Rotterdam Rumble: Rain, Ramen, and Seriously Weird Art
okay, so i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm coffee. 2940132 and 1276519956 - don’t ask, it’s a thing i saw on a wall. it just…is. the air here in Rotterdam feels thick, like wet wool. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the pressure’s at 996, humidity’s hovering around 95, and the ground level is a surprisingly low 954. weird, right?
I landed yesterday, and honestly, it’s a sensory overload. not in a good way, like ‘oh my god, look at the beautiful sunset’ kind of way. more like ‘whoa, what is that?’ Rotterdam is…brutalist. aggressively so. massive concrete structures, sharp angles, and a general vibe of ‘we built this to withstand a nuclear winter.’ it’s kinda beautiful in a bleak, post-apocalyptic sort of way.
I’m staying in this tiny studio apartment near the Markthal - seriously, the Markthal is insane. it’s basically a giant, indoor food market. I overheard rumors that the cheese stall is run by a retired opera singer who only speaks in Italian. someone told me that…it’s probably a lie, but it sounds amazing. I found a decent place to eat on Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=ramen&sort_by=relevance&location=Rotterdam%2C+Netherlands - seriously, ramen is a lifesaver.
Spent the morning wandering around the Delfshaven district. it’s like stepping back in time, but with more street art. the whole area is just…different. it’s a little bit unsettling, but in a fascinating way. I stumbled across this incredible exhibition of kinetic sculptures - all gears and springs and weird, whirring noises. it was like being inside a giant clock.
Then I got completely lost trying to find the Cube Houses. seriously, they’re just…cubes. stacked on top of each other. it’s a thing. I ended up in a courtyard filled with pigeons and a guy playing a mournful tune on a saxophone. it was…a moment.
Speaking of weird, the street art here is intense. Like, aggressively colorful and often deeply unsettling. I saw this mural of a giant, weeping robot - it was genuinely disturbing. I heard that…someone painted it overnight after a particularly heavy rain.
“Don’t look directly at the robot. It judges you.” - A local barista, clearly.
I’m trying to capture some of this chaos with my camera. my gear list is looking like a small apocalypse:
Camera (obviously)
Extra batteries (essential)
Memory cards (always)
Notebook and pen (for capturing the madness)
A ridiculously oversized coffee mug
A healthy dose of cynicism
If you’re looking for a chill beach vibe, Rotterdam’s not it. but if you’re into brutalist architecture, weird art, and surprisingly good ramen, then you might just dig it. it’s a short drive to Gouda - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189426-d189427-Reviews-Gouda_South_Holland_Province-Netherlands.html - they have cheese, obviously.
I’m heading to the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum next. apparently, they have a collection of surrealist art that’s guaranteed to mess with your head.
And honestly, if you get bored, Utrecht is just a short drive away. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189426-d189427-Reviews-Utrecht_North_Holland_Province-Netherlands.html - they have canals and student vibes.
Seriously, I need more coffee. and maybe a therapist.
“Just embrace the weird, kid. It’s Rotterdam.” - A street artist covered in spray paint.