Our hosts were up early and fresh pastries appear. We exercise their superautomatic coffee
machine for a few rounds of bold caffe.
Stephan’s son Brian is watching his shop today, and Stephan has taken
the day off to show us around. We’re
headed to the North Sea, just 20 minutes or so from Sluis. First stop is Knokke, Belgium (see, I knew we were going to Belgium!). Knokke is an affluent shore town on par with
Miami Beach. We notice the change in the
cars immediately as we pull into town.
The place looks like a car show and is just dripping with high end
automobiles of the new and vintage varieties.
It’s very windy and raining on-and-off, weather that keeps most exotics
in the garage, but not here. Within 50
meters of our parking spot we see both a Ferrari and a Lamborghini parallel
parked.
We walk as Stephan shows around. Tall buildings of condos, chic shops, plenty
of new construction, the center of town
is built-up like Monaco. We walk along
the beach, each block separated by fences, each beach lined with rows of
colorful little lockers. The lockers are
rented for the season so beachgoers can stash their gear and be ready to hit
the sand at a moment’s notice. Fighting
the cold spring wind, we get back into the car to finish the tour. As we make our way out of the center of town,
the place really opens up, the homes bigger the beach less crowded. This is way more appealing. The road continues around the newly built
preserve with restored wetlands, freshly planted dunes and a bike path ringing
the several square kilometer space. It’s
part of a larger conservation and restoration program taken on by the local and
federal government. Across the road,
Stephan shows us another broad stretch of land, this one reestablished about 10
years ago. It’s lush green native plants’
natural beauty a testament to the program’s success.
We arrive Cadzand, the shore town where Stephan has his shop
on the strand. The shop has been in the
family for three generations and we greet Brian minding the counter. It’s a classic beach shop with colorful
chairs and sand toys catering to visitors old and young. We have lunch at a newly built restaurant
overlooking the surf, rough hewn timber and big windows. Families walking the beach or riding bikes
despite the brisk wind in the foreground, too small boats fighting too big
waves off the shore and big industrial vessels along the horizon. Just a day in the life of the North Sea. After lunch we walk the beach a bit. The
place has the feel of the South Jersey shore towns we’ve spent so much time
in. Coming off the beach, we walk back
along a paved trail a few blocks from the beach which is lined with trees. Stephan says he hasn’t been on this trail in
20 years, but it still has a warm familiar feel for him. We come full circle back to the shop and
continue on our adventure.
We drive back into Breskens, the town where we landed
yesterday on the ferry. This was once
the home to a lively fishing industry, but now only a few working boats
remain. On the docks is an interesting old
museum dedicated to the nautical history of the port which gives us a good
perspective of the transition this town finds itself in. The three towns together paint a good picture
of this part of the country, ancient and modern, traditional and transitional.
Back in Sluis, the wind has died down and the late afternoon
sun is warming on our skin. Mandy and I
wander around on our own, checking out the cute shops and generally just
enjoying the scene. Stephan and Isabelle
have a special dinner planned: lobster with asparagus soup, fresh salad and
fresh white asparagus. The local lobsters
are blue. Really, remarkably blue, which
is why they are called Blue Lobsters.
Stephan has four great big numbers delivered to the house which, after
splitting, are done in just a few minutes on his beloved Big Green Egg charcoal
grill. Brian joins us for dinner and the
five of us talk and laugh and eat and drink well into the night. I can picture the scene from our typical
vantage point – outside looking in. I’d
be standing on the dark street, light and laughter and warmth flowing in tones
of golden light out of the second story window.
I smile quietly to myself, happy to be an insider, if only for few short
nights.
(click on the pictures to view full screen)
No comments:
Post a Comment