Scheveningen

November 8, 2009

I love the beach. In fact, it probably wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I live for the beach; any hard work is rewarded by time I can spend at the sea shore. I love the water, the sand, the shells - in summer and winter.



After a late night out with the girls, getting locked out because my key was warped, and waking up inexplicably at 8am, I decided spontaneously to go to Den Haag (aka The Hague) with my Swiss friend Fabian. The train ride was about 40 minutes. (Dogs are allowed everywhere in Holland, except the grocery store. These pups were on the train ride with us.)


I expected the Hague to be like D.C., since it is the seat of the international judiciary system, is where the Queen of Holland lives and works, and is known as the "Legal Capital of the World." Although there were signs for ministries and tribunals where it might have looked like D.C., we ended up in a different part of town, with charm and without the harsh angles of an urban international legal hub. We wandered around looking for the "center" of the city and a tourist office for a map and guidebook.

By the time we found it, we were hungry and the cafe connected to the VVV Tourist Center (sort of like AAA) looked really neat, so we went there for a bite and to make the day's plan. I ordered roastbeef on an egg sandwich (maybe sounds strange but a common offering here and reliable). Fabian had never had a pancake of any kind before, so he got a pancake with bacon and maple syrup in the batter. Yum! (Pancakes are a big traditional food here, but it's a single pancake about 10" in diameter, and thin like a crepe).

We browsed our tourist materials and, without even really discussing it, headed to the beach after lunch. A long tram ride later, we arrived at Scheveningen (something like "Skave-uh-ning-uh", with a gutteral Sk and quiet uh at the end).

It was an unusually warm day. Many people and their dogs (and even someone with their horse!) also enjoyed the beach. The sun was bright; the air was brisk, but there were no harsh winds to discourage staying on the beach for hours. Children played with parents, dogs chased each other and retrieved toys from the ocean, couples canoodled, groups of young people reclined on the dunes. The sand was golden and a little coarse, perhaps from the dampness of the winter air. Somehow it still felt silky, falling through my fingers. The sea shells were similar to those I find in Florida and New Jersey - I got a moon snail and some cockles.

There aren't enough words to describe the romance of thumbing sandy sea shells in the pocket of a winter coat. We walked along the surf, collecting shells and being refreshed by the sun, ocean and the air. There was a small jetty of green, mossy rocks. Children played, and from there you could observe all the activities on the shore. There is also a large and famous pier at Scheveningen, which is enclosed and extends much further into the ocean than this tiny jetty. However, on this beautiful day, there was no incentive to be indoors.

We reclined on a dune for an hour or two, speaking sparingly, just watching. I realized that most friendships I've made here are purely . . . recreational. My international friends are people I meet at the bar for beers and dancing - dates, sort of. Geoff and the two girls from my home university are the only ones I spend daytime hours with. This was the first time I was spending a day with a non-American. A strange revelation to have so many new people in my life and realize that the time is not quality time. I'm not sure if the language barrier was significant or if the serenity of the beach seeped into both of us, but my day with Fabian was shared with lots of appreciated silence.

When the sun started to get shy, we took a tram back to Den Haag, had hot chocolate at a nice bar, and found a really awesome Himalayan restaurant in an alley. The Tibetan tea warmed me up, but I only picked at some daal and naan, while Fabian feasted.

(Movie taken from the jetty.
You can see the horse in a canter on the shore in the last few seconds of the clip.)