Woke around 0830 with back pain...not too bad, as I think I managed to sleep on my back for most of the night. Aki got up to put the washing on, and receive a work phone call. I hung out the washing...nice sunny day, but a chilly north-westerly wind. Porridged. Aki cycled off to tai chi. I pottered about, finishing my unpacking, and catching up with my blog. Aki briefly returned, before cycling off again, to the fishmonger's on Essex Road. Light lunch. Walked over to Waitrose to do a shop, then drove Aki up to Helen and Martin's to pick up some tomato plants. Aki cooked sea bass for dinner, with pearl barley and vegetables...very tasty. Watched some more of Episode 1 of "Get Back"...really enjoyed watching the embryonic Get Back song in creation...started out as an anti-racist protest song following Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech! Bath and bed...
Woke around 0830. Got up and took a shower before we headed downstairs for breakfast. Packed our bags, checked out, and left our baggage with reception, then took a final wander about the locale...popped in to the World Trade Centre, which has recently been re-furbished and re-configured. Impressive modern feel. Walked across to the Markthal...Aki keen to buy herring and onions for lunch on the train later. When we came out it was pouring with rain, so we took a tram to Beurs and walked up to the famous department store for a coffee...basically, it looks like a big John Lewis's.
Bad back woke me around 0645. Sat up for a bit before nodding back off. It was 1000 when I woke again. Aki boiled the kettle for tea. Wandered through the city centre...most of it looks a bit like Milton Keynes, sadly.
Eventually happened upon a cafe for brunch. Continued our amble, which took us through the MuseumPark, past the mirror ball of The Depot, to the Remy Koolhaas's Kunsthal.
Paid to get in for a leisurely browse...really enjoyed the Flowers Forever exhibition, which took in all sorts of different tangents...politics, economics, art, botany...it was never dull, as there was always something interesting around the next corner.
Took a break for a beverage in the cafe, then took in some smaller exhibition halls before walking down to the Maas.
Had dinner at Loos Grand Cafe...food was great, but the loos were a big disappointment! Had a wander around the marina, then walked slowly back to the hotel...
Woke around 0600…bad back. Sat up for a bit before managing to get back to sleep. Woke again around 0900. We decided to try the hotel breakfast. Buffet style…but very good. Aki enquired about moving to a room with bath instead of shower so that she can more easily bathe whilst keeping her injured knee dry…to my surprise the request was granted, and we moved to the room next door.
Headed for the central station and hopped on a train to Delft…only a ten minute ride. Very comfortable seats…we realised we’d been sat in first class. Wandered around the streets bordering the canals in the town centre. Had a sit down at a cafe in the market square and enjoyed a coke before heading for the rendezvous point for the canal tour.
There were about 40 ladies of a certain age all dressed in purple, sporting red hats…they turned out to be the internationally renowned Red Hat Society…there were loads of them roaming the streets! They all piled onto one boat and headed off, looking like a cargo of tulips from Amsterdam! Wandered across town to the Vermeer Centre...a museum of sorts, though containing only reproductions of the great man's work, in the former St Luke's Guild House, of which Vermeer was once head. Enjoyed a couple of modernist re-interpretations, and re-created a Vermeer with Aki as my muse.
Wandered the streets and crossed the charming canals, and then made our way to the old Armoury, which now houses a steak restaurant. I enjoyed a very tasty, chunky fillet steak...Aki had the schnitzel. A waiter managed to soak a patron in lager at the next table! He took it all in remarkably good stead.
Wandered down to the southern harbour for a beer on a barge bar, and watched the boats coming and going. Also paid one final homage to Vermeer, finding the spot from which he had painted his View of Delft. Took a train back to Rotterdam. Wandered north of the central station and found a bar in Provienstraat, an area that managed to survive the Nazi bombing campaign...sat out on the street for a beer before walking back to the hotel for a much needed bath!
Woke at 0545 with back ache. Sat up in bed for half an hour before nodding back off. Woke again at 0900. Got up and made tea before limping across the road for breakfast at Served, a modern cafe serving breakfast bowls and sandwiches in crusty flatbread. Popped back to the hotel room to pick up a backpack, then headed for the metro…took the E line to The Hague. Took about half an hour…we pottered along through verdant open country and satellite villages…quite a lot of new housing developments going up. It all looks very calm and civilised. Alighted at the Central station…browsed in The Hague tourist information store at the station and picked up a few silly gifts emblazoned with The Hague moniker.
Alarm at 0530. Got up and made tea. Packed our bags and headed for a No.91 bus to KX to catch the 0816 Eurostar train to Rotterdam. Long queues at St Pancras but got through border control in good time…had a coffee in the waiting area before boarding. Rolled into Rotterdam Centraal at 1230 local time and walked to the Hilton hotel.
Our room was ready so we left our luggage there then headed out to find lunch at the very modern Markthal, taking a couple of Metro trains to get there. Enjoyed a piri piri chicken sandwich at a little Portuguese food stall. Wandered over to the kube housing development and paid €4 to look inside one, which had been turned into an art exhibit.
Woke around 0800...back and neck giving me right gip. Got up and made tea. Sat up in bed for awhile before rising to porridge. Did some exercises in a partially successful bid to reduce the discomfort. Did some chores...a bit of ironing, and some packing ahead of our departure for Rotterdam tomorrow morning. Aki cooked a tasty cheesey omelette for lunch. Pottered about not doing very much. Feel very stiff and uncomfortable. Aki popped out to Morrisons in the drizzle. Finished off the mapo for dinner, with rice and gyoza. Cheese and biscuits for afters. Early night ahead of tomorrow’s adventure…
