Where I live I’m surrounded by bridges, water and the bustle of ships passing by. It’s called the Noordereiland (Northern island) in the Nieuwe Maasriver and connected by the Willemsbridge and Koninginnebridge.

The name derives from Noorderhaven (harbour) which is now called Koningshaven. When they dug this harbour, the island got separated from former island Feijenoord. This name should ring a bell with football lovers whereas the name is written as Feyenoord.

The island has become an Art project called MS Noordereiland, initiated by artist Joe Cillen who also lives here. The concept is that the island is in fact a motorship ready to take off one day and sail away with all its inhabitants. If you walk around on the island you will see many objects which refers to parts of a ship. We even have our own flag.

When you cross the Willemsbridge to the island, the left part looks new. The right part is more authentic and was spared by the bombing (in this case so called “friendly fire”)during WWII. Have a walk and see the houses on Maaskade 85, 113 and the Hulstkamp building. Try and find all the paintings in ornamented frames on several buildings and other art during an event like Expeditie Noordereiland or at gallery Ben Wind.

Eventhough most of the shops have gone, there are plenty of cafés to rest and wonder where the journey will lead to when the MS Noordereiland really starts moving. Or swim your way around it during Rondje Noordereiland in summer.

Hotel New York is a landmark in Rotterdam, a place not to be missed whenever you visit the city, however, it is also a place where the locals like to eat and hang out from Winter to Summer and every season in between. This is also a special place for both my husband and I because this is where we had our first date and also were we got married, it is more than special I must say, it is memorable.

Both the interior and exterior of the building have amazing history and people have been converging here for decades. The reason why they come back, you might ask, is the food and of course the fabulous atmosphere. In the summer this is ‘the’ terrace to sit on and drink a glass of wine while enjoying the view of the Maas. It is also a place where you can have an aperitif with friends or colleagues. The main dining room, gives the restaurant its distinct feel and the energy that you feel here cannot be compared to anything else.

The food is fantastic! Their seafood platters are legendary and are presented with style and with an attention to detail. The menu offers a variety of dishes, from seasonal creations to staples such as the pasta with clams in a white wine sauce, and one of my favorites the fried squid rings.

This is a place to be now and for many years to come, and should not be missed!

I remember discovering this place some years ago while visiting the supermarket located at the same shopping area. I do have to admit, I love my semi-precious stones! And this store has a great variety on them. So at that moment it became one of my top places to visit when I am looking for something special and exotic.

Reshma, the owner, is extremely friendly and enthusiastic about her products and this is contagious! You enter her store and the immediate positive energy that exudes makes leaving a very difficult task. The variety of colors and textures is amazing! Here you can find little jewelry boxes decorated with beads and crystals, colorful scarves that are not only gorgeous but also unique, exotic jewelry made with a variety of materials from semi-precious stones to shells, lamps and lanterns that hang from the ceiling giving the store a fantastic bazaar feel, and so much more. The pieces are so special because Reshma travels twice a year to India to hand pick the pieces that she sells, this gives a story behind every article that she proudly displays in her store.

Triad-Ethnic is the perfect reason to come and discover what the south of Rotterdam has to offer and while here, enjoy the best views of the city.

Under the Van Brienenoord bridge lies a long island created by sludge piling up in the bend of the river the Maas since the beginning of the 19th century. There was a lot of forest until WWII, when the Germans used the trunks to keep airplanes from landing. What was left ended in the fires during the Hunger Winter.

Nowadays it’s a natural island again. There are some holiday gardens here, Scout clubs and the remains of a dock to build the metro-tunnel. But still it’s very green. In summertime Highland Cattle walks around free. On the East side the ground has been washed down. And instead of rebuilding it, they made a bridge to go over it and enjoy this miniature swamp.

During my bike tours I saw this island from the bridge above. I know I had to be able to go there, as I saw the little bridge, sheds at the gardens and people walking. But I didn’t know the entrance. It took me some time to figure out. I’ve toured the island a couple of times, although the terrain is sometimes too rough for less than an ATB (All Terrain Bike).

One time I came eye to eye with one of those Scottish cows. I had no idea if they were harmless or not, and I hesitated a little. The road was very narrow, so I had to pass on a very short distance. I did survive and do not especially praise my cowardliness, just the average city girl.

Three bridges cross the Maas at Rotterdam. Two of them are in the centre and especially the Erasmus Bridge is quite popular nowadays. I think that has mostly to do with media publicity, trying to make this bridge the mark of Rotterdam. But for me the Brienenoord Bridge is THE mark of Rotterdam.

The bridge was built in 1965 and named after the island below. It was rather slim and transparent for its time, what made it an example for other bridges. The capacity wasn’t sufficient for its daily traffic, so in 1990 the bridge was doubled.

Whenever we would take the car and drive outside Rotterdam for holidays or to visit relatives, my brother and I did this game. After the contest, who saw the most caravans, we would play ‘Who saw the Brienenoord Bridge first’. So I remember sitting in my fathers car staring outside, in search for the bridge desperately. I knew whenever I saw the bridge, I had not only won the contest… I was home.

These days whenever doing a bike tour around Rotterdam, I always include the bridge. Not only is the length and steepness is a challenge on its own, I love the feeling of riding free-falling downhill. With the wind in my back, my personal record on this bridge is set on 42km/hour. I do suggest to take the bridge from the north to the south if you want to ride down that hill, since at the other side there is this sharp hairpin bend.