Domburg – Holland

In the middle of January, I spent a weekend on the Southern coast of Holland, in a small town called Domburg.  Here is a view of the town on a very bright Sunday morning (It rained a lot on Saturday, so no pictures then)

The view on the other side of the beach is very nice too

Because of the rising sun, the view towards East, the Schelde estuary and Belgium is eerily shadowy

We went hicking in the Natural Reserve called Oranjezon.  There were not many people around, as the temperature was still rather cold.  But we did run into a group of hairy mules grazing in between the dunes

I was surprised to still find berries on branches totally devoid of leaves

We made it to the beach, where the dunes are diminishing.  The tide is low and therefore the beach is at its maximum width.  In the distance, we could the beginning of the “Delta Project” – massive construction in the late 50’s which is still protecting the low lying areas on Holland from the sea.

We also went to Veere, a town which used to be a sea port but is now on a closed body of water called the Veerse Meer.  There are several sets of locks between it and the open sea.  However, this is very good protected water and therefore sailing is a popular pass-time.  During the summer months, the Veerse Meer is a very popular spot for windsurfers.

Veere is a typical Dutch town, with narrow lanes and squares surrounded by houses built 300 or even 400 years ago and which have been preserved as they were then.

City Hall is a quite an interesting building dating from the end of the 16th century

In keeping with the historical significance of sailing to the town, the wind vane at the top of the tower sports a beautiful sailing ship

The church is surprisingly large for such a small town.  It is no longer used as a church but as an art gallery.  Many of the original windows have been walled in order to make heating easier, I guess.

There are more picturesque lanes.

Here is the house of a local artiste, and an interesting way to advertise…

 

And what is a Dutch town without a windmill?

After a very nice lunch in a local cafe with clothing store, we had to get back home.  It was quite a nice week-end.

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