TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Prachtig is a Dutch word that means Beautiful. I found Prachtig bar-restaurant online after searching for restaurants with a view. It's one of the restaurants in Rotterdam with an outdoor terrace and a great view of the city, of the River Maas and the city's symbol, the Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug). We were here in June, the height of the summer season but the weather in the Netherlands is like a (scorned) woman, very unpredictable, and so it was a grey, cold and wet day. Our June and July in fact were a medley of spring and autumn seasons, and a dollup on top of summer and winter in between. So helaas, the famous outdoor terrace of this restaurant was obviously closed. Really a bummer because the terrace is hailed as one of the best in the city. But we are eating inside anyway. The restaurant's floor to ceiling wall facing the river is all glass and is just fantastic. You do not have to be outside to enjoy the outdoors. You can experience the river and the bridge...

Dutchman and I were visiting Rotterdam last June and we were able to see and experience the ‘De Trap’ (The Staircase) art installation. Although the day was a bit grey with a little bit of showers, we were quite lucky to have made it here, on the last weekend of the De Trap exposition. ‘De Trap’ is a massive 180-step staircase installed in front of the Groot Handelsgebouw on the stationsplein (station plaza) of the Rotterdam Centraal Station. The entrance is free of charge. This was an idea of the MVRDV Architects in conjunction with the 75th year celebration of the city’s rebuilding after the WW2 (World War 2). Rotterdam was bombed by the Nazis on the 14th of May 1940. The whole city lay in ruins. Being a small country with a small military, the Netherlands thereafter surrendered to Nazi Germany. 5 years later the war ended and the city was rebuilt. It took years to rebuild Rotterdam. Because the historical centre was destroyed, Rotterdam is known in the country as the most ...

We have moved offices in Cologne and we are now situated in the city centre which is just a few minutes walking from the Dom Cathedral and Cologne Hauptbahnhof. I will not contest that the new office has a much handier location, but I will for sure be missing these lovely views in Rheinauhafen. I took these pictures end of August when temperatures were between 25C and 30C. To learn more about Rheinauhafen go here: Kranhaus in Rheinauhafen Rheinauhafen District, Cologne If you are visiting Cologne and want to check out this place, you can easily walk here from the city centre by just following the Rhine River going south. The Rheinauhafen boulevard is a nice place to stroll on and there are cafes and restaurants in the area as well. Just 21 minutes walking from the Cologne Cathedral. If you prefer to take the bus, take #133 at Breslauer Platz in Cologne Hauptbahnhof or Heumarkt and get off at Rheinauhafen or the Chocoloate Museum. There is underground car parking in ...