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Just a week before I went to the French Riviera I visited a Friend who has a holiday flat in Ostende at the Belgian coast. (I wrote about Ostende here)
Unfortunately it was a cold and windy day in February, so we didn't do a big walk.
Directly in front of the Station is the leisure harbour of Ostend, the big habour where the ferry boats to the UK are anchored is just besides the station.
Unfortunately only very few old typical houses are still standing in the city center,
along the beach they all had been destroyed to make place to high modern buildings with a lot of appartments ! Business before beauty. This makes the seafront really ugly.
Despite the wind there were people walking on the beach
The North sea is always a little grey even when the sun is shining and very grey when it is cloudy.
To keep the kids and also adults busy they can rent a vehicle (picture above) which is called "Cuistax". It exists in all sizes for all ages and for 2, 3, 4 or more persons. Belgium is the only country which builds the "Cuistax" and they are used all along the Belgian coastline. Apparently they have a "copyright" on this kind of vehicle because it doesn't exist in other countries.
Like in the Netherlands the Flemish part of Belgium is flat like a pancake and therefore uses a lot of bicycles as means of transport.
Thanks for the interesting tour around Ostend It is such a shame those beautiful old buildings were bulldozed for ugly "filing cabinet" apartment blocks.
ReplyDeleteWe caught the ferry from Ostend to UK waaaaaay back in 1970. I t was a cold and windy day and the sea was very choppy. I ate a greasy sausage while waiting for the ferry, I threw it up in the middle of the channel. I haven't liked sausages ever since much to Bill's dismay because he loves them.
Interesting sights around.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful place and your pictures are great. I imagine this city is crowded during Summer!
ReplyDeleteLéia
Too bad about the old buildings they are really brautiful!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDelete"Cuistax" you can start selling the, Great for the world. Save power.
ReplyDeleteEverything does look gray there when it cloudy. I do like older building with more character too. It's a pity they get bulldozed almost everywhere to make way for the modern.
ReplyDeleteNever seen a cuistax! Looks like fun for a whole group of people:) Hope that they start preserving more old buildings! The one you posted is well worth it -beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI was there in 2001....so many beautiful memories....
ReplyDeleteBusiness is before beauty or nature in Japan,too.That's too bad.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people can ride on the bicycle? 12persons? It's interesting.
Thank you for sharing your tour.
It's a pity when old buildings are destoyed... Nevertheless the beach is still gorgeous! Oh, and that Cuistax looks like FUN :-)))
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the Cuistax! When I was little, in Greece, we had some bicycle-cars for two people, they were a bit like the Cuistax, but higher and with a canopy. They looked a bit like old fashioned cars, only with pedals. Unfortunately they disappeared by the time I was old enough to ride one :-(
ReplyDeleteThe Cuistax would be the next best thing!