North Sea coast, Zeeland, Holland, August 2009
I know you may feel an uncontrollable urge to find out where I am these warm days in August, since I’ve only posted a couple of generic write ups lately. But don’t be alarmed: although it’s unusually sunny, most of my friends & family have boarded a plane headed for the Mediterranean, so all we could do was indulge in some seasonal dolce far niente along the beach in Holland, just a short drive from busy Antwerp city.
No, I won’t answer my cell-phone, but feel free to join me at the location conveniently posted above. Ice cold bottles of Spanish Cava available for free on site. Obviously, if you don’t make it, I will make sure to read all your comments, unless my keyboard dies due to a suntan lotion overdose. See you later.
This blog is not affiliated with or endorsed by the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
it’s hard to comment on a picture of a somewhat crowded Dutch beach. The cava offer sounds tempting, but i’ll wait till you’re back in town
[Blog author: "crowded sure is the keyword Brabo: Antwerp city is invaded by tourists at present, with most of the summer resorts suffering from the same issues. But hey, it's still warm, so let's enjoy the summer of 2009"]
Comment by Brabo — August 9, 2009 @ 11:50 am |
That’s right, stay local and enjoy the unseasonal sun while you can.
[Blog author: "I'll enjoy every hour Violet. Staying local has its advantages in our unpredictable Belgian sea-climate: when it rains (like today) the 1h drive home is quite convenient. We're trying to fly to the Med for a week next fall, but nothing has been finally decided/booked yet."]
Comment by VioletSky — August 12, 2009 @ 7:54 pm |
Hey, enjoy yourself. At least the beaches there look better than the beaches of Lake Ontario. One of the things I enjoyed about going back home in June was the reunion of my paramedic department that was held out at a long Island beach. It was good to see and feel the Atlantic again.
[Blog author: "I know the feeling Mr Nighttime: the North Sea (part of the Atlantic) evokes the same emotions over here. Some tiny Dutch coastal resorts have huge dunes and endless, almost deserted beaches you would never expect - try "vrouwenpolder, holland" at maps.google.com and zoom in close for a surprising view"]
Comment by Mr. Nighttime — August 13, 2009 @ 4:29 am |
Beaches in Belgium in general are way to crowded for my taste… I’m not good in crowds – except during festivals & concerts, different atitude and atmosphere – so my favourite spot to go to in Belgium is the Ardennes.
Maybe me and the missus should visit some of those more deserted spots in Holland.
[Blog author: "I can wholeheartedly recommend the Dutch coast Sven - especially Zeeland is often an oasis of pure calm, due to the lack of build-up areas and the sheer length of the beaches and dunes. "]
Comment by Sven — August 16, 2009 @ 3:53 pm |
Okay, stupid question time: Was New Zealand originally settled by the Dutch, hence the similarity in names from Zeeland? Certainly we have enough of that Dutch influence in NYC, with many parts of the city retaining their original Dutch names, such as the part of the South Bronx known as Spuyten Duyvil.
[Blog author: "I guess it's just an odd similarity Mr NightTime - most of Australia and NZ was settled by migrants from English speaking countries like England and Ireland. "Zeeland" ("Sea land" in ENG) is just the Southern part of Holland facing the North Sea.
NYC sure has many Dutch influences - even "Hoboken" is an (existing) old suburb of Antwerp, Belgium - I'm sure you know the historic part: 'New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control' "]
Comment by Mr. Nighttime — August 21, 2009 @ 12:09 am |
Yep, I know the history portion of the time the Dutch spent in NYC. By all accounts, Peter Stuyvesant was a real prick…
[Blog author: "Fortunately I only speak Dutch, but I'm Belgian
"]
Comment by Mr. Nighttime — August 22, 2009 @ 3:43 pm |