Rotterdam

2024: One year in 7 photos

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A Happy New Year to you all! We might be wondering what lies ahead in 2025, but the old year can be neatly packaged.

I’m pulling together 2024 in just seven photographs. It was a year punctuated by more travel since the pandemic, including some unheralded destinations.

Spells at home were spent stalking the changing buildings of Manchester and waiting for the next departure – a rollercoaster ride. 

Do you have just a few photos that bring the year to life?

1. FAMILY HOLIDAY

A family of four enjoy a sunset walk on the shores of Costa Calma in Fuerteventura.

I went on a summer break to the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and observed hundreds of family holidays, including this beautifully-placed one taking their sunset walk along the beach. It was for me an unusually relaxing, enjoyable week in the sun and I found a fascination with resort architecture in this holiday playground.

• See more from this sun-kissed isle here

2. LITTLE CORNER OF THE MARKET
A market street scene in the capital city of São Tomé e Príncipe.

The African island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe was an adventurous trip to a virtually unknown destination. The main island had a lively, chaotic capital city and amidst the natural beauty was still processing its colonial past. I’d found my gateway to seeing more unusual corners of the planet with this memorable visit.

• See more of fabulous São Tomé here

3. CUBES AND THE TOWERA conical tower block and famous yellow of the Cube Houses in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

I visited the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the intent of chasing the city’s varied and bold post-war architecture – and wasn’t disappointed. Even the zany cube houses, seen by millions of tourists, were a delight. Rotterdam, basking in summer sunshine, was a pleasant place to spend a long weekend.

• See more of ravishing Rotterdam here

4. PERAST AND BEYOND

A scenic view of Perast and beyond on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro.

This was a first trip to Montenegro’s stunning Bay of Kotor – an inland sea with the qualities of an Alpine lake. The town of Perast (pictured) and a beautiful hotel were quieter out of season in April, while my relaxing stay also included a whistle-stop tour of Montenegro’s ruggedly scenic north.

• See much more of Montenegro here

5. TINY ISLAND CAPITAL

Tall palms hold sway over the town of Santo Antonio on Príncipe island.

You can’t visit São Tomé without hopping over to sister island Príncipe – much smaller, less developed and natural. It’s become a far flung destination for small-scale more sustainable tourism and has turned a legacy of plantations into high-end accommodation offering relaxation and adventure. I could easily go back for a two-week holiday.

• See more of this little paradise here

6. CENTRAL HALL, MANCHESTER

An interior view of Manchester Central, the city's former railway station.

The one Manchester highlight that has squeezed into a travel-rich 2024. This building, not far from where I live, started out as a railway station and is a well-known city centre landmark. It was opened to the public this year and stepping inside made its true scale and ingenuity apparent. It’s not all about new skyscrapers in this city.

• See more of this engineering feat here

7. OUTSIDE THE STORE, ANJOUANTwo brightly clothed women outside a neighbourhood general store in Mutsamudu, Comoros Islands.

The final trip of the year took me to a country which took a long time to reach and was barely touched by tourism, possibly the most obscure destination I have ever visited. The Comoros Islands was beautiful, its people fascinating and wonderfully photogenic even in mundane settings. I’m still digesting my visit as 2025 takes hold.

• See more of unknown Comoros here

Rotterdam: Architectural dream

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I chose to visit Rotterdam for my first stay in the Netherlands, lured by a city positively brimming with eye-catching modern architecture. 

The city centre was almost completely destroyed during World War II and was reconstructed in the decades following the conflict. 

Rotterdam is now filled with modern buildings, many of them high rise with contemporary designs. Enjoy the photographs and read about my highlights below.

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Here are a few Rotterdam buildings that really caught my eye.

The Cube Houses are an unmissable Rotterdam tourist attraction with their blazing yellow colour and impossible angles. Surprisingly tricky to photograph while you can take a look inside.

Rotterdam Central Station with its sweeping curves and diffused light is worth spending time in as well as being your likely arrival point in the city.

Groot Handelsgebouw is a large block I stumbled across next to the station. Built in 1953, it’s quite tall, studded with windows and has an elegant concrete facade. I was captivated.

The Maastoren Skyscraper soars upwards from a low-level neighbourhood and shimmers silver, high above its riverside base. It’s also a great landmark to navigate your way around this district.

My advice would be to walk around Rotterdam and just keep looking up. There’s so much architecture to feast your eyes upon. Are you ready to make a detour from Amsterdam?

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Ravishing Rotterdam

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The Dutch city of Rotterdam is overshadowed by nearby popular tourist hotspot Amsterdam.

But I chose to spend my first stay in the Netherlands there, lured by the prospect of eye-catching architecture.

With its river setting spanned by graceful bridges, I discovered an attractive city which looks good from many angles. What do you think?

Oh and Rotterdam really is packed with delicious architecture – there’ll be a lot more on that next time.

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Netherlands: A day on the beach

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My break in the Dutch city of Rotterdam turned into a sun-soaked summer day on the beach.

The city’s metro system extends to Hoek Van Holland Strand, with a new station practically metres from the sea.

This was my first seaside experience in the Netherlands – so how was it? CONTINUES BELOW

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I see a lot of the Irish Sea living in north-west England, so it was good to return to the North Sea coast which was familiar to me growing up in Essex.

Here in the Netherlands there are miles of soft golden sands and blue seas under stellar skies if the weather favours you.

But look in one direction and the industrial heft of Hoek Van Holland port is impossible to ignore. Simply point yourself northwards and forget it’s there.

The seaside is dotted with beach huts and a wealth of relaxed places to eat and drink, creating a Mediterranean vibe.

A scene of visitors to the sands of Hoek Van Holland Strand in the Netherlands.

Dutch beachgoers enjoying a seaside trip

There’s also a naaktstrand (nudist beach) on full display and not furtively hidden away in the dunes.

Sorry! My British sensibilities caused me to surreptitiously glance and snigger in equal measure. I didn’t remove my clothes but respectfully put away my camera as I walked briskly through the naturist zone.

It was a busy Monday on the sunny Dutch beach, similar to the UK but minus our amusement arcades and piers. It felt a little classier and well organised.

It’s just 40 minutes away from the glorious city of Rotterdam – more of that to come soon!

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