Wiebe Wakker
March 19, 2016
Day 3
I left my host Iris in Rotterdam and drove to RotterZwam. RotterZwam collects coffee loom locally in Rotterdam. The loom they put in sacks and add mushroom seeds to it. In a process of a few days Oyster mushrooms start to grow. These mushrooms have a meat-like structure and are sold to restaurants. In co-operation with a local bakery they even make bitterballen from it, which is a Dutch delicatesse. Founder Mark Slegers started this company after he worked for around 6 years in the green business. He saw what he was doing wasn’t enough and things have to change radically to make improvements towards a greener society. RotterZwam was founded 3 years ago. The location is as inspirational as the company itself, it houses at the Tropicana, a former swimming pool. This location had been abandoned for a few years and Mark together with some other people thought it was time for a new destination. The founded Blue City where numerus sustainable and social companies have their office.
https://www.facebook.com/PlugMeIn/photos/a.357717747770627.1073741829.211949022347501/466928020182932/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/PlugMeIn/photos/a.357717747770627.1073741829.211949022347501/467260000149734/?type=3&theater
Mierlo
My pluggers this day where Theo and Iet in Mierlo, a tiny village in Brabant. From Rotterdam it was a 140km drive. My navigation system is set to ‘shortest route’ to avoid highways. Driving highways with an electric car effects the range negatively. Taken shorter routes means more time and it took me around 3 hours to get to Mierlo. Sometimes the navigation system sends you through tiny villages and forests. It happened that the system send me through a way which was closed off. I had to make a turnaround, it was no big deal but it could have happened that the destination was not within reach anymore. Which isn’t a bug problem in Holland with public chargers everywhere but in other countries this can be a problem.
Theo en Iet where very nice people. They are friends of the wife of my father and I had met them once before. They live in a big house with an even bigger garden. The roof is filled with solar panels. We had some talks about their dreams. Theo is retired and Iet is retiring in a few weeks. Then they want to travel the world. In December they are going to Australia. In a four wheel drive they are going to explore the Outback. Very inspirational! Iet showed off with her excellent cooking skills and I had my own private bathroom and toilet. It’s really great how the locations I stay are completely different from day to day.
https://www.facebook.com/PlugMeIn/photos/a.466370933571974.1073741835.211949022347501/467656190110115/?type=3&theater
Video Update
See my adventures of this day in the latest video-update.
