The sea …
In May we decided – on the spur of the moment – to have some beach days. Where to go? Nearest seaside to our home is the North Sea coast with its vast sandy beaches. So we surfed the Internet for some nice flat in one of the small villages near the coast. We found a holiday home in Egmond aan Zee in North Holland (NL).
Approaching North Sea beaches in spring is a matter of luck. When arriving it was hazy and cold … however, soon the sky turned blue with lots of white clouds. Our moods improved … and we were happy with our decision to go to the seaside.
… and suddenly on our third day at the seaside even some early summer started!
The sun was brilliant, the temperature rose over 20° C and touched almost 30° C. There were some light winds … of course the sea remained at 14° C. Too cold – at least for me – to dive into the waves.
My better half & I enjoyed walking along the beach sprawling for kilometers. It’s absolutely relaxing to feel the soft and steady sand under the feet and between the toes. The fresh air was amazing …
The beach of Egmond aan Zee is rather lonely compared to other renowned villages near the coast – especially the number of beach cafés, beach bars, beach restaurants is limited. Fortunately some of them had opened for visitors so early in the season. (Also some sailing boats – and further toys for conquering the waters – had already released out of hibernation to be watched from the beach cafés.)
Suddenly at the weekend the beach was filled with people …
… although the beach is too vast even during high tide far from creating any packed like sardines feelings.
Egmond aan Zee is a small village with a nice pedestrian area and lots of restaurants, bistros, cafés, bars … It’s fine to stroll along the Main Street as well as exploring the alleyways.
Then suddenly we woke up one morning to a thick fog covering the sea, the beach, the village … It lasted for the whole day. Sun made no appearance. Whoever outside you felt soon that it was time to get a warm place inside having coffee and cake.
This is the crux with North Sea beaches in spring: you’ll never know which weather to expect. As a whole most of our days at the seaside were fine, sunny and warm – ideal for shorts and short-sleeved shirts. However, a cozy pullover and a raincoat will also come into action …
So – what happened? Why this post?
We had a relaxing time in a nice spot at the North Sea beach. Our days were filled with walking along the beach, having coffee & wine in a beach bar, reading & watching movies and TV series … maybe some pasta cooking … nothing especially exciting!
Nevertheless I like to share these – mundane – moments of recreation with you.
(By the way: we also made a trip to Alkmaar … coming soon in this blog!)
