What a fantastic day to be in Rotterdam. Not only is the city buzzing with the lead-up to the start of the Tour de France, but Holland played Brazil in the World Cup football – and won 2-1.
I can honestly say I have never see a crowd go so crazy after winning a football match, with chaotic scenes afterwards throughout the city.
I watched the match in the nightclub district where there were large television screens outside all of the bars. There was a huge crowd there and from well before the game they were in party mode. After the game they were delirious, such is the passion here for their national side’s efforts.
There is a huge water fountain on one of the main traffic roundabouts in the city and with the temperature hovering around the high 30s, it was full of people celebrating after the game.
In fact it was so hot here today that the locals didn’t know what to do with themselves. Virtually no public building has air-conditioning, so employees and shoppers etc had no relief at all. I went to the library to update my blog and it was like a sauna in there … I couldn’t get out quickly enough.
With more high temperatures forecast for tomorrow for the start of the Tour de France it will be interesting to see how the huge crowds handle the heat – not well I suspect.
Over the course of the day I saw three of the teams out training, quite a sight indeed. I have always known the Tour de France is big in Europe, but didn’t really have a grasp on the magnitude of its popularity. They are expecting 1 million people to be out watching the race on each of the first two days … unbelievable. It should be quite a spectacle indeed!!!!!
captions: Pics 1&2 Dutch football supporters going crazy after defeatung Brazil. Pic 3: The waterfountain in the centre of the city was full of fans both celebrating and cooling off. Pic 4; A huge billboard for the Tour de France. Pic 5: The old city harbour
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