Billie Stormzy, his big sister Rihanna Gaga and I are leaving the house early, when temperatures are still bearable. The plan is to have breakfast at Strandtent Solbeach, then go for a swim before it's time for Billie Stormzy's afternoon nap. My partner will join us later for a swim, skipping the breakfast. Although there are plenty of beach clubs with small playgrounds, Sol Beach is the place to go to spend some time with the kids. It boasts a large playing area with a bouncing castle and other playthings. Around it, there are couches and low tables for the parents to sip their lattes or rosés while their children play. I was once told - although you certainly shouldn't always pay attention to the gossip and rumours flying around in Scheveningen - that the playground is not part of the beach club proper, and that Sol Beach happily pays the fine for having it every year, since that fine is a mere investment, considering the revenue it yields.
This early in the morning, there's still plenty of space - although it is already rather busy - and we're free to pick a place. "In the shade!" Rihanna Gaga demands, which seems like a good idea indeed. Despite the hour, the sun is already strong. She also reminds me I need to put sunscreen on her and Billie Stormzy before they can go off and play. After I've done so, they're quickly gone. Billie Stormzy crawls all around the playing area, which is on the beach, and he seems to enjoy rolling around in the sand. When he returns a while later, his entire face is covered in sand that sticks to the sunscreen.
This early in the morning, there's still plenty of space - although it is already rather busy - and we're free to pick a place. "In the shade!" Rihanna Gaga demands, which seems like a good idea indeed. Despite the hour, the sun is already strong. She also reminds me I need to put sunscreen on her and Billie Stormzy before they can go off and play. After I've done so, they're quickly gone. Billie Stormzy crawls all around the playing area, which is on the beach, and he seems to enjoy rolling around in the sand. When he returns a while later, his entire face is covered in sand that sticks to the sunscreen.
There is just so much to do, so much to climb - although he can't yet walk, Billie Stormzy is already an expert at climbing things, especially the more dangerous ones - so much to look at, and so much to take hold of. This is probably what his personal idea of heaven must look like. There's the beach, which he loves, there's a playground, which he also loves, and there's his sister who checks on him every once in a while.
As far as I understand, Sol Beach has two managers, both bald, both often running around its sprawling terraces bare chested, one more serious, often looking slightly worried, the other more cheerful and bouncy. One of them - the cheerful one - comes by to take my order. I take the Sol Beach set breakfast, and American Pancakes for Rihanna Gaga. He asks what kind of coffee I want with my breakfast - the menu says 'coffee or tea', but apparently I look so foggy that he assumes I must want a coffe. I prefer tea, though, and maybe later a strong coffe. As more and more patrons arrive, the other manager - as bare chested as his colleague - is leading his team in preparations for the rest of the day. I like the buzz of the behind-the-scenes of the Scheveningen beach clubs. It must be terribly hard work when the season is in full swing, especially in these busier parts of the boulevard, and making it all run like clockwork - and few beach clubs run as much like clockwork as Sol Beach does, it really being one of the more popular and busy places at the boulevard, both among tourists and locals.
As far as I understand, Sol Beach has two managers, both bald, both often running around its sprawling terraces bare chested, one more serious, often looking slightly worried, the other more cheerful and bouncy. One of them - the cheerful one - comes by to take my order. I take the Sol Beach set breakfast, and American Pancakes for Rihanna Gaga. He asks what kind of coffee I want with my breakfast - the menu says 'coffee or tea', but apparently I look so foggy that he assumes I must want a coffe. I prefer tea, though, and maybe later a strong coffe. As more and more patrons arrive, the other manager - as bare chested as his colleague - is leading his team in preparations for the rest of the day. I like the buzz of the behind-the-scenes of the Scheveningen beach clubs. It must be terribly hard work when the season is in full swing, especially in these busier parts of the boulevard, and making it all run like clockwork - and few beach clubs run as much like clockwork as Sol Beach does, it really being one of the more popular and busy places at the boulevard, both among tourists and locals.
