This Saturday morning, there's a storm in Scheveningen. Rain and wind can be heard while I feed Rihanna Gaga her morning porridge. It's nice to have little moment with here - as I wrote last week, I am doing an intensive course and it is pretty... well, intense. Her mother and Rihanna Gaga went to stay with her grandparents. First with my girlfriend's parents and then she stayed for a few days on her own with my mother. She had a great time - some of her cousins were also staying with my mom and they enjoyed each other's company, I'm told - but I really missed her.
After her morning porridge, Rihanna Gaga is tired again and I put her to bed for a little nap. When she wakes up, we make our way to the beach. This Saturday again, my girlfriend joins us. The weather is a bit better: there's no rain anymore, but there are still a lot of clouds and the wind is strong. We're on our bicycles and Rihanna Gaga seems to enjoy the wind blowing in her face. As usual, she shouts and hums while I cycle: a true Dutch baby.
Today, we visit Strandpaviljoen Veronica, which can be found along the southern stretch of Scheveningen's main boulevard. If you'd walk past Veronica, chances are it wouldn't particularly strike you. Unlike many of the beach clubs here, Veronica doesn't seem to try to lure visitors with a special theme, such as a Latin American vibe or grand design. Its look is decidedly 'old school': a wooden main building with a tilted roof, surrounded by a sprawling terrace divided into parts by glass screens that protect visitors from the wind. This is what all the beach clubs used to look like before the 'special theme' beach clubs came to dominate the Scheveningen beaches.
Inside, this is pretty much the same, except for a large collection of Thai memorabilia that compliment the otherwise middle of the road decoraction. Veronica, you must know, distinguishes itself from other beach clubs by its excellent Thai kitchen. In fact, I would probably have opted for a Thai curry as breakfast, if the kitchen hadn't only opened after 16:00. There is r'n'b playing, not really Rihanna Gaga's music, but she does dance along a bit. However, her heart is not as much in it as it would be if the tempo would be more upbeat.
It's hard to put my finger on why I have a certain sympathy for Veronica. I don't come here very often, and although I'm a great lover of Thai food, that is not the reason either. I think it has something to do with Veronica's staff. They immediately strike me as friendly, hard working people. Veronica opens about an hour earlier than most beach clubs around here - eight o'clock - but on some days, you'll find the manager is already around by then and will stay until closing time about 16 hours later. I especially like the manager: a no-nonsense guy, always busy, always friendly and really involved in the well-being of his beach club. And this goes for all people around here: they may not be as hip as the handsome girls and pretty boys that may serve you at some of the trendier beach clubs, but they know how to create an atmosphere of friendliness and hospitality.
I order the breakfast, my girlfriend orders a pancake. While waiting for the food, which takes a while to arrive, we feed Rihanna Gaga her fruit. Halfway through her portion, she decides she's had enough. She makes this abundantly clear, pulling a face that seems more fitting for an attempt at poisoning when we try to convince her to eat some more. We let her roam the beach club, which is empty, except for a lonely man reading his newspaper on the windy terrace. She heads straight for the fireplace in the middle of the beach club and starts collecting the pebbles that lie on the rim around it. The fire is not on, but she is definitely not allowed to pick up those pebbles and start making a mess, so we correct her. She'll return to the fireplace several times to see if she can get away with playing with the pebbles anyway, but on the whole, I am impressed with how easily she accepts that she is not allowed to do this. Over the last few months, it has become increasingly easier to communicate with her. She remembers things, is capable of expressing wishes and understanding what we want from her. With simple hand gestures, you can now tell her to pick up a ball and bring it to you and she'll understand you. Whether she will do what you tell her is another thing: with understanding a very basic language, she also has gained a basic understanding of naughtiness - and the fun that comes with it.
Breakfast seems quite sober at first: a soft-boiled egg, two slices of cheese, a slice of ham, together with two buns, a croissant, some pre-packaged butter and jam and a cup of tea. For €11,95, that is certainly not as good value for money you'll get at some surrounding beach clubs. Towards the end, however, an ice cold orange juice is brought, which makes it quite acceptable.
Rihanna Gaga forces us to walk around the club again and again - her walking is improving day by day. In fact, when my mother brought her home yesterday, I was amazed at how steady she is now placing her steps. She can even stand upright for several minutes - that is, as long as she doesn't notice herself that she is not holding on to something. The moment she realises this, much like cartoon characters running over a canyon, she will drop. The last few weeks she's been making incredible progress, so much so that when I saw her again after five days, it struck me that she was hardly a baby anymore: she's rapidly becoming a little girl.
