Riding Rotterdam. Where the hills are built for sprained ankles.

So I arrived in Rotterdam as planned to end my European tour. Eva and Marnix were my former guests from Rotterdam. They were the main reason I was making a small side step into Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam. And from the get go they didn't let me down. I was off the train and with bike in hand within 5 minutes.

How awesome is Rotterdam once you have a bike? I must say it's really, really awesome if you have a busted up ankle. Because Rotterdam is as flat as a tack. The biggest hill is the incline of one of the bridges over the river bisecting the city into two. Don't worry true to form I let Marnix know I hate hills. He just smiled.

So upon arrival into Rotterdam I had merely dropped off the bag and we were off. Off on the the roads of Rotterdam where cars actually not just respect bikes, they treat them with kid gloves. Whether you're going the wrong way on a one way street, or crossing at an intersection cars know to give way. And bikeriders rely on it and hence I loved it. There was no angst from cars. They just accepted this was Rotterdam.

Rotterdam I'll remember for many reasons. For starters the architecture is profound. Everywhere there is a building designed to out do the previous. To be boring in Rotterdam would be a crime it seems. We started in the markets area which is also home to the cube houses. All of this is near the pretty harbour area.

And then there is the Port. The biggest in Europe, and 4th largest in the world I was explained. Behind a few of the ports in China. Having grown up on the bayside of Brisbane I am aware of ports and shipping containers. I've seen a few in my time. But this was something special. The sheer size of the port is thought provoking. Just how much "stuff" goes around the world. Going by the miles and miles of shipping containers the numbers must be staggering. It also makes what I can only describe as the "Shipping Container Cruise of Rotterdam" seem normal. Everywhere elseI would scoff at a cruise that highlighted the shipping container terminals. But in Rotterdam it makes sense. Several times a day tourist boats take tourist on a tour of the ports and Rotterdam. The residential and commercial side of the tourist is but a small section. And then you end up in the Port. Inlet after inlet of shipping containers. The largest coldstore with juice from South America followed by the largest blah blah blah...you get the picture.

After the tour we road over to the other side of the city and a micro brewery. We indugled in a tasting platter of cheese and meats whilst partaking in some local brew. And then in the evening we cruised on over to a local traditional meatball restaurant before retiring to a local pub to watch the local FC Feyenoord battle in the local version of the FA Cup. What a day. That was as good as it gets really for a planned touring day.

The 2nd day included a Dutch pancake breakfast before I farewelled my friends for a few hours to myself. I stumbled around before retiring for the night and the long journey home. Ankle and all.