Take in the salt air

Posted: May 8th, 2006 | Filed under: Travel | Tags: amsterdam, black velvet band, burger joints, day trippers, fiddler, football jerseys, fresh fish, mail, photographs, promenade, redfish, seamen, traditionals | Comments Off

Took a ferry from Amsterdam CS to Velsen, and a bus to IJmuiden, in search of photographs and fresh fish.

Ended up on IJmuiden beach and at a fair on the promenade, awash with other day trippers.

Everything was ugly. Cheap ware on sale. Burger joints and football jerseys. People.

A seamen’s choir was murdering Irish traditionals (Fiddler’s Green, Black Velvet Band, translated in Dutch.). Hoompapa, hoompapa.

I picked a restaurant, ordered Redfish, ate and watched the other, mainly elderly, people there.

At the table behind me, a man was telling a story about a woman who had lost control and had let everything go. Couldn’t cope with anything. Hadn’t opened her mail, hadn’t paid any bills, or taxes until she was declared bankrupt.

A nasty scale stuck at the back of my throat. I ran for the bus, but the driver wouldn’t stop.