Category: Photography

View from Sint Philipsland, Zeeland towards Philips Dam with wind turbines and grassy nature

5. September 2023

A Tour of Saint Philips’ Land

Sint Philipsland is a relatively unknown part of the Netherlands, much less frequently visited than other regions in the province of Zeeland. Twelve years ago, during a stage of the Oosterscheldepad, I could already observe that this is not entirely fair. Unfortunately, the area is difficult to reach by public transport. But fortunately, I was able to convince travel companion C., who has a camper van, to take a trip to the south. It led to a wonderful hike under dramatic cloudscapes, as the English say. Island or peninsula? Apart from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Sint Philipsland is the only part of Zeeland… Read More

Two of the many sculptures of craftsmen on Saint John's cathedral in Den Bosch, The Netherlands

Photography

12. July 2023

Climbing Saint John’s Cathedral in Den Bosch

Saint John’s Cathedral in Den Bosch, officially known as the Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, is one of the largest and most beautiful churches in the Netherlands. This summer, it is possible to climb Saint John’s Cathedral. Of course, travel companion A. and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Brabantine Gothic Saint John’s Cathedral is considered the pinnacle of Brabantine Gothic architecture. Construction of the church took place over a span of three centuries starting from 1220. In the five centuries that followed, the maintenance and restoration of the monument have been a continuous point of attention.… Read More

Meerrijk, the center of the suburb Meerhoven in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, seen from the adjacent Meerland Park

Photography

11. June 2023

Meerrijk, Eindhoven, 17 years later

In 2006, while working at VHP, I was involved in the design competition for Meerrijk, the central area of the Meerhoven suburb in Eindhoven. In the following years, I provided regular support in the development of the public space, the parking garage, and one of the five building blocks. Now, nearly two decades later, Meerrijk is almost completed. It’s time to take a look at how it has become. Artist impressions Did my artist impressions back then contribute to winning the competition? It would stroke my vanity, but that seems unlikely; they might have played a minor role at best.… Read More

Het dal van de Rur in Monschau, Duitsland met aan een zijde een rij traditionele vakwerkhuizen

Photography

30. May 2023

Return to Monschau: The Haus on Holzmarkt

Monschau is without a doubt one of the most beautiful towns within a radius of 200 kilometers from Rotterdam. I wrongly ignored it for decades. But recently I was there again, as a man on a mission. Day trips In the seventies, as a teenager, I visited Monschau, Germany a few times, on day trips from our holiday addresses in South Limburg or the slightly more easterly Heimbach. After that I ignored the town on the Rur for decades, busy as I was visiting India, Indonesia and Iceland, among others. But at the end of May I was in town… Read More

Walking path along the Noorder Canal in Rotterdam with the highway and the old Hofplein viaduct

Photography / Various

10. April 2023

The Rotterdam Ringroad Hiking Trail

Where other cities have a ringroad, Rotterdam has the Ruit, which literally means the Diamond. The A20, A16, A15 and A4 together form a diamond-shaped road network that has led car traffic around the city since the 1960s. But would it also be a nice route to walk? No, not over the hard shoulder of course, but over hiking trails in the immediate vicinity of the highways? Dream Believe it or not, the idea for the Rotterdam Ringroad Hike came to me in a dream. I dreamed that there was a long-distance hiking trail that followed the Ruit. It seemed… Read More

Reddish brown highlands with patches of snow and a hut for hikers near Hraftinusker in Iceland

Photography / Various

23. March 2023

Laugavegur, Iceland’s best hiking trail

In July 2023 it will be fifteen years ago that travel companion A. and I hiked the Laugavegur trail, according to many the most beautiful long-distance hiking route in Iceland. That’s a good reason to write a blogpost about that epic journey. Illustrated with photos taken with the simple IXUS850 camera that I had back then. It actually made quite nice pictures, but in the alien landscape between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk that is not too difficult. July 28, 2008: Landmannalaugar – Hraftinusker (10.3 kilometers) In the days before our hiking adventure there is a heat wave in Reykjavik. In Iceland… Read More

The Nieuwe Maas river in Rotterdam with onder other side Zalmhaven tower and some lower buildings and a piece of Erasmus Bridge in the blue hour on a morning in January

Photography

30. January 2023

Blue Mondays in January

The third Monday in January is known as Blue Monday. According to some scientists Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year. It is cold and gloomy and the alarm rings well before sunrise. Christmas is long ago, the holidays are far away. And the new year’s resolutions turn out not to last. Although it is clear by now that Blue Monday was a fabrication for an advertising campaign, there is of course a grain of truth in it. I myself have tried to give it a positive spin this year. The blue hour This blog has a… Read More

Reflection, with considerable distortions, in the facade of the Depot building in Rotterdma, taken from the Podium on the roof of the New Institute

Photography

26. December 2022

Countdown: the best photos of 2022

It’s time again for my annual review with the most beautiful photos of 2022. Since 2016 I’ve been compiling these top 10s with the best photos of the year. The best photos I’ve taken myself, that is. Or at least the photos with the most interesting stories to tell. Also this year I cannot escape the long and painful selection process. The longlist contains about 200 photos, of which 190 must be abandoned within sight of the harbour. Anyway, with the deadline, New Year’s Eve, approaching rapidly, I present here my photographic annual overview for 2022. 10 – Rear View… Read More

The tramtracks at Coolsingel in Rotterdam: unnecessarily paved with street tiles

Photography

26. November 2022

Nominees for the Tile-Flipping Championships

Over the past two years, the Dutch Tile-Flipping Championships have been organized. A competition between cities to replace as many pavement tiles as possible with grass, shrubs or other greenery. Also in my neighbourhood I can think of places where some tiles could be taken out. Greening Apart from facilitating a bit of healthy rivalry, the Dutch Tile-Flipping Championships also have a more serious goal. If you replace pavement tiles with nature, you make your city more climate-resistant, more biodiverse and, above all, more beautiful. I don’t have any tiles I could flip: I live on the tenth floor of… Read More

Westersingel canal in Rotterdam at nightfall on a day in november

Photography

9. November 2022

The Canals of Rotterdam

The canals of Rotterdam, also known as singels, draw beautiful green lines through the city. How did we actually get those canals? In this blog article, illustrated with pretty autumn pictures, I dive into the history of these green structures. Surrounded Traditionally, singels were the waters on the edge of the old town. The city was literally surrounded by by them, hence the Dutch word omsingelen. Mostly they were defenses, meant to keep invaders out of the city. Singels and vests Rotterdam has never had such impressive fortifications as some other cities. But there were indeed a number of singels,… Read More