The EuroMast and Het Park

On Friday, when the weather was so nice, and I was strolling around town, (it was about a five mile stroll, on the sunniest day we have had for a very long time and, unsurprisingly, it also turned out to be one of the warmest days we have had in a while as well) I decided to go check out the EuroMast.

At one time (not very long ago) it was the tallest point in the Netherlands.  That is despite the fact that it stands in the lowest part of the Netherlands (for one reason or another, it was built in the bottom of a large hollow that was dug out of the already low ground in the park).  While it is no longer the tallest point in the Netherlands (some skyscrapers have it beat although there are apparently discussions underway about making it taller so that it can reclaim its title) it is certainly taller than any of the land anywhere near it.










For a small fee, you can go up to the viewing level and get some pretty spectacular views.  For a small additional fee, you can ride the small car (see the little thing part way up the tower?) an additional 80 meters higher, to a total height of 185 meters (or a little over 600 feet).  As the little car ascends and descends it turns around the pole, giving everyone in it a 360 degree panoramic view of not only the city but also of a good portion of the country.  I was kind of psyched and was trying to think of good ways to put the pictures on the blog so that you would get a good idea of the scope of the pictures.

And then I got to the tower.
And I looked at it.
And then I remembered that I hate heights.
And I am pretty sure that I especially hate heights that you are twirled up to and then twirled down from, while riding in a little pop cap attached to a TV antenna.

So, instead of going up the EuroMast, I walked around Het Park, under the shady trees, and over little rippling canals, and down windy lanes, and never more than 67" off the ground.

The Park (it deserves the capitals--that is its official name and it is an awfully nice park with a lot of history) has been in existence as a city park for just about 150 year.  It reminded me of the gardens at Nymphenburg, in Munich, especially the parts that were back in the woods. The park is large and very quite, so that you don't even hear the Rotterdam traffic.

 There were a lot of people there, mostly lying in little piles in the sunshine, but most of them were napping or reading so it was still very pleasant and quiet.  I counted no fewer than five couples getting their wedding pictures taken in the park.  I don't know if they were all getting married there today or if they were just getting their pictures done, but it seemed like it was pretty popular.  I didn't take pictures of most of them, because it seemed kind of intrusive.  But I did take pictures of one couple because they (1) were far enough away that they wouldn't know I was being intrusive, (2) were behind a statue that I was photographing, so it mostly looked like I was just taking another picture of that and (3) were possessed of a very adorable white beetle that just demanded to be photographed.

There are several restaurants throughout the park.  At least one of the buildings on the premises used to be a night club so rowdy that, because of the number of times the police had to come in and shut it down, the city decided to close it a few years ago.  The first restaurant I noticed, though, was the "Chalet Suisse" (The Swiss Chalet).  I cannot think of a more inappropriate place for a mountain chalet than on the edge of a puddle, in the bottom of a hole, in a city that sits below sea level, but to each his own, I suppose.  And, to give it its due, it does look kind of like a Swiss Chalet.

One of the buildings looked like it was being used for a wedding the day I was there.  It was really pretty and would have made a really nice wedding venue.  This building is called "Het Herenhuis" (The Great House or The Master House).  The formal gardens in front of the building, and the canal that runs through, are mighty attractive.

This is the Carriage House or "Het Koetshuis".  It looks like it is uninhabited now but it sounds like it is often used as a private residence.  I can definitely think of worse things to wake up to every morning than a stroll through the park.

There is also an aviary in the park.  It looks kind of run down and it definitely looks like they worry about vandals but the birds (mostly parakeets, doves, and pheasants) looked cheerful enough and were hopping around eating and chirping and doing bird-y things.

I didn't see everything in the park.  When I was looking up stuff about the park after I got home, I saw that there is a Norwegian Seaman's Church located on the park and I totally missed walking along the large canal that marks the southern and western boundaries of the park.  So I will probably end up going back sometime soon.  Or at least sometime when we get some more sunshine.  And who knows, maybe next time I will forget how much I hate heights until it is too late and I will get some pictures of the Netherlands in the round.