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A city palace above the Meent
She always worked hard on her career, as the city was being rebuilt. Mrs Pols is proud of her house above Meent.
“Bingo!” A house in the city centre, and so beautifully situated above the Meent, was something Ms Pols had never dared dream of. Even so, she’s lived here since the late 1980s. Before that, she often ate at a restaurant down the street, and the owner lived right here. That’s how she managed to acquire the home. At the time the street was terrible, a total mess. She had to work hard to make it the fine home it is today, a real city palace.
She had to work hard to make it the fine home it is today, a real city palace.
Hard work
It’s ideal here. All her life, Rotterdam was the place she most wanted to live. Though she grew up here, she also lived for periods in Haarlem and The Hague, before returning to spend more time with her mother. She’s been in employment since the age of fourteen, working hard on a career in health care. Just as the city had to recover after the fire, she too has worked hard to build up her life. Turning ten in 1945 is something she remembers well. On her birthday her family swapped potatoes for some milk powder. No wonder she was so pleased with the small improvements after the war. “We were completely thrilled to get white bread.” After the war people turned to the future. They had to, for everything started to improve with the reconstruction, even though it was a tough time.
“Rotterdam was hit really hard.”
Pleasant city
She would actually have liked to live in an older house, but she is quite content with the architecture of her surroundings. And the city centre is improving. Everything is better maintained. Lots of new shops have appeared and it’s got much busier. She often goes to the cinema, and to the concert hall. Now it’s a really pleasant city to move around.
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- Mevrouw Pols
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