Breakfast

Since we live in Berlin and I don’t see my grandmothers on a regular base anymore – they live a good two hour drive away from Amsterdam -, we wanted to take it slowly this time and decided to spend the night in Zeeland at our favorite B&B: Frankrijk Noord. I have written about this place before, but can’t let this visit go by without mentioning. If only to show you this delicious breakfast, served in their wonderful common room. Daughter number two was sleeping in, that’s what the brine sea air will do to you.

Domburg Beach

Just because the prettiest beaches are to be found in Zeeland, even on the windiest days.

Grandmother

Both my grandmothers are still there and in good health. Today we visited my mother’s mother, who will be 100 years of age in 2017.

It’s always pretty special to visit her with my own children, showing them the places I used to play when I was little. They hardly changed since then. My grandma’s beautiful garden, with the little house in the back we always pretended to be our home. The old apple and pear trees, of course without fruits right now, but there were daisies to pick and we did. She still partly maintains her big kitchen garden herself, eating from her own harvest almost every day: Fresh from the tree or plant in summer and autumn, from her freezer in the winter and spring.  Of course my grandma has gotten older, but her spirit hasn’t and we still drink tea from the same mugs we did 30 years ago.

One of the things my grandmother learned me was to value the nature around you, to look at it and be grateful for all it has to offer. If you take care of the world around you, it will take care of you. Oh and: start your day with a lukewarm glass of water with lemon, it will help you keep your skin young.

 

Bye Frankrijk Noord

It’s our last day again in Zeeland. Last bulky breakfast made by Lille. Last time playing and rolling on the meadow after this breakfast. Last time taking the wagon full of girls for a walk on the beach. Last time watching the chickens in the orchard. 

Oma and Opa came down, with our sweet little niece, to join us for this last beautiful day abd a last quiet walk on the silent beach.

Until we meet again :-)

Ecoscope

Today we’re visiting my aunt and uncle again at their Ecoscope in Renesse. We’re so glad they’re still in business. Last time I just brought one of the girls, today it’s all three of them running around on the premises, chasing chickens, throwing sticks for Kit the Bull terrier. We have a wonderful day drinking juice and coffee, collecting eggs and making little boats out of bark and feathers.

Reza is so happy again that everybody here can understand what she’s saying again, she’s talking for hours. She’s even mingling in the conversations my uncle is having with his visitors.

Beach

Zeeland has the best beaches in the whole of the Netherlands, at least I think so. We picked the week just before summer break starts, which means the beaches are almost empty. The B&B is just around the corner from the beach and the ladies who run it also have a small beach house which is available to use for their guests as well. Therefore we spend our first day laying and playing on the beach of Westkapelle. Only to move to the beach of Domburg at the end of the day for an evening stroll along the dunes, having dinner at  ‘het Badpaviljoen’ – the only place we have found so far that serves the ‘krukels’ (small sea snails) our eldest loves to eat – and ending the day with ice cream on the empty beach.

Warm Welcome

We’re staying a couple of days in our favorite Bed & Breakfast ever: Frankrijk Noord in Westkapelle. Arriving and finding homemade ice cold Elderflower Lemonade, we immediately feel at home again at Lille and Edith’s magnificent place.

Frankrijk Noord is situated in the barn of an old farm. Four beautifully renovated apartments and a huge common room, with a fully equipped kitchen, where a delicious breakfast is served every morning with among others fresh eggs from their own chickens. What is so perfect for our family is that there is a huge enclosed garden surrounding the farm, so both girls and the dog can run around freely.

Ecoscope

Growing up in the tiny village of Dreischor gave me a really save childhood with a lot of playing outside. Walking up to our little village school with only 60 children from the age of 6, why not, hardly any cars let alone creepy people on the way. Something my girls probably will never experience in the way I have.

Just a couple of hundred meters from our house my uncle and aunt lived in their little farm with no heating except for the big AGA stove in their kitchen in which they baked their own bread and always had a huge kettle on top with water because there was no hot water from the tap.We used to be with them every Friday when my mum went to Art Academy in The Hague. A huge yard surrounding their farm (they were no farmers btw, just living on this old little farm house) with all kinds of fruit, veg, herbs and a lot of chickens running around. 

They still live on their little farm but I haven't been there in years. Nowadays they run the Ecoscope in Renesse where my aunt manages the Milieu Education Center and  my uncle is in charge of the Cafe and maintaining the surrounding gardens. I miss their own house but also love to come here, because they created the same feeling. Unfortunately the subsidies for the center had to be stopped due to governmental cuts and the building will, I believe, turn into a cooking school or something. So this visit will probably be my last, but on the upside: next time I'll visit their own house in Dreischor again.

We had a lovely afternoon, sitting in the sun, enjoying lunch and, her favorite part, feeding the chicken.

Visiting Zeeland before 1 January 2014: you have to have coffee in the Ecoscope in Renesse, my uncle makes the best coffee on the whole of Schouwen Duiveland. You'll even get a organic biscuit to go with it.

Brouwershaven

My town of birth. But for now more important: the town my 96 years old grandmother lives in her own little home build by her brother with her own big garden with all it's roses, dahlia's, berries, pears, apples and all kids of herbs and veg. Without any help in the household, of course she gets help in her garden but also still does a lot herself there. This must be the secret to her age combined with her good health and above all her fantastic mind. 96 years old an the only complained she has is a cold in the nose sometimes. I'm so proud of her and at the same time I regret so much seeing her so little because she lives a 2,5 hour drive away. Before we go I of course have to visit her. Twice. Once with the twins. Once with my oldest. The three of them together is a bit to much. (for her as well as for me in her small living room)

I'm sure this will not be the last time I see her for I'm sure she will live to be at least a 100 years old. Bye granny (don't let her know I called her that), see you soon!

Mussel Days Zierikzee

Every August we are celebrating the start of the new season for Mussels and Oysters in the Southern region that’s called Zeeland. This is the part of the Netherlands I was born, so it of course is a special place for me. This year we visited Mussel Day in Zierikzee, a small harbor town on the top island of Zeeland. They celebrate the start of the new season and at the same time ask Poseidon to look over their fishermen by saving him from an island. Eight ships sail out and everybody is welcome on board. The Mussel princes is on the first boat and that the one to save Poseidon.

Afterwards you can eat loads of Mussels for a very low price, yummmm. Next year we'll be visiting the Oyster days :)