Friday Afternoon Beach

Yes, school has started again, and the weather now includes the occasional rain, so the beach is empty ... almost.

This is actually the beach near the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, in the area of the Port of Rotterdam. The Maasvlakte is the land reclaimed from the sea, on which they have built the European Container Terminal, which is one of the reasons the Port of Rotterdam is the largest in the world. For such a tiny country, this is where the gold comes in ... and goes out. First you only had the Maasvlakte, but now there's Maasvlakte II, with enough deep water to allow even the largest container ships (the mighty Maersk Line) to dock, unload, load and leave again. If you were a true blue-blooded Rotterdammer, the entire port would be a source of pride. In between the docks, container areas, shipping offices, giant cranes, etc., they built parks and recreation areas, and this is one of them.

Took the shot when we stopped for lunch during our excursion. It was quite misty above the sea so visibility was not optimal. Our guide was 80 years old and the patience needed to get the day done was thankfully mutual.

When we got back, checked my mail just before I closed shop for the day ... and discovered that I've been given extra teaching hours in another entirely different department. I don't mind but oh! This will mean literally preparing overnight! Sometimes it seems as though people expect me to hit the ground running every time. Bye bye, short Wednesday-afternoon nap ...