First Impressions

This is an example of the modern architecture of Rotterdam due to the WWII bombings. The Cube Houses are apartments. The cubes are at an angle and are a little perplexing as to how people live in them.
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Rotterdam is not at all what we expected. It has lots of green space and there is a huge park with a beach minutes from our home. There are classic windmills, canals and bikes everywhere. The city (and country) has bike paths and a culture of biking that often forces motor vehicles to yield to bikes. The bike roads take you all over the city as well as the country. A fellow teacher from London claims that if you don't watch out when riding you can end up getting lost in Belgium while thinking you are in The Netherlands.

Here are some more windmills. They are dated to have been built few hundred years ago. One in the 1700s and the other int he 1800s. They are right near our home.
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The large amount of time biking allows many Dutch to stay fit but we have had a little trouble figuring out how considering the Dutch diet. The basic ingredients for Dutch food as far as well can tell is any type of food deep fried. A big bowl of fries and mayonnaise is served with almost every meal. Below you can see a meal that Jen ordered. Pancakes with strawberries, what is hard to see is the stick of butter that is in the middle of the several mini deep fried pancakes.

We have explored the city of Rotterdam a bit and have much to do but please enjoy our first installment of pictures of Rotterdam.

This is a big windmill right by our house. There is a big park with many bike paths that have great sites like this.
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Chad and Jen