Beach bummed

As of June 21, summer has officially arrived. You'll have to excuse me for not blogging about it earlier, because it's been pretty hard to get all worked up about it when it's been gray and rainy for the first two weeks of the season. 

I check the weather forecast obsessively (being appropriately dressed for the weather can spell the difference between bliss and misery), and after the seemingly unending doom and gloom, I was ecstatic to see sunshine and 27℃ forecast for last Monday... the hottest it's been all year!

I've been reading about Amsterdam's city beaches, which are basically man-made patches of sand strewn around the city. Now Amsterdam's not by the sea, so the "beaches" are actually beside canals and rivers, thereby satisfying the basic beach requirements of sand and water. But others, like Strand Zuid, have no sand at all... and the "beach" on top of the NEMO building has sand but no water! 

Coming from a country of beaches (without the quotation marks), I found this all very... curious. Apparently, the city beaches are intended to give people without the time (or money) to go on vacation the chance to still enjoy summer at the beach. And with the weather being so changeable from day to day all the time, planning a proper seaside vacation can really be iffy. That I can definitely relate with. So I figured: why not give the urban beach a try? 

Bright and early Monday... uh, afternoon, I hopped on a tram to Centraal Station, then on the tram 26 to the man-made island of IJburg, which is the next big up-and-coming residential development. 

IJburg and the other nearby islands definitely deserve their own walkabout/photo safari. Being new and man-made, the islands feature modern city architecture vastly different from what you'll find in Amsterdam. Definitely interesting, but what I saw reminds me too much of our Asian megapolises. If I wanted brand spanking new and cemented, I would just go home... or back to Singapore. I like the greenness, narrow streets and history of Amsterdam too much to move out here. But who knows, the still-low property prices of IJburg may make me eat my words some day.

On that island is Blijburg, which from everything I've read so far is hailed as Amsterdam's best city beach. A "nomadic" beach that has changed addresses several times, Blijburg came into being as a by-product of the construction of the island and its buildings, and will continue to relocate until the construction of IJburg is completed.

I've read a lot of things about Blijburg's "great vibe", which actually made me look forward to getting there. So apparently, "great vibe" means "transplanted from a backpacker's memories of the 6 months they spent bumming around Southeast Asia (mostly Thailand). Quaint little beach shacks? Check. Fluttering neon-colored pennants? Check. Zen-inspired chillout bar? Check. Oversized Buddhas? Check, check, check... six times over.

So, let's talk about the beach.

Mga tsong at tsang, nagpunta ako dito para sa beach, ngunit ako'y nabigo. Walang beach. Walang dagat. Walang buhangin. Siya'y semento na pinagdidikdik at tinambak sa tabing-ilog. Nalungkot talaga ako.

I felt like doing a Nora Aunor in Himala. "Wala! Walang beach! Nasa tao ang beach!" Kasi, mga friends, enjoy na enjoy na talaga sila dito. Siguro kung may "great vibe" nga ang tambakang ito, dahil lang sa mga tao. Wa sila care na nakahiga sila sa buhangin na gagawin lang panambak sa atin. At dahil bawal lumangoy, talagang pahiga-higa lang sila lahat. 


Este, kami pala. Nakalimutan ko, kabilang na pala ako sa hanay ng mga desperado.



Bawal lumangoy. Pwedeng magtampisaw sa isang mababaw na cordoned-off area, pero di ko maatim tanggalin ang aking tsinelas at umapak sa buhangin. Lalo na't lahat ng nakikita kong bumabalik galing sa tubig, putikan ang paa. Eeeew! Sorry, ang arte ko. Feeling ko 5 years old ako ulit na nandidiri sa buhangin.

To paraphrase the timeless camp classic, Temptation Island: Walang dagat. Walang buhangin! Magpaitim na lang tayo! Pero hindi puwede ang basta-bastang hilata. Talagang pinilit kong isiksik ang bawat bahagi ng katawan ko sa tuwalya. Ingat na ingat nga lang ako sa pag-ikot-ikot, at di ko talaga maatim sumagi ang siko o hita ko sa buhangin.

Mabuti na lang at maya't maya ako dinadapuan ng mga ladybugs. Yun lang talaga ang kinatuwaan ko sa nagpapanggap na beach na 'to. Diba ang cute?

Blijburg is just a few minutes from Marlon's office, so he dropped by to pick me up after work. Before leaving the office, he texted me: "How's the beach?" I was stumped, and thought for a long while. "You have to come here. We need to share this," I finally replied. 

