Belgians at the beach. Knokke-Heist, Belgium. 2009
Posted by razzbuffnik on August 28th, 2009
My wife, Engogirl was interested to see the coast near Brugge so we looked at our map and saw that the coastal town Knokke was marked with a blue star which indicated that it was “nice”. We asked the landlady of the B&B we were staying at, about Knokke and she said it was very chic and then went on to suggest that nearby Damme was nicer. To me the word “chic”, when applied to a town, means a place with expensive stores with overly coiffed peopled wearing sunglasses with large vulgar golden logos showing how much money they’ve spent.
We took our landlady’s advice and went to Damme. I was O.K. but no big deal, but while we were there we saw a poster for a sculpture exhibition by the sea at Knokke, so we set aside our feelings about “chic” and went to check it out.
We were both expecting something like the “Sculpture by the Sea” that is held in Sydney each year but we were disappointed to see that there were only a few brightly decorated statues, all of a similar type. Sure enough, Knokke was what I had imagined chic to be, but it was also fascinating to see how the Belgians relate to the beach.
The beach of Knokke is lined with a promenade where the well heeled stroll up and down checking out each other and the shop windows of stores like Yves Saint Laurent. The beach itself is entirely covered with little shacks that served as storage and changing rooms.
I’m not sure what the deal with the booths was but they weren’t uniform in construction so I suppose they were privately owned. The little shacks were like little holiday homes. People would lay and play near them and the sea seemed to merely provide a backdrop for their activities.
The sea was dead flat and it looked like it was the sand that the Belgians were more interested in.
What also seemed odd to me as an Australian, who grew up at the beach, is that the Belgians don’t face the sea, they face inland and ignore it.
There were lots of places where those who didn’t have a shed of their own could go and feel like they had staked a claim of a small part of the beach for themselves.
The whole beach had been compartmentalised into different functions. There were areas for kids to play in.
There was even a place that had an inflatable pool with heated water to swim in (it was too ugly to photograph).
The whole town of Knokke may be chic but I have to admit, as interesting as it was, it wasn’t our cup of tea, even if its first aid station had wind socks which looked like old fashioned bathing suits.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:07 am
It’s weird that they relax at the beach facing away from the sea. The little beach sheds everywhere look kinda daggy & outta place. Thw wind socks are very unusual indeed
August 28th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Not facing the sea?
Shaking head. Now, that’s just Wrong with a capital W.
I’m also glad to see a little cellulite there on the beaches of Belgium…Americans usually win that award. Not that I know anyone, you understand…ahem.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Tony
The sheds seem to harken back to a simpler time that has been passed by.
Pat
I couldn’t decide if they were facing away from the sea or facing towards the street (even if there were sheds in the way). Perhaps it’s like a lot of the bars and cafes that have outside seating that all face the road where it’s all about seeing and being seen.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
but is it really the kind of sea you would want to spend hours looking at or diving into?
strange place, strange habits.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Big laugh while reading about the unphotographable swimming pool !
And yes different people, different place and different relation to the beach…
August 29th, 2009 at 4:15 am
Grasswire
You might be onto something there. Another thing though, beaches slope down towards the water which would mean that facing away from the water would involve sitting facing up hill.
Vanille
Yep, it’s the differences that we travel to see. No Mac Donald’s experience for me thank you very much!
August 29th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
This is the weirdest bunch of pictures I’ve seen in a long time. Almost as strange as Manhattan where the majority of residents don’t even seem aware of the sea or that they are on an island surrounded by it.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Maybe the wind always comes from the sea direction and the windblown sand is annoying. (just trying to solve this puzzle)
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:53 am
Donald and Ross
After wondering about this for a while, I think Engogirl has figured out why they are facing away from the sea. Knokke is on the north coast and people face south to get the sun, which means they sit with their backs to sea.