Today is the last of my four-day weekend and thankfully it started off inspiringly bright and sunny. It was also a day chockful of errands – stop at the garage for the car’s yearly check-up, a visit to my partner’s mom in Rotterdam, a sidetrip to the gym, and a visit to the Rotterdam hospital. Since we had a few hours to spare in between appointments, the idea of revisiting one of our first date locales came to mind, and the timing couldn’t have been better. The view from the Euromast tower was impressive and more than appropriate for a leisurely lunch. My briliant idea ended up being just semi-brilliant however as the service turned out to be absolutely mediocre, with the food faring only slightly better. Our orders took such an unusually long time we had no choice but to leave early at risk of having to wait another half-hour for dessert.

The last time I was here was over 7 years ago and in less than desirable circumstances – I had just been in the country for a month, jobless with no career options, and pretty much reliant on the kindness of friends and strangers for anything beyond my basic needs. On the other hand I did just then meet a dear man who met me at my lowest ebb, stayed through thick and thin, and keeps me company till this very day. It’s been over 7 years and while the view from the tower is the essentially the same, the vantage point is from an entirely different world away.