About two weeks ago, I got an old roll of Portra 400 back from the lab, and when I say old, I mean it took me almost two years to finish it. I guess that’s what happens when you keep film for ‘special’ occasions only. Half the shots were blurry and I’ve completely forgotten about the other half, but isn’t that the beauty of shooting film?
On this particular roll, I found some precious shots from my daughter’s 16th birthday, as well a few from a day trip to The Hague and the adjacent Scheveningen beach. A beach holiday is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Netherlands, but yes, we do have beaches. A plenty of them, in fact, and the one in Scheveningen – complete with a pier, a Ferris wheel and a Sea Life aquarium – is one of the most popular beaches in our little country.
Granted, the North sea is not the warmest of them all, but people do swim there, even on a not-so-warm late May afternoon. In all honesty, I prefer to watch from a polite distance, unless it’s 40 degrees in the summer and you’re bound to die either way.
But to me, there’s no better way to spend a day at the beach than by simply listening to the waves crashing onto the shore, seagulls screaming away and stealing fries, and watching the brave souls taking a plunge in the ice-cold waters.
There’s something about the salty air and the gentle breeze that is universally appealing to humankind, isn’t it? Every time I spend a day by the seaside, I promise myself to buy a tiny house near the dunes one day, and spend the rest of my days walking the dog along the coast. I mean, I don’t have a dog (yet) or the money to buy a tiny house, but a girl can dream, right?
While Scheveningen is nice enough to spend a day reading a book with your feet buried in the sand, I suspect the real reason I like it there is that it reminds me of my all-time favourite seaside town: Brighton, England.
Just a short trip from London, Brighton is the perfect place to escape to when you’re tired of the big city. I’ve first visited Brighton in 2011 for an international teachers’ conference, and came back a few times to visit a friend who lives there. Of course, we couldn’t skip a ride on the (in)famous viewing platform, the British Airways i360.
Despite its imperfections – there are no sandy beaches, and the Brighton pier offers that kind of mad mix of cotton candy and rollercoasters that leaves you sick for another two days - I fell in love with its energy, the unique mix of beautiful architecture and a relaxed, bohemian vibe. To me, Brighton is one of those places that – quite inexplicably – feel like home.
Apart from the obvious tourist attractions, you can easily spend a day there just strolling along the coast, admiring the run-down beauty of the West Pier and enjoying your fish & chips on the pebbled beach. Alternatively, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can easily combine it with a trip to the Seven Sisters cliffs, or one of the neighbouring seaside towns - Hove, Eastbourne or Worthing.
While a day by the seaside can be a great place to find entertainment on a sunny day, to me, the charming coastal towns are the perfect places to find solitude without feeling alone. The beach has always felt safe to me, as you’re never truly alone, and it offers the perfect amount of space for someone who likes to just be.
The older I get, the more often I dream about living a slow life in a coastal town. One day, I tell myself, I’ll live the life I’ve always dreamt of – filled with the soothing presence of a morning mist and the sound of waves washing away the previous day. But until then, I’m grateful for the memories, and the countless pictures to remind me of all the moments I’ve already lived.
Thank you for reading! Do you have a favourite beach you regularly escape to? If so, feel free to let me & others know in the comments!
Also, if you enjoyed today’s newsletter, you can support my writing by buying me a coffee. Always appreciate it!
Your words and photography reminded me of how beautiful it feels to be near the ocean, feet in sand, shorebirds floating on a quiet breeze. Living just twenty minutes away from many beaches I have no excuses- other then it seems to put *thoughts and things* ahead of what is truly important for my soul to be connected and feel connected to my surroundings. Rectifying that asap.
Follow your dream Suzy - I moved to a spot on the edge of an old fishing town on the south coast twenty years ago and haven't looked back! There is nothing like a walk along the waters edge to blow away the cobwebs on a windy day or to just be still and mindful in the sunshine...not to mention the atmosphere of a seaside town out of season!