I think what I will do tomorrow, instead of going to Rotterdam in the evening and taking the metro to the church where I will be attending a friend’s confirmation at 7PM, is to head over earlier in the afternoon, rent a bike, go see the Cubic Houses (which close at 5), head over to the Euromast (which stays open late, go up to the top and look at the view (again, but what the hell), grab some food there, and then head to the church. I think from the train station it’s a couple km southeast to the Cubic Houses, the Euromast is farther south and just a little west of the station, and the church isn’t that far from there, just a little more west. So it will be a big triangle. The bike, assuming I can rent one at the station (this being the Netherlands, it’s highly likely) will let me do all that without being exhausted or having my foot hurt. That drawback is that I want to be a little dressed up for the confirmation, but people here ride bikes in their good clothes all the time. The bikes have fenders to keep mud or water from splashing up.
Of ourse, this is all highly weather-dependant. The forecast is good, but if the day looks foul I’ll just do the metro evening option.
One of my favorite memories from Amsterdam is of glimpsing an older woman in a fur coat serenely coasting away on her bike after a night at the ballet.