Not only do ships sail through the port of Rotterdam, but you will also find an island, robots and even a naturist campsite. The book The Port of Rotterdam shows the many faces of the most important port of the Netherlands.
If you drive through the port area of Rotterdam in the evening, you will see a succession of lights and the most wonderful buildings. Tall, smoking towers alternate with wide, cylindrical storage tanks and rows of colorful containers. It is a beautiful sight, but also seems very otherworldly. Like entering some kind of moonscape; an uninhabited, wonderful world.
Thanks to the publication of the book The Port of Rotterdam you no longer have to travel to this place yourself to understand this. You can also see and read how diverse and startling the port is. The authors show the many faces of this remarkable part of the Netherlands. The fabulous photos in particular make an important contribution. They depict a world of countless cranes, pipes bursting with flames and gigantic ships. Almost all of them have in common that humans seem insignificant.
Naturist campsite
The book describes the 36 important places in the harbor from west to east. From the Maasgeul, where seagoing ships enter, to Reijerwaard in Ridderkerk. The authors call this 'the fresh produce department of Rotterdam'. For example, containers full of oranges end up here, which are forwarded from 'Foodcenter Reijerwaard' to supermarkets and catering companies, among others. All these 36 descriptions, which take up about a page, are worth reading. It is these short pieces that show how versatile the port area is.
This is how the bear island is described, an uninhabited island located near the Maasvlakte. It is named after a nature reserve that used to be here. Seems like a ridiculous place for an island. Because so many ships sail here, it is in the way. But the island appears to have a function, and that has to do with the nearby GATE LNG terminal for gas. “The water between the island and the terminal is exclusively intended for LNG tankers. All other ships sail around the outside,” the book says. That is what makes the port, and with it this book, so fascinating:there is more hidden behind what you see than you initially think.
This also applies, for example, to the naturist campsite in the port. Because anyone who thinks that it is only about the thirty thousand ships that sail through it will be disappointed. Part of the harbor is a recreational area and a lot of use is made of it.
Ballet
The book also reflects the history. In the nineteenth century, the port and the city were one, say the authors. Over time, however, the port focuses more and more on transhipment, expands westward and the city and the port lose sight of each other. The 'ballet of boats and installations' that you used to see in Rotterdam has been moved to the outskirts of the city.
The history of the port is fascinating, but it comes in The Port of Rotterdam not quite right on the paint. Take the story about the emergence of the transhipment port. This is told so succinctly that much remains unclear. History deserved much more attention. There are also occasionally remarkable observations. It is stated, for example, that the port has returned to the center of Rotterdam, thanks to a large screen in Rotterdam Central station that shows ships. That is not convincing. But that is a small blemish on an otherwise excellent publication, which is worth the high purchase price just because of the beautiful photos.