Rotterdam

With zero days to spare we used the last of our cheap Kruidvat train tickets on Sunday. We'd thought of going to Den Helder/Texel. Then we saw the weather forecast: rain and strong winds. Not exactly the best weather for a ferry journey, however short. After much humming and Hawing, we settled on Rotterdam as destination.

Have I mentioned that I used to live in Rotterdam? I usually keep it pretty quiet. Especially when there are Amsterdammers around. The cities have precious little in common, except for a tram system and a harbour. Rotterdam's aesthetically challenged city centre I can only take in small doses. I never tire of downtown Amsterdam.

The main purpose of the trip (aside from using up the train tickets) was to take a look at an exhibition of Roman stuff. The kids quite like that sort of thing. Me too, to be honest. The exhibition itself was fine. The same can't be said of the Kunsthal (http://www.kunsthal.nl/). What a crap building. The walls are made out of the same transluscent, corrugated plastic sheets we used to fix the roof on our shed. Very classy. The entrance of so convenient (halfway down a ramp) that they need a 3-metre long flashing arrow to show you where it is. Contemporary design at its finest.

After a couple of hours looking at statues with chipped or missing noses, it was time for refreshment. The centre Rotterdam isn't great for beer pubs. It isn't great for pubs full stop. The only brewpub is well out of the centre in Rotterdam's only historic remainder, Delfshaven. The two beer pubs are to the East of the centre and neither opens until the early evening. That cut the choice down to . . . . one. Doelencafé. The pub attached to the Doelen theatre.

Doelencafé is on one of the ugliest squares in Europe. No, I should be fair. One of the ugliest squares in the whole universe. The square is "decorated" with four giant hydraulic arms that sometimes move about. Expensive, difficult to maintain, pointless and hideous to look at. The buildings lining the square are an incoherent jumble of cinema, appartment blocks and theatre, none of which bear any relationship - in terms of architecture, size, function or materials - to each other. Though there is a pretty decent chip van usually parked in one corner.

True to form, one side of the square is currently a building site. There's something disturbing about Rotterdam's need to keep rebuilding itself. Many central plots already have two postwar developments behind them. Maybe they'll get it right eventually. But I doubt it. The city hasn't got any prettier since I lived there. Just taller.

But this is a beer blog not an architectural blog. I'd better say at least something related to my theme. The reason I'd chosen Doelen wasn't a huge beer list. It has 10 draught and about 20 bottled. But amongst the draughts are three from Pelgrim, the brewpub in Delfshaven. We entered and sat down.

Several waiters and waitresses passed our table. Then several more. Finally Dolores said "If we don't get served in 2 minutes, I'm leaving." Which must have been the magic words because a waitress immediately appeared to take our order. I picked a Pelgrim Tripel.

After taking a sip, I gave it to Dolores to try. "It tastes unusual. Not in a good way. At first it's like medicine, then like nothing." Well worth the 10-minute wait for service, then. We just had the one drink.

What's happening to me? Just one beer on a day out. I must be turning sensible.


Doelencafé
Schouwburgplein 52,
3012 CL Rotterdam.
Tel.: 010- 414 86 88
Fax. 010 - 213 26 58
informatie@doelencafé.nl
http://www.doelencafe.nl/