We soon leave Veronica: we need to do some shopping, and after that, Rihanna Gaga, still tired from the exciting days with her grandmother and her cousins, will need another na.
After her morning porridge, Rihanna Gaga is tired again and I put her to bed for a little nap. When she wakes up, we make our way to the beach. This Saturday again, my girlfriend joins us. The weather is a bit better: there's no rain anymore, but there are still a lot of clouds and the wind is strong. We're on our bicycles and Rihanna Gaga seems to enjoy the wind blowing in her face. As usual, she shouts and hums while I cycle: a true Dutch baby.
Today, we visit Strandpaviljoen Veronica, which can be found along the southern stretch of Scheveningen's main boulevard. If you'd walk past Veronica, chances are it wouldn't particularly strike you. Unlike many of the beach clubs here, Veronica doesn't seem to try to lure visitors with a special theme, such as a Latin American vibe or grand design. Its look is decidedly 'old school': a wooden main building with a tilted roof, surrounded by a sprawling terrace divided into parts by glass screens that protect visitors from the wind. This is what all the beach clubs used to look like before the 'special theme' beach clubs came to dominate the Scheveningen beaches.
Inside, this is pretty much the same, except for a large collection of Thai memorabilia that compliment the otherwise middle of the road decoraction. Veronica, you must know, distinguishes itself from other beach clubs by its excellent Thai kitchen. In fact, I would probably have opted for a Thai curry as breakfast, if the kitchen hadn't only opened after 16:00. There is r'n'b playing, not really Rihanna Gaga's music, but she does dance along a bit. However, her heart is not as much in it as it would be if the tempo would be more upbeat.
It's hard to put my finger on why I have a certain sympathy for Veronica. I don't come here very often, and although I'm a great lover of Thai food, that is not the reason either. I think it has something to do with Veronica's staff. They immediately strike me as friendly, hard working people. Veronica opens about an hour earlier than most beach clubs around here - eight o'clock - but on some days, you'll find the manager is already around by then and will stay until closing time about 16 hours later. I especially like the manager: a no-nonsense guy, always busy, always friendly and really involved in the well-being of his beach club. And this goes for all people around here: they may not be as hip as the handsome girls and pretty boys that may serve you at some of the trendier beach clubs, but they know how to create an atmosphere of friendliness and hospitality.I order the breakfast, my girlfriend orders a pancake. While waiting for the food, which takes a while to arrive, we feed Rihanna Gaga her fruit. Halfway through her portion, she decides she's had enough. She makes this abundantly clear, pulling a face that seems more fitting for an attempt at poisoning when we try to convince her to eat some more. We let her roam the beach club, which is empty, except for a lonely man reading his newspaper on the windy terrace. She heads straight for the fireplace in the middle of the beach club and starts collecting the pebbles that lie on the rim around it. The fire is not on, but she is definitely not allowed to pick up those pebbles and start making a mess, so we correct her. She'll return to the fireplace several times to see if she can get away with playing with the pebbles anyway, but on the whole, I am impressed with how easily she accepts that she is not allowed to do this. Over the last few months, it has become increasingly easier to communicate with her. She remembers things, is capable of expressing wishes and understanding what we want from her. With simple hand gestures, you can now tell her to pick up a ball and bring it to you and she'll understand you. Whether she will do what you tell her is another thing: with understanding a very basic language, she also has gained a basic understanding of naughtiness - and the fun that comes with it.
Breakfast seems quite sober at first: a soft-boiled egg, two slices of cheese, a slice of ham, together with two buns, a croissant, some pre-packaged butter and jam and a cup of tea. For €11,95, that is certainly not as good value for money you'll get at some surrounding beach clubs. Towards the end, however, an ice cold orange juice is brought, which makes it quite acceptable.
Rihanna Gaga forces us to walk around the club again and again - her walking is improving day by day. In fact, when my mother brought her home yesterday, I was amazed at how steady she is now placing her steps. She can even stand upright for several minutes - that is, as long as she doesn't notice herself that she is not holding on to something. The moment she realises this, much like cartoon characters running over a canyon, she will drop. The last few weeks she's been making incredible progress, so much so that when I saw her again after five days, it struck me that she was hardly a baby anymore: she's rapidly becoming a little girl.
We soon leave Veronica: we need to do some shopping, and after that, Rihanna Gaga, still tired from the exciting days with her grandmother and her cousins, will need another na.
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