Out the window

We never have to travel far for entertainment. Sometimes it is right out the window. Today a kiddie park was set up on the boardwalk.

A few days ago it was dancers, music, and free fresh fruit. Having no command of the Dutch language what so ever we are always surprised when crews arrive to setup, even though I suspect posters around town give fair warning.

Even the sunsets are watchable from the apartment.

Of course we do get out. Just past the beach, boardwalk, and high rises are some very cute neighborhoods. Several homes in town sport thatch roofs like the house on the left with the white chimney.

If you walk just a few hundred yards more inland the scene becomes more pastoral.

Last week we stopped on our way back from admiring the farms to watch an hour of a pro tennis tournament being held just a block from our building.

But, of course, the most fun is people watching. Especially on the beach. These folks are serious about sand castles! Adults and kids show up with real shovels, not these little plastic scoops Americans use. They start digging like mad and it is not unusual to see a fifteen foot diameter sand wall with a trench to the water to fill the moat and all the excess sand piled five feet high in the center as the castle.

After all this hard work they relax sometimes under a beach umbrella, but more often behind a wind screen. Because the North Sea here produces 12 to 14 foot tides most castles disappear within six hours.

If you don't bring your own wind screen, no problem. You can rent a "cubicle" space behind a wind screen like the ones set up on left side of the picture.

The sunset picture was almost low tide, the picture above about half way, and the one below is high tide. The difference between low and high changes the width of the beach by a couple hundred yards.