A day at the beach...

Ray and I decided to take a drive out to the coast of Belgium, so on Saturday, April 12, we headed out on a 1-1/2 hour drive (which took only 1 hour w/Ray behind the wheel) to savvy Knokke-Heist. Close to the Netherlands border, this beach town is known for its high end shops, members-only casino (shucks), and beautiful villas owned by affluent Belgians.

Our first stop was lunch at Marie Siska's. I read on an on-line post that this was a good restaurant to take the kids, and when we arrived, we found out why. Our first impression of this inn/restaurant was that it looked like a very nice place and "are you sure this is a kid-friendly restaurant?" As we pulled into the parking lot, we then saw the huge playground in the back. Most playgrounds in Europe are a child's paradise and different from those in the U.S., and this was no exception. If you look at the corresponding slide show, you will see what I mean. It is just very surprising to see this at a restaurant. In addition, the restaurant boasts an inside play area as well. All this and a somewhat elegant atmosphere! And to top it off, the food was delish! Although it was expensive, the whole family enjoyed their meals and the kids had an incredible time. After our lunch, we all spent time playing in the playground.

After coaxing the girls out of Marie Siska's, we drove out to the beach. It was not perfect beach weather since it was drizzling off and on. Still, the boardwalk was busy with couples young and old taking a stroll, families on "bike-cars" and kids on rented "trikes" scurrying about. It was off-season, so the beach itself was pretty empty. It's a far-cry from the usually crowded summers here. We stopped to help the girls collect some unusual shells. Then, while PS wasn't looking, DS and mommy sneaked in some ice-cream (Ben and Jerry's!) and a waffle.