Sun June 1, 2025
Hi Gang! We’re in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands after the capital of Amsterdam. Its history goes back to 1270 when it was named for the dam on the River Rotte. It has a population of over 650,00 people and is Europe’s largest seaport. The city was almost completely destroyed during World War II by German bombers but has been completely rebuilt with varied architecture including several skyscrapers and some interesting cube houses.
Holland America Line’s history is closely tied to the city of Rotterdam, as the company was founded here in 1873 after the first ship, the Rotterdam I, made its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York. The company’s primary role was to transport immigrants from Europe to the United States, with over two million making the journey!
Today we decided to do our own thing and got off the ship around 9 AM and took the tram into the city center. We did a “Free” walking tour around the city which means you just pay the amount at the end of the tour you feel it was worth. I gave him a penny since those will no longer be made and may go up in value. Just kidding! He was a great tour guide and we tipped him well.
It was a two hour tour and took us all around the city to the various neighborhoods. We had never been to Rotterdam and found it to be a really cool city. A lot less tourists (and bikes!) than Amsterdam.
Afterwards we got back to the ship and chilled. I’ll send an update later after dinner. Happy Sunday to all!
The Wandering Italian 