Traces in the sand - a photo on Flickriver

Traces in the sand

            North Sea and beach at Egmond aan Zee, Noord-Holland (North Holland), Netherlands

Some background information:

Egmond aan Zee is a village of more than 5,000 residents on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, about 9 km (6 miles) west of the city of Alkmaar.

Egmond aan Zee was a separate municipality until 1978, when it merged with Egmond-Binnen and Egmond aan den Hoef to form the new municipality Egmond. In turn, Egmond was amalgamated into Bergen at the beginning of 2001.

Egmond aan Zee as the best-known of the three villages of Egmond was formed in the coastal dunes in 977. Settlers in this area have battled the sea since the first settlements. During the All Saints' Flood of 1570, some 50 houses disappeared into the sea. And in November 1741, the sea swallowed again 36 houses, the church, and its tower.

Apart from being dangerous, the sea also provided the people of Egmond aan Zee food and work, as most of its inhabitants were fishermen. Quite a few sights in Egmond remind one of this; for instance, the "fishermen-houses", which are tiny houses near the sea where fishermen used to live. Another sight is a fishermen monument and the "Prins Hendrik Stichting", a stately building named after a Dutch prince that used to house retired fishermen. The Egmond museum paints a picture of what living in Egmond used to be like.

In contrast Egmond aan den Hoef formed around an abbey in the Middle Ages.  Its reeves were the Lords of Egmond, who also built a castle there. The House of Egmond went extinct in the 17th century and their castle decayed, but today it is still a ruin worth seeing. From April 1636 to September 1638 and again from May 1643 until the end of September 1649, the French philosopher René Descartes, author of Meditations on First Philosophy, lived in both Egmond aan den Hoef and Egmond-Binnen.

However, Egmond aan Zee has been a popular seaside resort since the beginning of the 20th century, when it was well known for its healthy and clear sea air. Children came over to stay in one of the many "koloniehuizen" (in English: "colony houses"), which were sanatorium-like institutions often run by charities and churches. The center of attention in Egmond is certainly the Jan van Speijk Lighthouse, built in 1834 and named after Dutch sea captain Jan van Speijk, who became a hero for his opposition to the Belgian Revolution of 1830.

The rural Dutch villages of Egmond aan Zee, Egmond aan den Hoef, and Egmond Binnen played host to a small artists' colony beginning in 1881 when the American artist George Hitchcock settled there. Walter MacEwen, also American, painted there from 1883 to 1885. Another American, Gari Melchers, arrived in 1884. Melchers continued there for 25 years, recording the people and the rural environment.

Today, Egmond aan Zee is still a popular beach resort nestled in the dunes. The adjacent dune area "Noordhollandse Duinreservaat" is home to many animal species, in particular bird species. Off the coast a great offshore wind farm is located, which comprises 36 wind turbines. The frequent wind also attracts many kite surfers, who can easily be watched from the beach.

Taken in: Nederland / Noord-Holland / Egmond aan Zee (show map)

Taken on: September 9, 2017

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Sets appears in: • Netherlands 2017 • Seasides more » • Summer « less

Groups appears in: • Nederland/The Netherlands • Beside the seaside, besides the sea ... more » • Dutch • European Vacation • Geotagged: Netherlands • Sea and shores • Maritime (anything sea related from all around the globe) • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • Fotografie Nederland • The concept is Europe • Sky glory • Sky Above [Please, NO photos with Moon in it!] « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, f/4.5, 1/1250 sec, 5mm, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
Lens:	5.0-100.0 mm
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1250)
Focal Length:	5mm
ISO:	125
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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