Oase Beachclub

When we arrive at Oase Beachclub, a friendly waiter opens the door for us. It's what I remember from earlier visits: this place takes hospitality seriously. Once we've settled, another waiter quickly appears and welcomes the "gentleman and two ladies". My daughter is quick to correct him: it's a lady and two gentlemen, but Billie Stormzy often gets mistaken for a girl because of his long, curly hair. I order a tea for myself, an orange juice for Billie Stormzy and water for his sister. The kids are eager to go outside again, to play in the plastic playhouses placed in front of the beach clubs, but I ask my daughter to wait until the menu is brought, so she can choose. 

There's a set breakfast for €16 on the menu, but there is no description. I decide to take a chance and order it. My daughter orders American pancakes (€11) and I assume that between my breakfast and her pancakes, there'll be enough for Billie Stormzy, too. Off they go, to play, and I stay behind, half keeping an eye on them outside, and half reading a bit in my book: a Pet Shop Boys tour diary from the late eighties that has been keeping me entertained for a few days now - more so than you'd expect because it's remarkably well written, almost like anthropological field notes. 

The drinks are brought and Billie Stormzy drops by for some orange juice. He spills rather a lot, so I take him on my lap to drink some more. Then, he's gone again to join his sister outside. The weather is chilly, the sky is grey and every once in a while there's even a few raindrops. It's been a cold, wet summer for most of the time, with lots of storms as well. 

Once the breakfast is brought, I discover it's a meat lovers' delight and consists mostly of slices all kinds of ham, chicken and sausage, as well as bacon and eggs, together with different types of bread to put them on. The American pancakes come with generous amounts of different berries. I call in the kids and his big sister shares generous amounts of her pancakes with Billie Stormzy, as well as those berries he likes. Luckily for her, after one and a half pancake, his attention shifts to my bacon and eggs, of which he eats quite a chunk, and finally he has bits of  bread and butter. His big sister, in the meantime, has finished her pancakes and takes possession of the package of strawberry jam and another with sprinkles that came with my breakfast - the only two things, except for a slice of cheese, that isn't meat. She also takes a few breadrolls and some butter to put this on.

 Once the food is done, the kids are off again. I sip my tea, listen to the music - mostly late nineties lounge music of the kind that the French band Air was once famous for -  and read some more. Oase is smaller than I remember, but cozy, with lots of knitted and wicker lamps - beige, grey and white are the dominant shades. Outside, Billie Stormzy and his sister are being cute, playing together and exchanging cuddles and kisses. Whatever she does, he wants to do as well, and they spend a long time chasing each other, running over Oase's terrace, laughing and shouting to each other. 

The bulding of the beach club is smaller than I remember, but I discover why this is when I pay and discuss how the season is going with the waiter. The weather isn't very nice, he tells me, and that of course means less customers. And the season started off really bad for them, when the whole beach club burned down in February - I vaguely remember this from the news back then, and he shows me some pictures of an apocalyptic fire. He tells me the insurance company is being difficult and that in general, this is not a very good year for them, which I can imagine. I wish him good luck, then call the kids. It's time to go home again.  

Also on Breakfast at the Beach: Jump back in time to when I visited this place with Rihanna Gaga in 2017