This past Saturday, three of my best friends here in Brussels – Marissa, Christie and Sarah – picked me up after lunch and drove me to the coast for my hen (batchelorette) party. I hadn’t really been expecting one since a lot of my closest friends live far away and are already making the long trip to Brussels once for the wedding. So this was such an unexpected treat! We planned it last week but the girls refused to tell me the details until the day before.
De Haan is a small seaside town, with a boardwalk along the beach with holiday flats, cheap and cheerful coffee shops and little shops selling plastic buckets and spades. The day was sunny but a just a wee bit windy…
We had an amazing picnic on the beach complete with mimosas (bucks fizz) and high quality napkins, and tried to eat sandwiches and crisps without getting too much sand in them.
We ran down to test the water which was not as freezing as last time I was on the Belgian coast with Joanna, but I wouldn’t have wanted to swim 🙂 It was so entirely wonderful to be by the sea again. Although I grew up in the spot in the UK probably furthest from the coast (impressive since we’re also an island), I did all four years of uni within a five minute walk of long sandy beaches, and I love the sea so much.
When nature called, we headed back up the beach to find a cafe (with toilets) to have a coffee in, and there I was quizzed in detail on all past boyfriends and flirtations… 🙂 We spent the last hour wandering along to check out the strange beach sculpture, attempt to take a group photo, and pose with the local statues. Hmm, can’t even blame our behaviour on the mimosas, we were just giddy with girly beach happiness!
We drove back to Brussels, a glorious sunset in the rearview mirror, and at Marissa’s flat tucked into delicious shoofly pie and pumpkin bread, and curled up on the sofa with warm blankets to watch Father of The Bride. It would be wrong of me not to report that Sarah cried buckets during this film. Not just a ladylike tear or two, but tears streaming down her cheeks. But hey, Dad, you can sympathise, right?!
After the yumminess and the girly wedding film, the girls gave me beautiful gifts including tea cups and a teapot from the Polish pottery shop (oh how I am aching to visit this place!) and something else I can’t tell you about on here… *wink wink*
Ladies, you are simply amazing and I loved spending the day with you in girly silliness.
I adore you and can’t imagine Brussels life without you!
