New Year Getaway to Texel

We decided at the last minute to get away for New Year to the island of Texel.  We were in two minds as we weren't sure how bored the kids would be and how much we would be stuck indoors with bad weather, but we were bored at home on the holidays anyway and just needed a change of scenery.  We set off with great excitement and of course had to stop at the new Starbucks on the way to Utrecht.  It has been two years since my last starbuck.  How I cope I don't know.

It was only about 2.5 hours drive to Den Helder where we caught the ferry across to Texel.  Just amazing to think there are beautiful islands so close to home.  The ferry was really quick - only 20 minutes.

Well we had a lovely time.  Kids were happy with new ds games that they had got for christmas and they let us sleep in a bit every day.  We then had lazy mornings making bacon and egg or pancakes etc.  By the time we got out the house it was generally lunch time and we then headed out to walk on the beach or dunes.  The beaches are gorgeous and clean with white sand stretching for empty miles.  Quite a few dog walkers and couples about, not that many people with kids.

We had a lovely fish and chip early dinner/late lunch at a beautiful restuarant next to a lighthouse on a very blowy day and afterwards we braved the beach.  Well at this point it was dusk and getting dark.  The wind was blowing white sand over the darker sand and it created an optical illusion that the sand in front of us was undulating...very wierd.  The kids were running and shouting and enjoying themselves.  Walking back to the car we had sand whipping in our faces which wasn't so great and we had to all hold onto one another with the kids behind us to shield them, but the whole experience was exhilirating.

We also walked on another windy day and had sea foam blowing all over the show with the kids chasing around after that.  On another day we walked in the dunes as the wind made the beach impossible.  The dunes are gorgeous with lots of grasses and brown heather.

We went to a museum called the Scipbreuk en Jutters Museum, where there is a collection of all things that have washed up on the beach which was just fascinating.  Will put some photos on soon.  We also visited an aquarium and sea otter rescue centre called Ecomare.  With both these outings we were pleasantly surprised at how good they were - we were expecting something thrown together and not really worthy of tourists, but really worth a see.  At Exomare there is a "kids walk" which is about 1km and has activities for them, eg. hide in a hole in the ground, can you run as fast as a pheasant etc.

Every night we lit a fire in the fireplace and played games, did puzzles or read books.

All in all, a holiday to repeat - fresh air, exercise and beautiful scenery.