When travelling to Holland one of the things I really look forward to is visiting my old friend Bennie. We went to school and HTS together and, even though we don’t see each other very often, have formed a friendship that will endure and, even though we saw each other last 13 years ago, it was like last week.
It was still blowing quite hard, fortunately from behind on our way to Oostburg and the first thing you see on entering the city (dorp?) is this huge water tower with this eye catching decoration of a simulated crack by a local artist Johnny Beerens.
I was sure Bennie lives at Noordwal 6 only to find that there was nobody home, turns out it was 61 at the other end of the street. Ben welcomed us and showed us inside into his awe inspiring living room where every piece of furniture and decoration has a story and the titles on his bookshelf show a wide ranging and intellectual taste.
Soon the coffee was drunk and it was time for something a little more refined like this twelve year old Glendinnig.
Very tempting to have another one, sooo smooth.
Of course all the old skeletons came out of the cupboard and before we realised it was time for lunch.
We found a nice sheltered spot outside on a terrace in the son, lots of banter with the waiter and the locals who know Bennie well from his civic activities and then a very enjoyable stroll along the “Grote Gat”, a waterway with lots of ducks and other waterbirds and way too soon it was time to brave the wind, this time head on, to Biervliet, our training on the hills of Port Elizabeth finally paying off.