Rotterdam On My Mind.....and Gut

Hubby with Sadia with the famous cube houses on the background

If it were not for a fellow Malaysian's invitation, we would not have made the effort to step our feet into Rotterdam. At least, not in the nearby future.

So when my husband's PhD colleague of the same Malaysian company, Ahmad smsed him to check out the famous Rotterdam's weekend market last Saturday, we quickly came on board.

We needed the change of pace and scene from rustic old-town feeling of Delft and Rotterdam's metropolitan skyline and modern architecture feel like a breath of fresh air. Moreover, my husband needed a break from his thesis and exam.

My husband's study colleague, Najo and her husband, who live in Den Haag, were also invited for the outing. We convened at Delft Station for a rendezvous with Ahmad and his family at the Rotterdam Blaak station.

The appointed time was estimated at 11am but Ahmad et all missed the train that we boarded and would be delayed for 15 minutes. As a result, we decided to venture on our own first and dispersed shortly after arrival at Rotterdam Blaak.

The 'Blaak Market' lives up to its name selling, amongst others, trinkets and bootlegged merchandise at knock-off prices. And it covers a vast area, as far as the eyes can see, with approximately 450 stalls. The market also sells perishable products like cheese, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables and of course street food!

Actually, Ahmad's sales-pitch for the weekend soiree centers on the 'Mosselan' or mussels stall which offers fresh, steamed mussels with a choice of three dipping sauces - Mayo, Thousand Island and Garlic. As we trudged along the expansive row of stalls, we spotted the mussel stall and immediately dug in for a bite. At Euro4.00 for a heaping plate of mussels, it was fairly-priced an a great winter snack! My husband - an aficianado of anything shell - ate most of it.

Thereon, we walked further afield towards the end of the row of stalls and crossed the street in search of a cafe to relax our feet. The urgency to find a resting place also corresponded with Sadia's antsy mood which signalled to us that naptime was imminent. Following some difficulty to find a 'Niet Roken' (No Smoking) cafe to hang out in, we settled for the municipal 'Bibliotheek' (Library) and spooned Sadia's lunch at the lobby seating area.

An annexed cafe to the Library looked inviting enough to sip our coffee but the bustling atmosphere made it next to impossible to holler for the waiter. Sadia was getting more listless with the beehive activity so we placed our bets on the outdoors to calm all of our frayed nerves.

The elements proved to work in our favor. Mild weather with the sun beaming down spurred us to saunter along the bevy of shops and explore the new territory. Sadia even dozed off peacefully in her baby carrier, much in time for us to eat our lunch.

Figaro Cafe, just off the Blaak Market, enticed us with its warm and cozy interiors and a large number of patrons. My husband and I splitted a generous portion of Mozarella sandwich with tomato soup on the side, while for drinks, I chose 'Koffie Verkerd' (or Cafe Latte) and hubby, a strong kick of espresso.

Fully sated, we strolled further down the cobblestone roads and ended up in Rotterdam's latest shopping venue comprising a few malls and the famous 'Beurstraverse' (Stock Exchange Traverse) which is also known as 'Koopgoot' (literally translates as 'Buying Gutter'). The Gutter description refers to the low-lying position of a row of shops below the street level. Chainstores like Zara, Esprit, Hema, H&M, C&A mostly reside in the Gutter with other shops and malls housing anchor department stores like V&D and Peek & Cloppenburg, on street level.

At the far end of the Gutter, we entered the lower ground level of luxury department store, De Bijenkorf. Its stand-alone building crossed the busy main street, Coolsingel, at street level. After scouring DB's ample floor space for some rare finds, Sadia finally woke up just in time for her diaper change.

We sat down at the DB's extensive gourmet food court to rest our weary feet. Located on the 3rd floor, the food court's large high-ceilinged double-glazed windows look out to some magnificent views of the city, including the famous iridescent white, Erasmus Bridge. By the time we seated ourselves however, a queasy, nauseous feeling came over me. My stomach began to churn badly as well, but primarily I wanted to hurl. I informed my husband of my icky condition which prompted us to rush for the next train home.

However, as accustomed on weekends, there were not as many train services running. 20 minutes before the next one coming. Oh gosh! Coupled with the acute stomach ache, my desire to vomit had worsened at this point so much so that I was desperate to use the public toilet, serving the populace of Blaak Market.

Thanks to Ju, Ahmad's wife, who guided us the toilet's whereabout, we found our way to the much sought after lavatory. The 30-cent-per-entry toilets are situated inside an elevated metallic color 'trailer' where you need to scale a steep series of steps to gain access.

What a reprieve! Whew! In the nick of time, too! I was, figuratively and literally, relieved to get rid of abdominal discomfort. And the toilet was VERY clean. Malaysia should learn from the Dutch! My headache instantly disappeared thereafter and our journey home was not marred by any physical ailment whatsoever.

That is, until the very same night, my husband was taken ill and remained in bed for the most parts of the day on Sunday. Poor soul! Fever, chills, unpredictable bowel movements, nausea, the whole works! He was diagnosed with stomach flu. Only today, he has regained back his appetite, a sanguine complexion and his penchant for sarcasms. :)

As for the culprit for this food poisoning, we narrowed it down to either some 'bad' mussels or the luncheon tomato soup, which I only sipped but he had gulped down. I guess it must be the latter since I didn't get the same symptoms, save for that urgent toilet trip near Blaak Market. That, or I have a really strong gut. ;)