Netherlands: A day on the beach

July 7, 2024July 7, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

My break in the Dutch city of Rotterdam turned into a sun-soaked summer day on the beach.

The city’s metro system extends to Hoek Van Holland Strand, with a new station practically metres from the sea.

This was my first seaside experience in the Netherlands – so how was it? CONTINUES BELOW

Tap/click first image to view gallery

I see a lot of the Irish Sea living in north-west England, so it was good to return to the North Sea coast which was familiar to me growing up in Essex.

Here in the Netherlands there are miles of soft golden sands and blue seas under stellar skies if the weather favours you.

But look in one direction and the industrial heft of Hoek Van Holland port is impossible to ignore. Simply point yourself northwards and forget it’s there.

The seaside is dotted with beach huts and a wealth of relaxed places to eat and drink, creating a Mediterranean vibe.

A scene of visitors to the sands of Hoek Van Holland Strand in the Netherlands.

Dutch beachgoers enjoying a seaside trip

There’s also a naaktstrand (nudist beach) on full display and not furtively hidden away in the dunes.

Sorry! My British sensibilities caused me to surreptitiously glance and snigger in equal measure. I didn’t remove my clothes but respectfully put away my camera as I walked briskly through the naturist zone.

It was a busy Monday on the sunny Dutch beach, similar to the UK but minus our amusement arcades and piers. It felt a little classier and well organised.

It’s just 40 minutes away from the glorious city of Rotterdam – more of that to come soon!

All change

March 6, 2016March 6, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

If you wanted to visit London’s Soho district and the shopping thoroughfare of Oxford Street, you would stop off at Tottenham Court Road station. I’ve used it countless times. In recent years, the station and its neighbourhood have undergone radical change to prepare for the Crossrail scheme, designed to improve the city’s hard-pressed transport system.

The Central and Northern Line Tube station is now spruced up and more spacious than before. It has a modern and industrial feel, with bold, simple graphic designs. The entrance and exits are light, stark temples of glass, while you’ll find the newest Tube signs here.

But change comes at a price – the exits have been repositioned, and emerging from one I was seriously disorientated. The loss of a number of buildings and this new hub means that the familiar old station is no more than a vestige of the past.

This was also the first workout for my new Fuji XF 18-135mm zoom lens, which brought features closer and seemed to beef up my shooting power.

Click first image to view this collection

Commuters’ canopy

November 2, 2013November 2, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

Even if you’re hurrying to catch your train, you can’t fail to notice this sight. A pristine latticed roof and ceiling, a contemporary take on the Victorian canopies that shelter London’s main railway stations.

This is King’s Cross, a place that until recently was shabby, seedy and dodgy after dark. The train station now has a modern, sleek concourse, while the location is being transformed almost beyond recognition.

As for the roof space, it’s even subtly bathed in a lilting pattern of coloured light. I’m glad I came to look and wasn’t rushing to a platform…

Click to enlarge

London on the move

August 17, 2013March 6, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

A vast city like London is a nerve centre, a complex knot of people coming and going, being transported. Its mainline railway stations are beacons of arrivals and departures, passengers flocking to the metropolis or making a swift exit.

These stations have been here for many decades and boast both grand Victorian and contemporary architecture. Today, the paraphernalia of travel is common, including the ticket barriers, platforms and trains.

Hanging back, observing and photographing the body and life of the London rail station is a pleasure. But for me there remains work to do – I’ve studied Waterloo, Victoria and St Pancras International, but have yet to visit Euston, King’s Cross and Liverpool Street to the city’s east, which has always been my escape route from the capital – and that point of return.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

Victoria

Waterloo

St Pancras International

Victoria

St Pancras International

Waterloo

Victoria

St Pancras International

Waterloo

Victoria

Waterloo

See also:

Waterloo snapshot

Victoria afternoon

St Pancras views

Victoria afternoon

July 6, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 18 Comments

Victoria station is an important hub in London’s complicated knot of a transport system. You come here if you want to travel to the south of England, including the seaside resort of Brighton and Gatwick, the city’s second international airport.

I spent some time here on a weekend afternoon, travelling nowhere but simply watching other people travel and taking in the imposing Victorian shell of this railway station.

There were moments to capture the human hustle and bustle of this place and take a spot next to Platform Four, discovering mirror images and the ebb and flow of the ubiquitous ticket barrier. And another page in the London Album.