Rotterdam

I’m on my way from Rotterdam to Weimar as I write this. International InterCityExpress Train 125 goes from Amsterdam to Frankfurt Hbf, via Utrecht and a variety of other places. Right now I’m facing backwards and the scenery suggests we’re still in The Netherlands, although we ought to be crossing into Germany sometime in the next few minutes. (Why I think it is the Netherlands is beyond me: It’s actually Germany. I just saw a sign in a train station that was in the German Train Station style instead of the Dutch style.)

We’re going 156km/h according to the sign at the end of the car.

Rotterdam’s a new city. During World War II, the city suffered greatly, to the point where I think that only a few notable buildings survived: a church, city hall, and the downtown post office. Consequently the city is filled with modern structures. Some of which are cutting edge and attractive, and many of which, well… are modern and ugly.

There are also some awkward spaces.

In rebuilding Rotterdam, the Dutch were wise enough to realize the value of open spaces where people can congregate for multiple purposes. The Markt is a prime example of this kind of space. During the day it is a enormous marketplace, filled with stalls selling everything from clothing to food to flowers. At night it can be used as a gigantic outdoor night club, with DJs perched atop the Erasmus University Student Center/ Library/ Theater. I’ve seen it in the later condition once, just as the nightclub was starting and the crowd wasn’t quite yet into the scene.

Unfortunately when there is nothing in the space, it is ugly.

No bones about it, one of the uglier spots in Rotterdam. The buildings lining the edges just don?t make the grade. It’s hard to explain, but it just isn’t a comfortable space.

That said, Rotterdam has some excellent features about it. There are also two beautiful bridges crossing the Maas River: Erasmusbrug Bridge and the Willemsburg Bridge. In my quest to buy artistic representations of each place I visit, I am still looking for my Rotterdam painting or photograph, and one of the requirements is that one of these two bridges is in the picture-preference given to the Erasmusburg.

There are also a number of museums. The one that stands out the most to me is the Netherlands Architectural Institute. I still recall the display I saw there a few years back where there was a graphic comparison of the distance between Amsterdam and Paris. One view was raw distance, while the other was measured in time onboard the high speed train. The high speed train hasn’t started service yet, but you can see evidence of its construction while traveling along the Dutch Ring Route.

One of the newer museums in Rotterdam is the Netherlands Photomuseum (Nederlands Fotomuseum). I can’t tell when it opened, but I have the vague impression it’s within the past year or two. Currently they have two exhibits open. One will be closed at the end of this upcoming week: a collection of prints that will be auctioned off in Amsterdam to benefit Amnesty International by the end of the month.

The other exhibit is a collection of collections taken by Hans Eijkelboom. While perhaps they displayed too many of these collections, some of the collections are quite remarkable. Eijkelboom would go out on the street, and in a short period of time, take thematic photos. In one collection everybody would be wearing red jackets; in the next it would be older couples walking down the street, or motorcyclists stopped on the street corner.

It’s really remarkable to realize that no matter how much we strive for individuality, we often end up looking alike. There’s nothing quite like expressing our individuality by wearing the same brands.