Wednesday 5 August 2015

Holidays: Sea

Hello again - I'm back from my hols! We have been in the Netherlands for a week in a sweet little house near the sea. All three of our grown up children came with us and B's lovely boyfriend T as well which made it even better. We haven't been abroad as a family for many years and didn't have a holiday last year, so we were really looking forward to it.


 It was such a wonderful change of scene - a beautiful, friendly country which was new to us all, we stayed in Zeeland which is a coastal area, made up of expansive beaches, soft fields and meadows and beautiful old towns.





 There are lots of sand dunes, and because the land is flat our first glimpse of the sea was from the top of them.


What a view! There is so much space. 


And so many cockle shells, deeply-ridged in colours I've never seen them in before: black, grey, blue, rust, dark brown and striped.



I got out my crochet and started to do some, but to be truthful I found the surroundings so distracting that I didn't get very far! 


We hired bikes on J's birthday and cycled through the town to a local beach where we had a picnic and swam. It was very exciting to discover that the bikes have no gears or brakes and that you have to pedal backwards to stop! Here I am on my bike - my first appearance on my blog!



However at the start of the week it was a different story, weather-wise. A strong wind blew for several days and we had thunderstorms with some very heavy showers indeed.


The landscape took on a different aspect with gunmetal grey skies, billowing clouds and choppy, white-crested seas. Shells and sand were blasted by the wind.



 Flags flapped and snapped in the breeze.


The sea and sand were pale and bleached of colour. Horse riders galloped along the beach past a little 'shipwreck' playground.


These modern, curved beach huts caught my eye - they seemed to fit their bleak surroundings perfectly. 


When the sun came out from behind the clouds, blue returned to the scene. How good it was to be out in the weather experiencing it changing around us.


However, about 10 minutes after I took this photo it rained very hard indeed and, as we had a long walk to the car we were soaked by the time we got back. 


I love this view of the North Sea with white horses rushing onto the sand below and scudding clouds above. This holiday has really blown some cobwebs away.

 

 Well I hope you've enjoyed my coastal snaps. If you fancy dropping by, I'll share some more next time. It's good to be back!


18 comments:

  1. Hi Cathy! My doughter did a school exchange with a Middelburg school last year. She stayed in Westkapelle one week. I want to go there too!
    Isabella

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    1. Hi Isabella, we went to Middelburg for the day and it was a lovely place - I hope your daughter had a good time there.
      Cathy x

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  2. It looks like you've had some great weather for your holiday, it makes it more interesting to have a bit of variety. The beach huts look fun. x

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  3. I am glad you enjoyed your holiday despite the changeable weather. That looks like a place I would be happy to holiday in and I can understand you being distracted from your crochet. It is great to put a face to the name as well. Looking forward to seeing more of your holiday photos. xx

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  4. Hi again Cathy, I hope you don't mind me being nosey but where did you get the Emma Ball notebook in your crochet photo? I just love Emma Ball designs and would love one like that. xx

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    1. Hi Jan, yes it's a sweet little notebook that I use as a journal to write abut my seaside visits in. I bought it a few years ago in a gift shop in Sennen Cove in Cornwall, but have seen it since in others and also in National trust shops too. Emma Ball's paintings are gorgeous, aren't they?
      Cathy x

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    2. Thanks Cathy, will look out for one. x

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  5. Hello Cathy, You holiday sounds idyllic and the photos are stunning, I especially like the curved beach huts, and shells. Don't worry about your crochet, there is always tomorrow.

    luvirene
    xxx

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  6. What lovely photos - gorgeous views. I could feel the breeze just looking at your pictures. x

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  7. Do you know, I'd never thought of going to the Netherlands for a seaside holiday, but it looks fab! Glad you had a great time! xx

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  8. I've never been to the Netherlands but it looks fantastic. I love the idea of a bike ride to the beach, although the lack of gears and brakes might take some getting used to! Those beach huts look great too and it's nice to be able to put a face to a name. Glad you had a lovely time. xx

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  9. Ooh that looks gorgeous. I'd love to go to Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark for a seaside holiday. cycling backwards must have been a bit of a challenge. It is always a thought appearing on your own blog, isn't it, although some people seem to sprinkle themselves around very freely. I'm like you, and only recently put in an appearance in mine http://occasionalscotland.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/loch-muick-spring-visit.html

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  10. What a wonderful beach!!!! It looks like a wonderful place come rain or shine! I love your photo of the windblown sand on the rainy day. That is so beautiful to me! I remember bikes that you had to pedal backwards on to stop, I had one as a child. Lovely to see your photo, I know that it isn't a favourite photo to share amongst us bloggers, but lovely to see you! xx

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  11. I think I forgot to say, glad you had a great time!! xx

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  12. What a wonderful place to visit, and how lovely that your children came too. Fantastic to see a photo of you on the blog. I shall look forward to seeing some more of your photos next time. CJ xx

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  13. What beautiful pictures :) It looks like a wonderful place to visit, and sounds like a lovely family holiday xx

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  14. Beautiful photos and sounds like a lovely time, thanks for sharing. Hx

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  15. Lovely to see your fantastic coastal pictures from the Netherlands. It must have been a great location for a holiday, nice to see you for the first time too. I love those beach huts! Sarah x

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