"Sabi na nga ba eh. Your message said it all," Marlon said by way of greeting, as he eyed the beach and came over to me, gingerly stepping around the bodies of alarmingly lobster-skinned sun-worshippers. There are times when having someone to speak to in Tagalog is really such a blessed relief. This was one of them. "Diba?!?" I finally exploded. "Diba di siya pang-beach, pang-construction siya?!? Panggawa ng semento?!?" Marlon, whose dad is an engineer and contractor, burst out laughing and said: "Mas maganda pa yung buhangin na ginagamit ng dad ko sa construction. Hindi 'to papasa!" 

So there we have it, mga tsong at tsang. I just had to find out what this whole city beach thing was about. And I, er... I guess I did! The next time it gets this hot in Amsterdam, I'm hopping on a train to a real seaside beach. No sense in letting myself get beach bummed again!

Bergen aan Zee

Marlon had Thursday and Friday off the week we got back from Paris (they celebrate the Ascension here, who knew?). So it seemed like a good idea to squeeze in a quick getaway to the beach. We picked Bergen aan Zee, a seaside town a short train and bus ride from Amsterdam, and booked an overnight stay at a small hotel in town.

By the time I got back from Paris, I was so wiped out from keeping up with the Glee Club (and Mimi, and the frenetic city itself) that packing for another trip and getting on another train was the last thing I wanted to do. If we hadn't already pre-paid for the hotel, I would have happily skipped this trip. But because we'd already spent the money, we decided to go anyway, leaving after lunch on Thursday. 

Bergen is a picturesque town with a relaxed vibe, and markedly upscale as I could see from its restaurants and boutiques. It's full of old, pretty one- or two-story houses like these. 

To get to the beach from our hotel in the center of town, Marlon and I would have to cycle some 4 kilometers... which would have been fine and dandy with me if we didn't run into the problem I always seem to have in Holland. Which is finding a suitably me-sized bicycle.

With no children's bikes available at the hotel and the only bike rental closed for the Ascension holiday, there was nothing left to do except strap our beach blanket onto the rear rack of Marlon's rented bike, hop on, and cling to my huffing and puffing husband for the next 4 kilometers. The bike ninjas of the Netherlands may scoff at this mileage, but for two relative noobs like us, it was no joke. If I ever had any doubts about Marlon's love for me, he sure proved it with this bike ride. 

Still, it was a beautiful day and a pretty ride. We passed some huge and stunning summer homes, no doubt belonging to obscenely wealthy residents. Tall, lush green trees lined the bike path, cooling and shading us on the way.

I'm beginning to get used to the look of Dutch beaches: grassy dunes overlooking long expanses of sand and shallows. But in Bergen, I saw these for the first time, rows and rows of them harboring sun loungers and stretching for miles along the beach.

I don't know what they're called, aside from advertising space. But when the staff at the beach restaurants started packing these up at 6pm, it became all too clear what their function was: to block the wind. Which was damn strong. And cold.  Marlon and I didn't last longer than 15 minutes on the beach without them. Mapapamura ka sa lamig!

Searching for shelter from the wind, I was drawn to these bright yellow wicker cabins for rent. 

They're sort of like big rectangular boxes with cushions, armrests wide enough to hold drinks and small plates, and large drawers underneath for your beach stuff. Most importantly, they make an excellent barrier against the wind.

The colorful lining inside makes for pretty pictures too!

After we'd had enough of huddling (and cuddling) against the wind, we decided to bike back to town before it got too dark. Poor Marlon was so tired that we ended up walking a full third of the way back. After a surprisingly good dinner in the center of town, it was back to our little (and I mean really little) room at the Hotel Marijke.

I thought the trip would tire me out, but our quick seaside jaunt recharged my batteries. Then again, I wasn't the one who had to pedal away with my extra weight. Maybe I need to ask Marlon how he felt about the trip! I'd love to go back to Bergen, though. And next time, I'm bringing my bike on the train.

5 days, 7 beaches

Warning: you may experience beach overload!

With five full days in the Algarve and 22℃-25℃ temperatures forecast for most of our stay, I had made beach-hopping our top priority. On the southern coast of Portugal facing the Atlantic Ocean, the Algarve is blessed with over 150 beaches. And they. Are. STUNNING. 

After having seen seven of them (and not even the ones the guidebooks say are "unspoiled" and "paradise"), I must admit my braggart's pride in our Philippine beaches was taken down a few notches. I'll speak a little more humbly about them from now on, knowing that there are beaches like this in the world! 

As I've mentioned before, our warm waters and year-round beach weather is probably all we've got over beaches like these. Because stunning rocky cliffs, crashing waves and endless stretches of golden sand aside, the water was ice cold. I got used to it by our third or fourth day and was even frolicking in earnest by our last morning. I'll say one thing about the Atlantic Ocean... it sure ain't the Pacific!

