Back to childhood: a return trip to the North Sea island of Texel

By Christoph Driessen Aug 31, 2010, 10:50 GMT

Texel, the Netherlands - Returning to an old childhood holiday destination can be exciting but it can also be disappointing. Christoph Driessen did just that and went back to the Dutch island of Texel in the North Sea 25 years after he was last there.

There it is again: the cry of seagulls circling above the deck of the ferry. That memory was hidden for a quarter of a century but it has returned now. Seagulls were always harbingers of a holiday on Texel.

Every year from 1969 our family made the journey from Den Helder on the mainland to the largest of the Frisian Islands, Texel. It was our island, familiar to us in every way. Arrivals on Texel were greeted by salty gusts of wind or a moist breeze. After unpacking our bags the first thing we would do is wander through the sand dunes to the beach. There was always a competition to see who could reach the dunes first to see the North Sea from the ridge.

There was also great excitement in discovering if it was high or low tide. At low tide we would trudge through the lightly rippled, sandy sea floor. It could be as hard as stone but sometimes so soft your feet would sink into the sand.

At high tide the waves would throw up seaweed and tar, jelly fish, foam and rope onto the beach. We would march down to the coast like freshly hatched turtles and watch with never-ending hope for a message in a bottle. When the water went out, the fresh untouched seabed would stretch before us.

There were also days when the North Sea would play at being the Mediterranean and was calm. The air would shimmer and the sea had a soft, silky shine. Our sun brolly would throw sharp-edged shadows onto the glowing sand and no day at the beach was complete without ice cream and French fries.

The beach snack bars -- or pavilions as they are called in Holland -- still sell French fries below fluttering red, white and blue flags. The soundtrack to Texel has not changed over the years: bare feet walking on wooden planks, the crash of cutlery and plates, laughter and snippets of conversations.

A handsome young man used to waiter at pavilion 'Paal 9' on Hoornderslag. He was especially skilful at balancing a tray laden with 'koffie en appelgebak' while gracefully moving through the crowded tables. That man is still there, now in his mid-40s. The pavilion became his life.

When you travel repeatedly to the same holiday destination it is hard to remember individual visits. Certain repeated experiences burn themselves into your memory: the soft ground in the pine tree wood, the crackle sound while walking along a path of crushed mussel shells. A wave crashing against rocks forcing a flock of seagulls to fly upwards in the silvery light of the evening or soaking already wet legs, rained on while riding a bicycle to the lighthouse. But nothing is more present in my mind than the smell of the gas stove in our holiday home. Most people find it unpleasant but right to this day I associate it with going on holiday.

No-one who takes a trip into the past wants to encounter surprises because the journey is about re-experiencing beloved habits. Turning a corner is always followed by a 'Do you remember..?' Naturally the passage of 25 years have left their mark on the island. The main tourist centre De Koog was a dreamy spot with postcard beaches but today it is dominated by bars and nightclubs.

A few things, however, have changed for the better. Perhaps the biggest attraction Texel has to offer today did not exist in the past: observation tours in trawlers that head out from the fishing port of Oudeschild to the seal banks.

An ideal day for visiting the seals is a still summer day with warm temperatures. On those days Common Seals loll about like overweight holidaymakers and the Grey Seals raise their snouts out of the sea. On the return leg a few prawns are quickly caught and shared out between the passengers.