Scheveningen Beach

A summer's day on the beach at Scheveningen. The tide is slowly pulling out, but no-one takes the trouble of shifting their towels to a more roomy spot. The proximity of one's fellow sunbathers also has its charms. The photograph looks like it's been taken from a plane, but in reality we're gazing down from the pier's striking, sixty metre high lookout tower. The first Scheveningen pier was officially opened in 1901 by Prince Hendrik, and was a wooden construction. It was an open invitation to promenade. These days visitors head for a wide range of attractions designed to make modern life into an experience. Presiding over the beach is the Kurhaus, a grand hotel of distinguished pedigree. Its guests stare dreamily over the endless sea, feeling the silty breeze touch their faces. They listen to the screaming gulls and watch the waves, the endless waves, as they come rolling in. The Pier, too, can tell stories of wind and weather.