I loved all of the seven beaches we managed to visit, though I liked some more than others. Here's the rundown:

1) Praia da Rocha in Portimao was the very first beach we saw, on Easter Sunday. I'd forgotten my suit in the little town of Estombar where we were staying, a 30-minute drive away, so we'd had to double back. Then we got really hungry and detoured for lunch, after which followed a long fight for parking that made both of us impatient and cranky. When we finally came up to the edge of the cliff and saw Praia da Rocha for the first time, I almost fell to my knees.

I mean, seriously. How gorgeous is this beach?

We excitedly made our way down a long flight of cement steps to the beach, which was filled with Portuguese families and English retirees alike, hanging out in little beach bars, sprawled out on the golden sand, or cooling off under the shade of the many huge rock formations on the beach, like this one.

Yes, that's me in my Winner Retro Bathing Suit #1. I would never have posted this photo if I didn't love this bathing suit so freaking much. I got it on a last-minute shopping spree, literally less than an hour before I left for the airport, at a vintage store on the Prinsengracht. It reminds me of Liz Taylor and fits uber perfectly! 

2) Meia Praia in Lagos, one of the biggest bays in Europe, was our destination for Day 2.

This is Boracay-level sand we're talking about... and there's a 4-kilometer expanse of it.

It's gorgeous, but there's not much to see except endless sand (mala-desiyerto) and the white buildings of Lagos and Alvor (the neighboring town) shimmering in the distance.

And you can also see a little bit of Winner Retro Bathing Suit #2 ;)

3) Ponta de Piedade in Costa d'Oiro near Lagos is not strictly a beach, but for breathtaking sea views, this tops the list. An old lighthouse is perched on top of a range of cliffs that rise up to 20 meters (over 65 feet) out of the ocean.

Standing at this lookout point, you can feast your eyes on a spectacular, nearly 360-degree view of the ocean and cliffs.

While we were enjoying the view, this little old man with a fishing rod started walking down the edge of the cliffs to the ocean. The path is steep and rocky, and probably no more than three or four feet wide. Can you spot the super lolo?

You can also take a very long flight of stairs down to the Grottoes, where you can hire a boat and explore all the sea caves and rock formations along this part of the coast. It seemed like a fun prospect, but I didn't want to deal with all the steps coming back up.

Besides, I had already set my sights on a nearby target...

4) Praia do Camilo is a small, sandy cove five minutes from the Ponta de Piedade. We drove by on the way to the lighthouse, liked what we saw... and vowed to come right back. "Let's just run and take a quick look at the lighthouse, then get back here asap," I remember agreeing with Marlon. Hah! Ponta de Piedade was definitely more than a quick look. But we did end up coming back to this tiny cove.

You can walk from end to end in less than two minutes (and I have short legs). So we crossed the rocks at the end of the beach...

And ended up in another small sandy hideaway sheltered by the cliffs.

We found a natural sinkhole, far prettier and much less freaky than the big ones in the news...

And a cave whose mouth framed the beach perfectly.

Great things can come in small packages. Praia do Camilo remains one of my favorite beaches of the whole trip.

5) Praia da Falesia in Albufeira was our most convenient beach trip. We simply had to take an elevator from the garden in the Sheraton Algarve, where we stayed (thanks, Ate!) and take the resort-made boardwalk to the beach.

We saw lots of windswept (and I mean windswept) pines and other trees along the way.

Here, we were pampered with shaded loungers and towel service. And I thought we'd left our life of luxury behind in Singapore! It was definitely a nice change.

It was a long stretch of beach, like Praia da Rocha but without the rocks. 

6) Praia do Tunel in Albufeira is just a short walk from the narrow alleys of the old town and the main tourist hub which is the praca (plaza).

This was the most unique beach walk for me. You stroll along a long, whitewashed promenade lining the cliffs, until you get to the very end of the bay and are rewarded with this panorama.

There's also an elevator that goes right down to the beach. Marlon and I decided to skip the sun-worshipping that day and just headed back to the old town after soaking up the view.

7) Praia Sao Rafael between Sesmarias and Albufeira was our last beach before we bid the Algarve goodbye. It's located in what seemed to be an affluent neighborhood, so it had its own resort-quality paved parking lot, beach bar, shower and toilet facilities, and even its own logo. 

It was also small and cozy, like Praia do Camilo. Marlon and I had decided that these small coves were more to our liking. Somehow they end up having more to see and explore... more character.

