Kruidvat Train Travel

So I've been here now 25 months and still have not been to many of the Dutch cities that I must see before I depart for sunny lovely Jamaica. Dutch News Daily - where you can get news in English - had a report on the Most Hospitable City in the Netherlands 2010. http://www.dutchdailynews.com/den-bosch-2010/

These were Breda, Haarlem, Den Bosch, Maastricht and Nijmegen. I've only been to Nijmengen and have been wanting to visit beautiful Maastricht for quite some time now. But on a budget without funding, I always thought instead of spending 43 euros (or 26 euros with a discount card) I could visit a nearer city and spend the rest on a great cafe. But in this blog entry I want to tell you that you have TWO opportunities per year to visit anywhere in the Netherlands for a significantly smaller sum. ONLY 12.49.

One such time is always in late September or early October for ticket purchase at Kruidvat. That is now. So ticket sales end on Oct. 24 but you can travel up to Dec 5 then a break. Then a second period between Dec 11 and Feb 6. CLICK ON FLYER BELOW AND DON'T MISS IT.  Tickets also finish before the period for sales so go as early as you can.

The closest Kruidvat to the Weenapad can be found at.......

Time Out!!

(Photo taken from Wikipedia)

SCENARIO ONE - At IHS the Three Rs are not Reading wRiting and aRithmetic its Reading Reading Reading. That's right and at some point you are gonna be in need of more Rrrs....Recreation and Relaxation. But problem is you are not gonna be short of Required & Recommended reading BUT you will be very short on time. But its the weekend, you say, surely I can spend a half day blowing off some steam and short trip to a neighbouring town might do the trick.

Hmmm lets see....I think I might just have something for you. How about a visit to Madurodam. Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. So in essence it scales down the Dutch experience and distills it all into one "City". Its a pretty cool tour and by train its only 20 minutes on average to the Den Haag HS station from Rotterdam (NOTE: not the Den Hague station) at a cost of $8.20 return and only $4.90 (40% discount with the NS discount card- put discount in the search bar for more on that). A trip via tram from the station to Scheveningen which takes only another 20 minutes and you are there. You'll see minature representations of all landmarks in Holland so as the year passes the neat thing to do is try to see how many of the actual sites you can visit. We've look at some in older posts and will add to future posts.

No I won't tell  you how to get to Scheveningen....come on guys...gots to leave some mystery for you to discover and explore - the address is George Maduroplein 1 2584RZ Den Haag. Entry fee € 14,50 and if you gather a bunch 20 or more students its € 10,25. Opens at 9am every day but closing time varies. Between Sept to March its usually 18:00; April to June at 20:00 and July - Aug at 23:00.

To the left is a map (click to enlarge) of the entire walking tour, of which there are two thematic routes you can choose to take. The Water Route and/or the Architecture Route.

To get a preview of what's in the offerings, you can visit youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0cZYR8SLKc&feature=related for a 5 minute viewing.


SCENARIO TWO - It's too far Jeanette...the paper is due tomorrow and we really can't afford more than a two hour break but I'd like to get a little further than a game of pool in the common room. No problem, I gots a solution and guess what just like Madurodam you can go and sense no guilt as you are still observing Cities in Action and contemplating urban management...LOL. Another mini city experience is Railz MiniWorld and its only 4 minutes walk from the Weenapad. That's right. Even easier on your conscience if you have studying Sustainable Transporation cuz its all about that oh so critical challenge of moving people from one part of a city effectively to enhance productivity and at reduced cost, congestion and impact on the environment. Now with that sales pitch here's what it offers.

Covering 500 m2, Railz Miniworld is the largest indoor model railway network in Holland. More than 100 model trains travel around over 2 kilometres of rails! Fully automatic model cars also drive among the many buildings; every 30 minutes the overhead lights are dimmed while a thousand tiny lights illuminate the mini world. This lively and interactive model world is the ideal chill out spot for a time out with a self serve restaurant and a small cinema. Cost is only € 9,25. Closes at 5pm so its more than likely a weekend visit and it opens at 10am. Its close, its affordable and its all about the City of Rotterdam scaled down but equally delightful.

