The Euromast, a structure similar to the Space Needle in Seattle, continues to elude. The first time I visited, I held off due to the overcast skies. The high wind closed it for my second attempt.
Park next to Euromast
Euromast
I made it a point to walk through the Delfshaven, a historic city district known for surviving the bombing of Rotterdam during World War II. This area lacked much of what I have come to admire of the rest of Rotterdam. It is ironic that it had the good fortune of surviving the bombing but is now “stuck” in the past with tight, winding streets with no bike lanes or convenient public transit. However, I did find a neat windmill still preserved here, the first I got to see up close.
Het Nieuwe Instituut (Google translates it as “The New Institute”) is hosting a fashion exhibit. Here the different Dutch fashion trends from the past few decades are on display. Across the street was the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, an art museum, which is home to art from across the centuries. For me it was the set up of the gallery lighting that caught my attention. The ceiling is covered in a pattern similar to a window shutter, with light shining through it. It helped the displays “pop” off the wall without over illuminating it. I also mused over the contrast between the art museum and the fashion exhibit. The work in the museum has been appreciated for generations while fashion is much more fleeting. What we appreciated yesterday we often giggle at today in the fashion world.
Lighting in the Museum
Cluade Monet (1840-1926)
I spent the rainy afternoon chatting with my Brazilian roommate. We compared Brazilian and American life. One significant contrast was that of the police. In Brazil the police universally make everyone feel uneasy and are not trusted. While police dynamics in the United States have recently shifted, they have not eroded to point of the corruption described by him. Another contrast I discovered was of the rail system in Brazil. The United States certainly does not have a rail system worth bragging about, however Brazil has no major organized regional rail system. My roommate explained this was due to a car manufacture deal decades ago that stifled railroad progress. This made feel a bit more grateful for the rail system we do have. I had always felt the weak rail system was just a United States problem.
In the evening we spent time in a “brown cafe,” the Dutch version of a British Pub. These types of pubs are defined by their dark woodwork throughout.
// Oliver – Day 3 – Netherlands