Little getaway to Rotterdam

Last weekend we took a little getaway to Holland to celebrate Easter and to get some fresh air.  First stop was Rotterdam, about 150km from home, I'd always heard it was cool …and it was, even though the weather wasn't all sunshiny.  Rotterdam has this edgy, a little raw, big city feel with lots of skyscrapers with brownstones. I always like the vibe in a city with water, specially port cities, they feel airy & breathable or something...

We stayed at hotel New York that has got the most comfortable bedding and softest sheets ever. I read the architecture is Jugendstil and the interior felt a bit like on an old cruiseship sometimes. It used to be the main office of the "Holland-Amerika" line.

Happe Me at the hotel.

A must do there, is take a water taxi.

City views.

The Sonneveld House was recommended by a friend and was worth the trip. It is a modernist villa built from 1932-1933 by architects Brinkman and Van der Vlugt.  It is so very avant-garde for that time, with lots of elements that you'd also find in a fifties home.

Two streets worth the check out for shopping & food : Witte de Withstraat & Pannekoekstraat.

We had breakfast at Pierre's, a French bistro, but I would recommend it for an apero or maybe dinner.

And last but not least, we had a delicious Italian meal at Oliva, didn't hear of it, just saw it and booked a table.

MMMM I still remember the taste of the sweet red onions with the proscuito bruchetta, the freshness of the fish with the lobster risotto, the tasty gnocchi and the ooh so delicious home-made ice-cream (lemon cacti, pear pistachio, white chocolate). Oh and did I say that the bread, the olive oil, the glasses of white wine and red wine were also good. Ok i'm hungry now!  To be continued...