterdam” implies):

A dam was built to separate the Rotte from the Nieuwe Maas (river/waterway). This lovely place was almost completely destroyed by German air attacks in 1940. So sad, this thing called war. There is a great church called Saint Lawrence Church. It is all that is left of Rotterdam’s medieval WWII architecture. Maybe I’ll try to find that tomorrow (address: Grotekerkplein 15). WWII destroyed all the other buildings. This city was rebuilt after the war and re-planned with modern streets, residential districts, and high rises. This has created one of the most modern and architecturally interesting cities in Europe. I see “Dwell” magazine in all of this. Such a strong sense of design everywhere I turned today. This place does date back to medieval times from the 13th Century.

There is also a famous bridge outside my door this evening called The Erasmus (1467) named after the most celebrated citizen in the 15th century, a  Humanist named Erasmus.

Today I went to the “Museum Boijmans Van Beuninger one of the most important art establishments. It was in the museum park district.

It is one of the oldest buildings in the general area so I guess I was in right place. It is known for its collection of Hubertus and Jan Van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, and Piet Bruegel the  Elder (14th and into the 16th century artists).

17th century artists such as Rembrandt, and Ruben. Included there were Monet, Gaugin, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Chagall. Plus many more…incredible.

The place where I’m staying tonight is known in history as “The Cube Houses” on the waterside of town.There was a strong push for architectural design so Dutch architect Piet Blom answered the call and created this place. Personally it’s too far out there for my taste.

Tomorrow I plan to take the water bus to “Kinderdijks Windmills” (the children’s dyke). On the River Noord: This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1722-1761). They are the largest surviving concentration of windmills in the country.

Many blessings to all and thank you for being out there reading my words to help make this world a better place.

Hoping you received the complete painting of the “Dancer”…Just a beautiful way to end the day with grace.

Love to all that read this and may you have a soft dance to close your day.