Oesterput

One of our best discoveries at the North Sea was a restaurant called "Oesterput". We liked it so much we went there three different days for lunch. We took the tram to get there. We walked on the beach to get there (over 6km each way). We drove there in our rental car.

The restaurant is located in Blankenberge, but just at the bay as you enter Blankenberge from Wenduine. They have an extensive seafood menu with plenty of daily specials. Live seafood is kept in the room that adjoin the dining area. The atmosphere is festive and colorful and plenty of creative art work can be found throughout the restaurant. Patrons are seated at long tables, which creates an even more festive environment.

What we ate? Each time we had lunch here we tried something different. Mussles, the royal seafood platter, lobster, salmon, fish soup - we would have tried everything if we only had the time.

On of the challenges we experiences was how to hand peel the little shrimp from Oostende. Our waiter explained the technique to us, but it took some of us several times before we finally figured out how to do it properly.

Carpe Diem

For our vacation in De Hann (Le Coq), Belgium, we stayed at the Carpe Diem Hotel. This is part of a chain of charming hotels called the Romantik Hotels and Restaurants International. It was family oriented and romantic and luxurious at the same time.

We stayed in the Sealoft Room. As you will see in the pictures, the room was very tastefully decorated and quite spacious.

The hotel was run by a very gracious couple who made everyone feel at home. There was an outdoor swimming pool and gardens on the grounds of the hotel. A beautiful and bountiful continental breakfast was provided each morning to the hotel guests.

So if you find yourself at the North Sea, this is gem that you should really seize the day for!

Our Beach Vacations - Massachusetts and Belgium Coast

Sorry I have not updated my blog for the past couple of weeks, but we have been away on vacation in the US and Europe for a few weeks. We spent some time in Massachusetts and later some time at the Belgium coast. The common features of the two trips were the seashore aspect and plenty of seafood for dinners! We had loads of fun on each trip and our fond memories are not just of the places, but also of the friends we got to meet with at each place. We were lucky enough to be travelling to some of the same places at the same time as some of our friends, so we took the opportunities to visit with them in these foriegn locations.

Here are some pictures from the beaches of Provincetown and the Belgium coast. See if you can guess where each photo is from!

Along the Provincetown Bay shoreline at lowtide

Boats in the harbor, Provincetown

Herring Cove beach lighthouse, Provincetown

"The Dunes are Alive!" - Fred imitates Julie Andrews




Race Point beach, Provincetown

Oostende, Belgium

Lifeguards at Oostende

From the Stand at Oostende

Paper flowers at De Hann, Belgium (Le Coq)

Tractors on the beach at De Hann




Seagulls at De Hann

Rain arrives to De Hann beach

Beach is closed in De Hann