A perfect summer day..................Zandvoort aan Zee

Warm days are to be treasured - so one must make the most of them. What is better than having fun in the sun! Well the only thing better is doing so with good friends or family or both and to top it off with excellent food and drinks.
Well that is exactly what I did at the weekend. We drove west from Amsterdam for about 45 minutes to our friends home near one of the country’s famous beaches – Zandvoort aan Zee. It spans about 9 kms making it the longest beach in the Netherlands.

You might have heard of Zandvoort before because the most important racing circuit in the Netherlands is located here. Or you might know that for a few decades the Grand Prix was hosted here. Although I could hear the noise of the race cars on the circuit, it was not beckoning me, instead the beach was, on this hot summer's day.

It was about 28 degrees Celsius (82 F)– so shortly after arriving – we headed straight to the beach. After only a few minutes – we could see the North Sea and feel the nice warm breeze. For a moment, I felt as though I was in the South of France or the Caribbean - minus the palm or coconut trees. I expected the beach to be extremely crowded but was pleasantly surprised.

Approaching the beach

Looking back - old water tower - almost in the center of the foto

If you are wondering what those grey things are on the beach – well they are “wind breakers”. I still find them odd but practical. They provide protection from the wind not the sun but I always think that are handy as they afford one their own little compartment on the sand. Despite the lack of umbrellas - I felt like we just landed in the tropics. It was easy to find a spot on the beach. The water was warm enough to go for a swim but it was also nice to lie in the blazing sun and absorb some Vitamin D.

The grow-ups enjoyed chatting while the kids swam in the sea or played on the beach. We thoroughly appreciated the perfectly blue skies which occasionally became white when a few seagulls paid us a visit. The only other pleasant interruption were food trucks/trailers bearing food and drinks.

Provisions-bearing trucks

.......and another

These mobile eateries are pretty efficient as they contain everything: from soft drinks and ice-cream to beers, fish and fries, hotdogs and more. My kids bought some fries, which they shared - as soon it would be time to head back to a feast at our friends home.

After absorbing enough sun, sea and sand it was time to go. Although the beach clubs and restaurants on the beach were very inviting – we were looking forward to spending time with our friends in a more “gezellig” (English – "beyond" cosy :) ) atmosphere.

One of the beach clubs

The table was set in the garden surrounded by gigantic sunflowers. We started with crostinis and glass of wine – which we all enjoyed during the preparation of dinner. All dishes were easy to prepare. They were colorful, full of fresh seasonal vegetables and a variety of grilled meats and fish. The desserts were delicious too.......chocolate panache with a hazelnut base and a cake of passion fruit, lemon and milk chocolate and a variety of melons.

Salads and more.......

One of the cakes

The entire evening was spent in the garden until it became too cool. We shared fantastic stories of old and new experiences co-mingled with lots of laughter. It was a delightful end to a perfect summer's day.