Rotterdam

We both started and ended our trip at the beautiful Rotterdam Central station. Rotterdam is Holland’s second city and as its denizens like to say “Rotterdam makes it and Amsterdam spends it.” It’s also the fourth largest port in the world.

The Dutch Golden Age of Art has to be seen in the context of its war of Independence against Spain. You read far less of a more recent and severe occupation that of the Nazis.

I have 3 theories for this: both countries were founder members of the original common market: Dutch complicity e.g. revealing Jews through their census was more apparent: the linguistic and other proximities between the two nations.

There is one small museum in Rotterdam regarding  its wartime occupation.

Yet it was a tough time. After surrendering Rotterdam’s medieval centre, mainly of wood, was bombed by the Luftwaffe causing a huge fire.

It was then bombed twice by the Allies.

The end result is a modern city of pleasing but functional architecture.

Our hotel the Slaak was of the boutique Uber cool genre.

Such hotels are notable for ridiculous objects. My room had an old fashioned Adler typewriter and a vinyl Miles Davis album on the turntable.

At least I was spared the jelly beans at exorbitant cost. I often wonder who designs these rooms.

In Northern Europe, where the sun rises late, you need decent central light – not any number of side lamps.

Sadly the journey home proved fraught.

We had to change at Brussels whose security staff treated you like your first day in prison.

All trains to Brighton were down because of flooding so passengers good-humouredly had to make the journey south doggedly.