Dudok - Rotterdam

It’s in times like these that we realize what we cherish most — what people, routines and for me personally: what coffee cafés. COVID19 has shaken up society and left the people only with the the things that exist inside the house, themselves in particular. Though I too miss activities like weekly ‘borrels’ (Dutch, food-centred get-together) and biking through the city, I must admit I’m very satisfied with the new simple life. Finally, there is time for creative hobbies and cooking, for writing and studying (coffee!). Nevertheless, I see now how much time I usually spend in cafés and how much I care about these additional homes.

There is one place in Rotterdam, a well-known place amongst locals, that has a special place in my heart: Dudok. It has to do with nostalgia; When I was a little girl, I used to love the days when we made a trip to urban surroundings and for me and my family, Rotterdam was the closest big city. On one of those days, the first thing we’d do after parking the car was eating a fresh piece of apple pie with whipped cream at Dudok. You’ll never taste something like it, it is pure heaven and the recipe is a famous Dutch secret.

Last month when the first official measures to handle the virus were announced, I had a coffee date planned with my Finnish friend. The first thing that came to mind: I want to go to good old Dudok one last time before a potential lockdown — instead of discovering a new place, like I usually prefer. When we walked in through the high curtains, all the memories came back. I remembered the lunches and talks with my family and the long table in the reading corner where I used to draw — when my dad insisted on another coffee. I remembered why I started drinking coffee in the first place: because of that exact reading table. I remember sitting next to an old man that read a financial newspaper. He looked so smart with his little round glasses and his confident, masculine gaze. I remember the fresh aroma’s circling around my nose and the friction of that delicious smell and the horrible taste. Yes, I hated black coffee in the beginning. But it grew on me, starting with the French bistro feeling at Dudok with its barstools, cold grey stone floor, it’s ridiculous megaplants and long windows stretching all the way to the ceiling, reflecting the urban citylife.

There must be a place that is dear to you personally, as Dudok is to me. Cafés are the first to suffer from a potential economic downturn. At this very moment the chances are substantial that they won’t make it through. Go buy some cookies or beans to save what has meaning to you. A good deed a day keeps the doctor away and in this case — allows good old traditions to stay.

Joe for now,

Dudok - Rotterdam

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