Rotterdam, Netherlands

I spent a weekend in Rotterdam, staying at one of Roel's friends place. Linda (Roel's friend) was so generous and hospitable. Saturday morning we hopped on some bikes and she gave me a tour of her city. We were fortunate enough to visit the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute) the day before it closed for renovation. At the NAi there were some really intriguing exhibits on how architecture can address issues of sustainability and since it was going to close for the following 6 months the exhibits were free that day... lucky us!

Brussels, Belgium

The first photo is of a funny little Brussels landmark called "Manneken Pis". It depicts a little boy peeing into a fountain. It's a strange attraction with many legends behind the meaning. The second photo is some historical architecture in Brussels and the third shows how populated some of the streets can get. The fourth photo is really a bizarre story: Roel and I were walking through the main square in Brussels and I heard an American accent, turned my head, and BAM there was my friend Nate I know from Minneapolis!

Guidecca Canal

This was the wonderful view we saw every morning walking to the studio!

Nightlife

This was another one of our favorite nightly hang-outs. A romantic little wine bar that had inexpensive prosecco that the owners made themselves. It was always quite peaceful sitting next to the candlelight with good company.

Vini Al Bottegon

This was our favorite happy hour spot! After studio we would head over to drink some spritz (prosecco, aperol, and mineral water) and eat cicchetti (similar to appetizers).

Subtle Street Art

In Venice, there is not only an abundance of art in museums and churches, but also the streets.

Isola di San Michele

The island cemetery called San Michele.

Burano

Burano is an island within the venetian lagoon that has a colorful character. As a community, they voted that no hotels could be built on the island. Perhaps they noticed the impact that tourism has had on Venice and wanted to retain their identity. When the last vaporetto headed to Venice leaves the island, the day-trippers disappear and the locals take back their streets.

Gastronomy

Almost once every week we have gone on a field trip throughout the Veneto region. We visit great pieces of architecture and landscapes that were built more than 500 years ago. But one of the main things that has made a lasting impression is the wonderful meals we share as a group. They generally last a couple of hours and consist of multiple courses and beverages. The culture here has certainly intertwined gastronomy ("the practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food") into their daily lives.

Easter Sunday

My roommates and I hosted an Easter dinner for the other students and professors in our program. We roasted 17 pounds of lamb!

See-Food

Here are some photos of an interesting meal we ate at a restaurant that gets the majority of their ingredients from within 15 kilometers. The first course was a variety of deep fried sea-food that was to be eaten whole... even the eyeballs! The second course was a duo of baby octopus and cuttlefish. The pair was in a cream sauce with asparagus grown in the restaurants garden outside. Within cuttlefish there is a black ink sack, which the chef artfully concealed so that as you began cutting through the fish the black ink would slowly mix with the contrasting color of the white cream sauce. For dessert was fennel ice cream and fresh strawberries... very refreshing!

It felt like a scene from a mafia movie when we were walking through the streets of the island city Murano. The island is internationally known for its exceptionally well crafted blown-glass and we were walking with the President of a glass-blowing factory we had just visited. He is pictured in the middle of the first three guys. The guy in the left of the photo is Francesco (a local Architect working with us) and Arthur, on the right, is our instructor from the U. The site for our studio project is near the island of Murano and so the President was very interested in hearing our ideas as well as offering his advice. After our conversation and a tour of the factory, it seemed like he was enjoying our company and spontaneously offered us a round of prosecco in their conference room. He then called a friend of his who owns a nearby restaurant and worked out an inexpensive price for a four-course meal we had for lunch! This picture was taken on our walk from the factory to the restaurant. The president had a god-father like presence.

The Food

The food has been delicious. The times we go out to eat, the dishes usually consist of fresh pasta and pizza with local ingredients. The picture above is of another venetian specialty... seafood. This salad was the first of three courses for lunch we had during a day trip around the venetian lagoon. It was followed with handmade risotto, dessert, and a few rounds of prosecco (similar to champagne). In the foreground of the picture is octopus!

Lost in Venice's Beauty

In Venice, it seems like there is a picturesque view around every corner. It is a pleasure just walking through the city with no particular destination in mind. Being lost in the labyrinth of constantly turning streets is never stressful and often rewards the wanderer with a peaceful view like the image above.

Our Casa

Our apartment for the next 7 weeks is located on the beautiful island of Giudecca. The red dashed line on the top photo highlights the entry from the fondamenta (canal side street).

Pre-Party in Eindhoven

This was a photo taken at Joeri's place (Eindhoven, Netherlands) the first Friday night. His apartment is right next to a cluster of clubs and pubs that stay open until 4am!

Fresh (and Slimey) Haring

Roel encouraged us to try raw haring in this little traditional Dutch village called Volendam.
Needless to say, it helped that it was smothered in raw onions because man it was fishy!