With the murky brown water of the Northsea and most of the natural sand dunes replaced by unattractive 70s-style appartment blocks, the Belgian coast can't really claim to be neither 'exotic' nor 'picturesque'. But despite these drawbacks it offers a desirable playground for millions of beachgoers each summer, many of them traveling from neighbouring countries such as Germany, Holland and the north of France. Maybe I've been too spoilt by the golden sands of Australia or the abandoned, windswept beaches of New Zealand, but the combination of awful architecture, crammed beaches and swimmers in too-tight bathing suits on the Belgian shoreline often makes me cringe... Just an inconsequential personal opinion though :-)! Having said that, I did spent a few enjoyable moments along the coast last week & realised that there are some places of beauty left, if only you look hard & avoid the tourist season.
Last Saturday my brother Peter, his girlfriend Ilse and me set off to De Panne for a typical coastal dinner: the Flemish staple meal of fries and mussels. The quality left a little bit to be desired for but luckily a glorious sunset made up for that!
Peter & Ilse on the beach
The following Tuesday I took the train to the coastal town of Koksijde, where I met up for lunch with Sylvie (who works there in a cultural centre) and my mother. Strolling along the semi- deserted beach with our feet in the water was lovely, especially since this was the first time since my arrival on August 9 that a blue sky appeared :-).
On the drive back to Poperinge we were accompanied by another splendid sunset & I realised with full force how much I love my home region. Not returning for almost a year will certainly be a challenge...
2 comments:
Was dat den Amadeus in Koksijde??
mmmm, mussel friet
Prachtige foto's ... groeten van iemand die vroeger veel gefietst heeft naar Poperinge
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