City Style and Living - Summer 2008 - (Page 48) HOTElS GUESTHoUSE EdUArd II price per room, breakfast included: 80 € 2 persons, 72€ more than 3 nights Ed. decuyperstraat 11 www.oostende-bedandbreakfast.be HoTEL dIE PrINCE double room, with sea view, buffet breakfast included: 92€ albert 1 promenade 41-42 telephone: 0032-(0)59 70 65 07 www.hotel-dieprince.be Oostende, Belgium A long race track, a white sand beach, fishermen with nets. It sounded like a nice place to visit though we had not planned to go to Oostende. Arriving in the city by train, these vignettes come to life. We take a tram past the Hippodrome Wellington, the crowd is cheering as the horses make their way around the rack. Then, we walk past a royal residence. Oostende has been called the Queen of the Belgian seaside resorts because of its admiration by the Belgian royal family. We are then arrested by the sight of the North Sea. On this day, Oostende is a place full of sunshine, a contrast to the sometimes lugubrious Belgium we have seen on our trip. The sea is far away from the esplanade and we succumb to the inevitable draw of the glistening water. As we approach the water, we see a fisherman hauling in his catch. We stoop down near the fisherman who speaks Flemish and some English. As he pulls the net toward him to gather the fish, we notice that all sorts of sea creatures are caught in the net. We ask what will happen to these creatures and he tells us that this fresh seafood is among the sweetest you will ever taste. He will make a soup 48 | SUMMER 2008 | citystyleandliving.com RESTAURANT rEstauraNt autEuil From 21st of march 2008 till the 22nd of march 2009, enjoy a 4 course dinner at participating restaurants and receive an exclusive artwork plate designed by an international artist. www.auteuil.be with them for dinner. We ask if we can help him take the smallest creatures off the net. One by one, we pull off starfish and miniscule fish, throwing them back into a small stream that weaves its way through the sand toward the water. We stop for lunch at a Greek restaurant near the water and observe the droves of day trippers that have come to this resort town. At a table nearby a family dines with their daughter’s boyfriend. They too are enjoying the day with loud laughter and conversation. As we leave the town to return to Brussels, we are thrilled by the unexpected, humble yet fulfilling seaside city - the Belgian Royals must enjoy the finer things indeed. MARKET ursday is the main market day in Oostende. Fresh produce and a wide range of textiles, perfumes, jewelry and plants are available for sale here hours: Between 7 am and 1 pm www.toerisme-oostende.be “ Conversing with a local fishermEmoraBlE momENt man about his suppertime meal a net full of fresh ly caught seafood.” — By Kailash Maharaj and Shivana Maharaj COURTESY TOERISME OOSTENDE; http://www.oostende-bedandbreakfast.be http://www.hotel-dieprince.be http://www.auteuil.be http://www.toerisme-oostende.be http://citystyleandliving.com
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