My mom came to visit and we did our fare share of traveling within the Netherlands, Belgium and a tiny bit of Germany. I was glad that my mom was able to have a true Dutch experience in regards to weather…it was unpredictable and ever changing! She arrived with wind, rain and cold temperatures and left a month later with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celcius and with a clear and shiny sky!
In June, the Netherlands have already experienced heel warm temperatures. On June 5th, Maastricht was the first city in the Netherlands to reach 30 degrees at around 12pm. On June 12th, the day my mom flew back home, temperatures reached the 30s once again. Because the husband and I were already on the west coast of the Netherlands, we decided to make a day of it and head to the beach!
So far, I have been to three different beach areas in the Netherlands. The most famous is, of course, Scheveningen which is a 20 minute bike ride away from Den Hague. What I like most about Scheveningen is the variety of restaurants on the beach. From hippie lounge areas to more luxurious ones, in Scheveningen you are bound to find a place to relax and enjoy a pilsje!
My husband’s family is a big fan of Zeeland when it comes to the beach. According to them, Zeeland is nice because the beaches are a lot less crowded there. There are also many restaurants where you can enjoy the sun.
Last week, we went to Bloemendaal near Haarlem. What I liked most about Bloemendaal is that there were a lot less people than the pictures I had seen of Scheveningen the week before. The lounge/restaurant where we stayed at had delicious food, great music and a very relaxed but fun atmosphere. However, I must admit that the North Sea and I are not very good friends. The moment my feet felt the ice cold water, I got terrible flashbacks of winter! I think I’ll just stick to the beach, the drinks and the food!
Which Dutch beach do you prefer?
Beach-related Vocabulary:
het zand– the sand
het strand– the beach
de zee– the sea
het koraal– the coral
de zon– the sun
de strandhanddoek– the beach towel
het zwempak– the bathing suit
de zonbeschermingsfactor– the sun protection factor
de zonnebrand– the sunburn
zonnebaden- to sunbathe
bruinen– to tan
