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.