By this time I had already gotten used to the icy waters of the Atlantic, so this was the beach I enjoyed the most. Huge crashing waves can be fun!

If I can only keep coming back to beaches like these, maybe I won't miss home too much! ;)

The trip that almost never was

Our trip to the Algarve, Portugal was never supposed to happen. Two months ago, Marlon and I had booked an Easter trip to Istanbul and were super duper excited about it. Then, a week before we were set to fly, I got a text from my sister:

"How long did it take you to get your Turkish visa?"

Wait a minute. VISA?!?!?

Surprise surprise! Turkey is not on the list of Schengen states, as I had so wrongly assumed. I can't blame the Filipino passport curse for this, though—I really should have double-checked. After a midnight panic-fueled flurry of surfing, Marlon and I decided that the easiest thing to do would be to rebook the Istanbul flight to October (making it a birthday getaway instead) and find a new place to go. Just a week before Easter, this was not the easiest thing to do as prices were high and most accommodations were fully booked.

We decided on Faro in the Algarve region of Portugal because a) we found relatively affordable flights leaving Black Saturday, b) accommodations at some top-rated places on Tripadvisor were still available, and c) Portugal is the home of peri-peri chicken, which we first fell in love with at Nando's in Singapore (it's a South African franchise though). Other than that, we didn't know much about the Algarve, except that it was a coastal region in the south of Portugal, with tons of beaches on the Atlantic Ocean.

Definitely sounded better than showing up in Istanbul without a visa! It turned out to be a fabulous decision. Our five days in the Algarve were simply made of awesomeness. Well, save for one really bad tourist lunch....

And the decisions upon decisions we had to make! The Algarve offers such an overwhelming array of options that we were constantly agonizing over where to go and what to do. Did we want to:

Hit one of the Algarve's 150+ beaches (!!!) and enjoy some sun?

See Moorish castles and forts?

Explore the colorful alleys of some pretty old town?

Enjoy a scenic drive?

Head up to the mountains for some cool air and gorgeous views?

Spend an entire morning lazing around in our hotel room? (Thanks to my sister for her Starwood points!)

Hunt down some hard-to-find hole in the wall with the promise of great local cuisine?

As you can tell from this random sampling of photos, Marlon and I were practically paralyzed every morning trying to decide on an itinerary for the day, then going back and forth and changing our minds every few hours. But that's not such a bad problem to have, as far as vacation problems go!

Bloemendaal

Somehow, between my sister's visit and our Easter trip to Portugal, I managed to squeeze in a day at the beach with Leigh, a new friend from the Amsterdam girls' Meetup group I joined. On a particularly warm day (24℃... yes I know, how things have changed!) I hopped on a bus to Leigh's place in Bad Hoevedorp, a town near Haarlem and Sloten. It looks far on the map, but turned out to be just 20 minutes by bus from Museumplein.

At Leigh's place, I saw how much space you can get living outside of the city (it's pretty, but I'm happy where I am!) and met her adorable (and huge!) pets.

Then we took her car for a 30-minute drive (where we almost ran out of gas!) to Zaandvoort a.k.a. The Beach, where apparently everyone and his mother goes on a sunny weekend. At the Anne Frank House, I even saw pictures of Anne Frank and her family in their beachwear at Zaandvoort back in the 1930s!

We opted to go to Bloemendaal, the "posher" stretch of beach beside Zaandvoort, passing huge mansions on the way. Apparently the only reason it's posher is because of all these chillax-chic beach bars on the dunes...

... which were a nice enough place to enjoy lunch and a girly gabfest. I still have to get used to sandwiches and salads as beach food, though.

So, this is the beach. It fulfills the two basic requirements: sand and sea. It gets positively scorching up on the dunes, but closer to the shoreline, the sea breeze kicks in and cools you right off. Speaking of cooling off: don't even think of going into the water, at least not in April... unless you want to die of hypothermia. No matter how warm it is on land, that North Sea means business. Toto, we're not in the South China Sea anymore.

With swimming out of the picture, it was nice to just tan on the sand and enjoy a chat with a new friend. Leigh is from South Africa, and it was unbelievable how many commonalities our countries share: from stunning natural beauty to visa woes to everyday tales of crime and corruption that the Dutch we've met simply find impossible to comprehend.

Q: Mahangin ba sa labas? A: Sa tingin mo?

If I'd come straight here from the Philippines without being exposed to the sadness that is Sentosa, I would have scoffed at this beach. But the stretch of sand is wide and clean, and it's near enough to get to in a pinch. I definitely wouldn't mind doing again, especially with lots of sunshine and good friends!