Zeeland, Holland-Spring tides

The seal spat out the fish for the third time. Patiently and resignedly, the lady netted it out of the water, reinserted a tablet into another fish and tried again to feed her difficult patient. He had half his back scrapped clean off, perhaps from a run in with a boat’s propellor. Lucky he was here, I thought and could one day be returned to the wild. We were in Aseal, a sanctuary for our flippered friends who need rescuing. And visitors can see how the staff are looking after these creatures and preparing them to be released as soon as possible. I wasn’t expecting to find such a place here, in Holland. But then, I had a lot of surprises during our week in Zeeland.

It was the Easter holidays, and the parents wanted to show me our new house, down in the South of the country. This is a watery world where a series of islands are joined together by impressive bridges, where wild horses and long-horn cattle roam on marshy plains, and seals and porpoises cruise the sea-like lakes. Our place is located in the village of Bruinisse, in a plush enclave of houses with neat front lawns, backed by a golf course and a ten minute walk to marina of super yachts. Never would I have imagined we would own a house in place like this, nor that such places even existed in this part of the world. Some houses take a while to warm to, but not this one. Walking in, I loved it straight away. Huge windows filled the whole house with white light, the rooms were large and spacious, all shades of blueberry, walnut and oat. Views of the garden were all around, birdsong filtered through. The dogs felt quickly at home too, finding their places and settling down.

Over the next few days, we explored the surroundings. I’d never really been a tourist in Holland, apart from Amsterdam so was excited each day as we set off in the car or on foot. The first day, dad and I headed to Rotterdam. Only a 40 minute drive, this gritty port city is our shared home-town, funny considering all the places we’ve both visited. It was a wet day, but we braved it with umbrellas, dad keen to show me his old haunts. We wandered around the Oude Haven, the cobbles glistening with rain, the water reflecting the outlines of the funky cube houses nearby. The Markthal was abuzz with stalls from around the world, I grabbed a free cheese sample (when in Holland). We stopped to warm up and dry off at a café; hot chocomel for me, coffee for dad.

On the way home, dad detoured to show me his first apartment. We got lost in the narrow maze of streets, dad said it had all changed a lot in the years gone by. Eventually we found the place, and got out of the car for a closer look. Dad pointed out his, number 35, the courtyard was still well-looked after. A humble building, but I’m sure it did the job. No gym, reception or free wifi like my first apartment has. I guess I forget sometimes how lucky I am.

The next day was bright and blue-skied, and we were heading to Burgh-Hamstaade, to see some rather shaggy residents. A herd of wild shetland ponies roams the moorland that backs on to the beach near the village, and is the perfect place for a wild encounter. As soon as we parked the car, we could see them; I rushed over with the dogs. Shetland ponies never fail to make me smile with their thick, tangled manes, short, sturdy legs and deep girths. They were grazing nearby, their sable black coats contrasting with the fresh grass they grazed. Its a beautiful area; acres of trails to explore by bike or foot, with the thrill of bumping into more of the hardy little brunettes, some of whom were so close to the path you could almost touch them.

The sun was still shining, so we headed to a café back in the village for drinks. The dogs were welcome too as we could sit outside and enjoy the fine Spring day. Before heading home, we took a peak at the sea, washing on to a wide expanse of white sand, already busy with buckets and spades despite the chill in the air.

We did a lot more exploring. We visited Middelharnis, a town unspoilt by tourism, full of boutiques on streets where music was piped through by speakers. Another day we strolled by the Veerse meer– a large expanse of lake busy with water birds. My favorite though is Zierikzee, a charming town of cobbled streets, elegant water-front cafés and boats bobbing peacefully. We sat out in the town’s main square, watching shoppers pass by as the sun warmed the day.

Some days, we didn’t even need to go far at all. The Marina is just a ten minute walk from the house, past dykes full of sheep and their bleating lambs. One beautiful morning I walked there myself with the dogs, armed with a picnic for all three of us. We sat in the sun and watched a fancy craft struggle to moor, as sailboats whispered by. It was so peaceful, and amazing to think it was so close by. The dogs loved their walks in the area; there were rabbits and sheep to scare, new smells to investigate. We saw some beautiful sunrises; scarlet red skies over the still waters of the lake, reflecting the silhouettes of sail boats. On my runs too, the views were incredible- skinny wind turbines turning slowly in the distance, the Zeelandbrug’s silver arch fading into the horizon, a blur of blue. Tools clanged as I’d pass the dockyard, shipmen still at work on rusty old vessels, a salty tang in the air, and the smell of fish frying from one of the water-front restaurants.

Most afternoons, we could all sit outside in the garden and listen to the birdsong. Luckily the blackbird is very much a part of the chorus here. I would sit on the grass, Prune and Suzi next to me, custard and strawberries nearby. It stayed light till late, longer days at last. On the last evening, dad joined me in the garden. We sat and watched as planes criss-crossed the clear dusky skies, and I bored him with air travel trivia. He listened patiently, and then I was quiet, wondering what he was thinking. Perhaps about how far he’d come, and all the places he’d seen, only to end up here, so close to where it had all began. I guess it was the same for me too, in a condensed way.

I was surprised by how much I hated to leave, which I guess said it all. Luckily, I know I’ll be back.

Practical stuff:

Getting here- This part of Zeeland is about a 3 hour drive from Calais if you take the Eurotunnel (best with doggies). Otherwise, its about an hour from Schipol Airport.

Accommodation- There are lots of holiday parks in this area, Roompot is a big name with lots of places.

Things to do- Aseal is just outside the village of Stellendam and is a great place to spend a colder day as its mostly indoors. Zierikzee is a lovely town to visit any time of year and is full of shops and restaurants, you can even bike to it. Rotterdam is a 40 minute drive if you want a city hit and has plenty of museums as well as the impressive Markthal. Burgh-Haamsteede is about half an hour by car- it can get busy at holiday times. Bruinisse is a lovely village in itself, and the Jachthaven (marina) is its star attraction (look out for a giant mussel sculpture and you’ve found the village).

Other stuff- There is an Albert Hein in Bruinisse for all the essential Dutch food- vla (custard), chocomel, cheese, bread and more and its even open Sunday. We walked once, which took most of the morning, but on bikes would be easy.

There’s so much more to explore here, I’m looking forward to lots more time spent in our new place.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend xx

All photos taken with an iPhone 8