Rotterdam

Yesterday I made the 40 minute train journey West to Rotterdam - it's easy to forget how close everything is in the Netherlands, and visiting different parts of the country makes me excited for some bicycle tours in the spring and summer months! When we arrived, the five of us hopped on a tram down to the area of Beurs, where we stumbled across a lovely little cafe and enjoyed some delicious and warming soup. With my trusty Lonely Planet guide we had already learnt a bit of history about the city, but only when you actually arrive do you see the stark contrast between Rotterdam and every other place I have been to in the Netherlands. The wide and expansive streets blend in with modern high-rise buildings; it's no wonder that people flock there to study its architecture.

Lovely little cafe

The famous bridge in Rotterdam

Babs and Catriona by the river

Wandering the streets we came across some cute shops selling all those nice things that you want to buy, like finger puppets and lampshades. Highlights of the day included walking along the riverside, laughing at Santa with his prop, and devouring some delicious cakes and coffee. We also found a shop that sold massive shoes (some of them were EU size 55 or bigger), which was quite amusing. Unfortunately I didn't get to see my girl Hannah, but we'll be having a Dutch adventure together soon!

Shoes for giants

Me and Santa, and his toy...

Coffees and scrumptious cakes