Rotterdam Rumble: Rain, Ramen, and Seriously Weird Art
okay, so i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm coffee. 3171457 and 1380655938 - don’t ask, i just saw them on a bus stop sign and it felt…significant. the air here in Rotterdam is thick, like wet wool. it’s 3.85 degrees, feels like 1.96, temp min 3.85, temp max 3.85, pressure 1002, humidity 100, sea level 1002, ground level 992. yeah, that’s…something. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
seriously, this place is…a lot. like, aggressively colorful. canals everywhere, buildings that look like they were designed by a robot with a penchant for geometric shapes. it’s a bit overwhelming, honestly. i stumbled into this little ramen shop - ‘Noodl’ - and the guy behind the counter, he just stared at me for a solid minute before yelling ‘Welcome to the future!’ which, you know, fair enough.
I spent the afternoon wandering around the Delfshaven area. it’s supposed to be super authentic, like, pre-industrial revolution Rotterdam. but it’s mostly filled with tourist shops selling miniature windmills and tulip bulbs. someone told me that the best place to find vintage denim is down by the Markthal, but i haven’t had the energy to investigate yet. i’m pretty sure my feet are actively plotting a rebellion.
Speaking of energy, the art scene here is…unhinged. i saw this installation - a giant, pulsating pile of rubber ducks - outside the Cube Houses. it was…a thing. i’m not entirely sure what it meant, but it definitely made me question my life choices. i heard that the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum has some seriously intense modern art, but i’m sticking to the streets for now.
I’m trying to keep track of everything, but my brain feels like a scrambled egg. i need to find a decent coffee shop. seriously, any coffee shop. the ones here seem to be serving something vaguely resembling brown water. i’m craving a proper espresso, the kind that makes you want to write poetry or something. i’m thinking of hitting up ‘De Bakkerswinkel’ - apparently, they have amazing pastries. i heard that they’re obsessed with sourdough.
My neighbors are…interesting. there’s this family who live above me and they play polka music at 6 am. every. single. morning. it’s…a vibe. if you get bored, Amsterdam is just a short drive away, and Utrecht is a bit further, but honestly, i’m just trying to survive Rotterdam’s rain and weirdness.
I managed to snag a few shots with my camera - mostly blurry pictures of canals and confused pigeons. i’m pretty sure i’m developing a serious case of Rotterdam fatigue. i need a shower, a nap, and a large dose of caffeine.
*Pro-tip:* Don’t trust anything you read online about Rotterdam. Seriously. Just wander around and get lost. You’ll probably find something amazing. Or something deeply unsettling. Either way, it’ll be an experience.
Check out this TripAdvisor page for some restaurant recommendations: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g189423-Rotterdam_South Holland.html
And for a local’s perspective, head over to this Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rotterdam/
Finally, if you're looking for some cool street art, this board has some good finds: https://www.streetartrotterdam.nl/
Okay, I’m officially done. Time for more coffee. Or maybe just a nap.