Over the...

Taken last week by sticking the camera out of the window while speeding along the A13 between Delft and Rotterdam. I wouldn't normally recommend this technique but it was the only way I could capture the rainbow. You can just barely see the double rainbow on the right hand side of the photo (along with a big smudge of a raindrop).

Be Constructive

This would have been a good "what is it" photo, had I thought to take a full-frame picture to reveal it's full structure. So I'll just tell you that it is detail from the Naum Gabo sculpture "Constructie" (Construction) in Rotterdam.

Double Vision

No, I wasn't drinking when I snapped this shot of people enjoying last week's weather in Rotterdam. It's a reflection in the building across from the cafe. Sunny spots were at a premium during last week's "heat wave." It's still sunny but a bit cooler.

Bridging The Gap

I'm no architecture critic, but I think that Unilever's "De Brug" is a pretty unique building. Home to the company's Netherlands offices (the corporate headquarters are located elsewhere in Rotterdam), it straddles other Unilever buildings, including a food plant. The name makes sense, since "De Brug" translates to "The Bridge." Not only does it "bridge" the other buildings, it is close to some of the other landmark bridges that span the Maas river in Rotterdam. If you are an architecture buff, you can read more about it here.

Your interpretation's as good as mine...

The view from the Kunsthal art museum in Rotterdam. We viewed a very nice Steinlen exhibit there last weekend.

By the way, Rotterdam is back on the City Daily Photo Blog roster. The "original" Rotterdam photo blogger, Ineke, has rejoined the group. Check it out.

Leftovers

From the New Year's celebration in Rotterdam.

Rotterdam Skyline

Rotterdam is the "working city" of The Netherlands. In this skyline silhouette looking west, you can see the many cranes that load and offload cargo in the ports (havens) on the Maas river. Rotterdam lost the title of "world's largest port" a few years ago (Shanghai currently holds the title) but remains Europe's busiest port. The tower on the right is the Euromast, which houses a restaurant in the "ship's bridge" and is a great place to visit for a panoramic view of the city.

Pride of Rotterdam: Monthly Theme Day (Bridges)

Since Don is no longer publishing his Rotterdam blog, we thought we'd show you one of the most famous bridges in The Netherlands.

As much as symbol of Rotterdam as the Golden Gate is to San Francisco, the Erasmusbrug (Erasmus bridge) spans the river Maas in the heart of the city.

The bridge was completed in 1996. Evidently there were initial problems with swaying on the bridge which were quickly fixed. A portion of the bridge is a drawbridge, which is necessary to allow some of the large ships that enter the port to pass underneath.

It is named, of course, for Rotterdam's famous humanist Erasmus.

You can still see the Erasmusbrug posts from Don's blog, along with his excellent commentary on Rotterdam's architecture, here.

Each month, the Daily City Photo Blog theme day gets bigger! This month there are over 120 participating blogs:
Boston (MA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Inverness (IL), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Stockholm, Sweden - Setúbal, Portugal - Brussels, Belgium - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Hyde, UK - Manila, Philippines - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - London, England - Austin (TX), USA - Toulouse, France - Weston (FL), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Selma (AL), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - North Bay (ON), Canada - Arradon, France - Paderborn, Germany - Durban, South Africa - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Portland (OR), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Wichita (Ks), USA - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Grenoble, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Arlington (VA), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Cheltenham, UK - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Saratoga Spgs. (NY), USA - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Nashville (TN), USA - Toruń, Poland - New Orleans (LA), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Melbourne, Australia - Moscow, Russia - Trujillo, Peru - Château-Gontier, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Joplin (MO), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Baziège, France - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Detroit (MI), USA - Riga, Latvia - Nelson, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Cape Town, South Africa - Sydney, Australia - Dunedin (FL), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Radonvilliers, France - Turin, Italy - Montpellier, France - Kansas City (MO), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Wailea (HI), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Terrell (TX), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Budapest, Hungary - Montréal (QC), Canada - Sharon (CT), USA - Le Guilvinec, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - London, UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Orlando (FL), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Paris, France - Mainz, Germany - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Darmstadt, Germany - Naples (FL), USA - Torino, Italy - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - The Hague, Netherlands - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand

Abandoned?

This looks like a perfectly rideable city bike, but notice how the grass has grown through the tires ... it's been sitting here for a while. I'm surprised nobody has snatched it up.

We're not abandoning the blog, but we won't have internet access for about a week, so see you then.

And apologies for not being able to return many comments this past week due to a hectic schedule.

Curious but Cautious

A little poser from the herd of deer at the Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam.

The East in Rotterdam

Sticking with the Rotterdam theme, I understand this building on the Kralingse Plas to be in a traditional Indonesian style. Very appropriate, given that it is an Indonesian restaurant.

The restaurants on the lake are, quite understandably, very popular in the summer.

Rotterdam: Where?Wednesday

This is the view to Rotterdam from the Kralingse Bos, a forest & lake within the city limits. The path around the lake is a great place for a walk or a bike ride.

Killer Tomato?

A fitting symbol for a seed company, but this giant tomato just outside of Rotterdam is a very strange sight.

After all, who was responsible for taking the giant bite out of it?

A Reluctant Subject

I spotted this pheasant (fazant) near the Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam. He eluded me for quite some time before I got an (almost) clear shot.

UitMarkt in Rotterdam

This week we'll "leave" the Wassenaar area for some posts from other areas of the Netherlands.

Rotterdam is not far away (about 40 minutes by train) and we spent some time in the centrum yesterday. The Uitmarkt is the celebration for the beginning of the cultural season. Held in cities across the country, it's a great way to learn about the many events, groups, and facilities for all types of cultural activities. The Rotterdam uitmarkt was held around De Doelen, the main concert hall (Don from Everyday Rotterdam has posted about it here).

More wildlife looking for food...

Driving past the Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam (not meaning to step on Everyday Rotterdam's toes), I couldn't resist stopping to snap the storks on the nesting poles. A woman (on a bike, of course) stopped to look with me while I was taking pictures. In Dutch, she seemed to ask me if the storks had "tweelings" (twins), to which I answered that I didn't know. Just then I realized that she wasn't asking me, she was telling me, because a couple of little stork heads popped up looking for food from their parents. We stood and watched for a while as the baby birds occasionally looked up for food.

The top image is as close as I could get; the 2nd image is highly cropped and zoomed, but you get the idea. Next time I'll be sure to take my telephoto lens!