Morning delight

Zuiderstrand, Den Haag - early morning at the North Sea

Zuiderstrand, Den Haag. Early in the morning the sun slowly creeps up behind the dunes, filling the whole beach with a tender morning yellow. The North Sea waves calmly roll to the shore, almost flat, interrupted only by the occasional sandbank.

Zuiderstrand, the native beach in The Hague that can be crowded, full of beach chatter and buzzing beach bars, children building big sand castles on hot summer days. That one is electric too, but thats not the one I'm talking about.

The one worth getting up for is earlier. The light is still deciding whether it wants to fully reveal its colours. The sand is cold underfoot and there is almost no one, just the occasional runner, the tired dog walkers throwing tennis balls to entertain their four-legged friends, and the seagulls sitting in the sand, enjoying the first rays of sun or searching the waterline for food. The North Sea is crystal clear and completely peaceful. Exactly what I need in the morning.

In summer you feel the pull towards the water. It doesn't take much bravery, just the willingness to commit before you talk yourself out of it. You go for it. A morning dip. The cold hits you all at once and then for a few minutes you are entirely, unambiguously awake. No thoughts. Just water, sunlight, the sound of small waves, the taste of salt in your nose and mouth. Occasionally your foot catches something besides the soft sand, maybe its a stone, a fish, a crab. The sea has its unknown secrets. Immersion is the key, not panic.

You slowly come out of the water, one final dip of the head under the surface, and walk back up the beach. The day hasn't started yet and you already feel ahead of it. A wave of happiness washes over you as you throw the towel over your head and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. The sun is rising steadily now. More morning dippers arrive, and strangers exchange glances of quiet admiration and nodding, sometimes an occasional Goedemorgen. There is an invisible connection between people through nature's beauty. That's the whole thing. That's what matters.

A perfect moment of morning delight.

Morning swimmers and dippers in the North Sea