The North Sea

I visit the North sea and the city of Haarlem with Martijn.
This Sunday I visited Martijn in the city he grew up in, Haarlem, which he had kindly invited me to see. On beforehand he had told me that Haarlem is a small city close to the sea. Martijn was already in Haarlem to visit some friends, so we met on the train and continued through Haarlem to the sea. Going to the beach was actually my request, as I was curious to see what kind of coast it was. I didn't know if I would get the same feeling as I can get from the Danish west coast on a good day. It is a feeling that is only found when the circumstances are right. Don't get me wrong, I always love being near the sea, even a pond nearby makes me happy, but this feeling is different from happiness. It is felt in a place deeper inside you than happiness. I cannot express the feeling more accurately, but I can try to bring you to the beach with my words and perhaps you will feel the same...
You are stepping off the asphalt now, onto the sand. You have been stealing glances at the sea from afar and you have felt sudden gusts of wind blowing through the streets. A mild and fresh smell comes to you with the salty air. You walk in deep, fine sand with feet that still remember the solid ground of the asphalt streets. When you glance up you can see the sea ahead of you. Wind and sand in the air makes your eyes blink and you shield them with your hand. The wind is pushing against you, as if gently leaning on you for support and each step you take has a little more determination to it than usual. You reach the harder, wet sand near the water's edge and this is where you stop. You let your breathing slow as you take in the view. The sea is white from foam and waves are crushing onto themselves and into each other. You send a thought to the many kite surfers who take full advantage of the weather and to the board surfers who enjoy themselves in the waves. You stand still, take calm deep breaths and you feel it. You feel the sea on a good day.
After our walk by the sea we had drinks in one of the beach bars. Then we went back to Haarlem and Martijn gave me a fine tour. The 'small' city turned out to be about the size of Aarhus and quite beautiful as well. We ended the tour on an Indian restaurant, which served some really good food and even some foods that were completely new to me. It was a great way to spend my third weekend here.