The breakfast is excellent value for money when compared with what other beach clubs around here offer for a similar price, because it is more measured and contains more than the alternative at other beach clubs. It comes with two drinks (orange juice and coffee or tea) a small cup with thick, tasty yoghurt, muesli and fruit, as well as two slices of bread, a large croissant, a slice of ham and a slice of cheese, a boiled egg and some sweet spreads for the bread. The pancakes take a bit longer to arrive, and Rihanna Gaga picks a small plastic container with nutella from my plate to scoop it up with a teaspoon. I let her, despite the decision, taking recently when it was discovered she has a few holes in her back teeth, that she's going to cut down on sweets.
I eat my breakfast while Rihanna Gaga and Billie Stormzy continue to play. When her pancakes are brought, Rihanna Gaga returns and Billie Stormzy follows his big sister. He stands up straight next to the couch we're sitting on and I give him some orange juice. He still finds it difficult to drink straight from a cup, but he does enjoy what it contains. I let him and his big sister share the juice and sip my tea in the meantime. By some stupid mistake - I thought I put in a bag of English breakfast from the selection the waiter put on my table, but really took rooibos - I don't really enjoy my tea, but I do enjoy the breakfast. More and more families are arriving, and Sol Beach there's a nice atmosphere now. Sol Beach has a bit of a Latin theme going on, with mostly yellow and red colours.
When I've finished my breakfast, I prepare a bottle of milk for Billie Stormzy, but discover some porridge has ended up in the powdered milk we keep in our bag with baby stuff. As a result, the milk is not really coming through the pacifier, so I take a knife and make its hole a bit bigger. He then drinks the bottle to the end, although he keeps turning his head out of curiousity, trying to see where the different noises he hears come from.
After he's done, he's off to the playground again. His sister helps him to climb a small slide, after which he slides down it on his belly, landing face first in the send. He clearly doesn't mind, however, immediately crawling back to the ladder to have another go. Rihanna Gaga is much amused by his persistence. I order a strong latte macchiato and relax while they continue to play. I brought a book, but don't feel much like reading. Instead, I do some people watching: 'reading' family dynamics at a Scheveniningen beach club can be as much fun as reading words, and since my current read is a rather tough book on the history of Western music, I feel more like the first than the latter. Not much later my partner arrives and I finish my latte. I pay and we're off to the sea.
I eat my breakfast while Rihanna Gaga and Billie Stormzy continue to play. When her pancakes are brought, Rihanna Gaga returns and Billie Stormzy follows his big sister. He stands up straight next to the couch we're sitting on and I give him some orange juice. He still finds it difficult to drink straight from a cup, but he does enjoy what it contains. I let him and his big sister share the juice and sip my tea in the meantime. By some stupid mistake - I thought I put in a bag of English breakfast from the selection the waiter put on my table, but really took rooibos - I don't really enjoy my tea, but I do enjoy the breakfast. More and more families are arriving, and Sol Beach there's a nice atmosphere now. Sol Beach has a bit of a Latin theme going on, with mostly yellow and red colours.
When I've finished my breakfast, I prepare a bottle of milk for Billie Stormzy, but discover some porridge has ended up in the powdered milk we keep in our bag with baby stuff. As a result, the milk is not really coming through the pacifier, so I take a knife and make its hole a bit bigger. He then drinks the bottle to the end, although he keeps turning his head out of curiousity, trying to see where the different noises he hears come from.
After he's done, he's off to the playground again. His sister helps him to climb a small slide, after which he slides down it on his belly, landing face first in the send. He clearly doesn't mind, however, immediately crawling back to the ladder to have another go. Rihanna Gaga is much amused by his persistence. I order a strong latte macchiato and relax while they continue to play. I brought a book, but don't feel much like reading. Instead, I do some people watching: 'reading' family dynamics at a Scheveniningen beach club can be as much fun as reading words, and since my current read is a rather tough book on the history of Western music, I feel more like the first than the latter. Not much later my partner arrives and I finish my latte. I pay and we're off to the sea.
Also on Breakfast at the Beach: Jump back in time to when Rihanna Gaga and I visited this place in 2014
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