Postcards From Rotterdam
An Anti Burnout Travel Guide
Teetering close to burnout is not pretty. And it’s not too much fun either. Toward the end of April and beginning of this month, it had been something I wa struggling with significantly; the warning signs were flashing. While being freelance means I can manage the majority of my own access needs, there’s also something of a ‘squeeze’ in an unstable environment - media outlets close down often, less opportunities, terrible rates. And it can seem pretty endless, a treadmill of sorts.
It was time to take stock pre-emptively, and down all tools and electronics. Anxiety has wrapped its talons around my brain too much lately; I still feel like I’m failing just about everyone, as well as in managing all the different roles I perform - journalist, colleague, friend, confidante, editor. As a result my pain levels have started to change for the worse once again, something which I’m awaiting surgery for.
Anyway. Rotterdam is probably my favourite place outside the UK, thanks to its accessibility; this is my ‘travel city guide’. I started at Rotterdam Centraal Station and carried on outwards. It’s a place I’ve escaped to often, one of my most favourite places in this universe.
Go and see the Street Art
While the ‘cityscape’ has changed somewhat thanks to the pandemic and there is less of it, going to wander and to see the street art is a ‘must’. This is taken behind the train station.
A little while ago I wrote about the concept of a ‘colour walk’ in Colour Me Walking, as inspired by (You can view that piece here.) This is the ideal city - a mix of an old neighbourhood around by Stad Huis and the new, such as with the shopping centre. There were tours prior to the pandemic - and while that may have changed, it’s an easy going, no pressure activity.
One recurrent theme that made me smile was a translation of the expression ‘Fuck Nazis’, in relation to politics. Or there’s this character…
An abundance of stickers decorate the city; they use to be local artists and provocateurs, but now it is all about football. The art of a city tells you much about its current state; I usually stop to photograph it if I’m on assignment for this reason. It says a lot about wealth, its politics, what matters to its residents, the here and now.
Yes it’s wanderlust from my first visit in 2018, but it has been beyond useful when writing.
Diner at Donner
Rotterdam is expensive; let’s get that out of the way.
For the cheapest lunch going, Diner at Donner is one of the most inexpensive places in the city. The cream of tomato soup option is delicious - and it is situated in a large bookshop and stationery store. What could possibly go wrong? It was quiet, and one of the most accessible places I found.
Another great place is Hema - which used to be in the UK, but the super store sizes in the Netherlands means some branches also have a canteen option. You don’t have to think, and it’s very cheap; it’s a lot like the UK’s Primark, but without the stock of clothing. Great if you struggle with executive functioning and/or anxiety!
Markthal
Foodie by nature? Markthal is not to be missed. While it can become crammed on celebration days, at non ‘peak’ hours this is just brilliant; the stalls inside rotate on a month by month basis, and offer up world cuisine. This is where I get a lot of my spices which I cook with; my family love Kruidnoten, and Speculaas spice is almost impossible to buy in the UK.
Often times there are markets outside; this is a bit more organised, and there is also a supermarket on the floor below the ground. The side doors also don’t have steps, and there are lifts into the building - sadly too much of a rarity in this city.
The Handel Boekshop nearby is also not to be missed - the top floor is a stationery paradise.
The Yellow Wood Bridge
A few years ago there was a campaign to crowdfund for what has become the Yellow Wood Bridge - a literal bridge of yellow wood to connect two parts of Rotterdam together. It’s impossible to photograph it all at once - this is just a snapshot.
If you need somewhere to sit and think or to just be peaceful, there are all kinds of locations on the way on the bridge itself; one of my favourite spaces is just below the station.
Back in London I usually sit at an outside table, just to people watch, notebook in hand; it’s a habit I picked up between attending court hearings, while trying to sort contents for publication or research. But this is a place that offers a kind of sanctuary, away from too much hustle.