The RailzMiniWorld Bld...look familiar?
Its the same building you live on :-)

A shot of  one model

SCENARIO THREE -  But its already 7pm and its too late to go out of Rotterdam but its Friday or Saturday nite and you need some air. Well how about an evening at Watts (formerly knows as Nightown) the hippest coolest club in town. Turns out its only 10 minutes walk from Weenapad and the reviews from students have been good. I for one, am not a clubber so I can't speak to that but I did attend once as its not just a club but a venue for concerts. I saw the most awesome reggae concert with Taurus Riley and Duane Stephenson and oh man, it felt like I was right back there in Kingston 5 hangin with ma yardies. But I digress, so one way to keep in touch with what's on and happening at Watt's is via their Facebook page. The address is West-Kruiskade 26-28 3014 AS Rotterdam which is the road parallel to the Weena (the road you take from Central Station to the Apt). So have fun and don't miss the reggae shows y'all they are the bomb!!

West Kruiskade showing Watts on the left

 Now I mention Watts because its close and many students have opted for that convenience BUT there are others you can google for additional info - Club Vie, Rotown and Club Elit. Well that's it for today folks....hope it helps, til next time.
~JC

What to do & Where to go...Hmmm

So you're between two modules (that's the only real break we get) and no readers to read, no group work, no assignments due..sigh it doesn't get any better than this....heaven. But you don't want to waste it, so what's happening in and round Rotterdam, what to do?

I used to be so impressed with the amount of cultural activity going on.. You could see it every day there'd be something new, on the many billboards as you ride pass heading to class in the morning or heading back in the evening. My favourite one to check was on the Goudesingel. For those of you who ride you'll recognise it easily as its right after or before the Hofplein fountain. See photo above.

But if you barely have the time to stop and read a billboard (hardly the case but I almost always felt that way) or its so cold you your body won't respond to the command, stop......well this is where you can go http://www.xpat.nl/events/cultural_events which has a small but good selection of activities, shows, expositions, etc. taking place in Rotterdam and the cities near you - Den Haag, Utrecht etc.

If the movies is all you need well that's easy - The Pathé Schouwburgplein cinema in city center and the closest to you, has the biggest screen of the Netherlands, it cannot be missed architecture-wise and its right smack in the midst of all the shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Just a word of caution - if you go outside of peak period, the ticket boothes are closed and you have to use the ticket dispensers (see photo above) and you'll need your ATM card as it does not take cash. I was rescued by a lovely Rotterdamer who took my cash and bought me a ticket. And if you have your Erasmus student card - DISCOUNT!! So make sure to bring it.

The Pathé De Kuip cinema is another option but a bit further away. Another close option is Cinerama Rotterdam at Westblaak 18, and being the oldest (built in 1957) has a wonderful ambience (see photo below). And I know what you're wondering - language barrier?? Well not for the movies as you get Dutch subtitles but yes for the others its a challenge, except I find that with the Arts, language is almost redundant. For information on what's showing.....http://www.pathe.nl/english. Enjoy now. J.C.

Euromast Tower

Okay so Aloysius has your brain in a bind trying to understand net present values and Internal Rate of Return and Benefit Cost Ratio (oooh the pain!!) and he's forgotten that we are really here just to get away from the stress of the office (just kidding). But now you need really need a break and even a good game of pool in the common room is not gonna relieve the tension.

I got just thing for you. Its the EUROMAST TOWER!! For those more adventurous among you or those really in need of going home (like me) 10lbs lighter you can bike it. But for those who think that that is even more stress just head to Central Station. Now if you aren't sure where that is then you are not really stressed...you are now traumatized and Erasmus Medical Centre might be the better tour - I'll take you there in the next post :-) oh yes I've been there (broken toe) and lemme just say you'll be very happy and grateful for those euros you've put to insurance.
But back to the Euromast Tower. I won't do a spoiler and tell you all about it but its 328feet high and gives a panoramic view of the city, There is one round shaped lift which is made up of glass walls to give a 360 degree of the city. To add to the fun this round lift keeps rotating so that you do not miss any good view of city….till the horizon. Se the Rotterdam port, feeders, ships, canals, road, garden from top. Its green city with lovely view from top. But what's really nice about it is its close, it won't break the bank at 8.5 euros and its not something you need hours to enjoy. Perfect for a small break. Of course, you can make it a longer stop if you have lunch or a cuppa coffee (shown in photo below) as there is a lovely restaurant. And for those of you who will find love here...the ladies do enjoy the Valentines nite there which is always in demand, so book early. But I would recommend a lovely cup of coffee inside afterwards as it gets more than a little nippy.

For those not to happy about heights maybe you wanna pass on this one BUT they do have different levels so still give it a shot. If you go during Spring and Summer then you can enjoy some hair-raising activities. ENJOY.

Parkhaven 20 Rotterdam The Netherlands - Tel: 010/436-4811