Hey guys.
I am sure that if you think Holland, you think Amsterdam. However, there is so much more to this country than coffeeshops, red light district and overrun city centres.
Rotterdam is an interesting place. During the second world war, it was bombed to the ground and was rebuilt from the ground up. It is one of the most modern cities in the Netherlands.
It is also a very quiet place, unlike Amsterdam. Rotterdam is famous for its port and its well-designed infrastructure - it is really easy to get around by bike.
Another amazing thing about Rotterdam are the various parks and canals. When I travelled through the city, I noticed that people are very keen to spend time outside. The parks were filled with people. I spent a lot of time with some friends I met through couchsurfing in a park.
If you venture through the city with open eyes, you may find hidden bars and coffee shops. We found one of these bars - a very artsy place that was arranged like an amphitheatre. The best thing about Rotterdam was the experiences I made there. It was my second interrail trip and I ended up couchsurfing in Rotterdam. I stayed in the flat of a university professor, who had a room dedicated to couchsurfers. It looked a bit dodgy, but ended up being one of the best trips of my life. I shared the room with a chef from New Zealand, a rocket scientist from Italy, Portugese Jesus and a Jazz musician from Norway. What was planned to be a two day stay turned into almost a week.
This trip has told me to be open minded and not give up on situations that seem awful in the beginning. You can never judge a story from its first word.
Thank you for stopping by!
