Papers to sign!

Tomorrow we sign the papers for the apartment.  Hooray!  I also go to one of my schools to pick up mail from the people who register me to teach here.  Hooray!  Also going to inspect a car we may (I repeat - may) buy - an Alfa Romeo 159 wagon in black.  Oh well, maybe not that car, but something.....busy, busy.

After getting home this morning at 1am we had a quiet morning followed by lunch with Isabelle, our local friend, on the beach at Scheveningen.  In the photo you will see us pretending that 10C and sunny with quite a chilly breeze is not freezing our 'whatzits' off.  Food was OK with Rene's smoked eels on toast brilliant, my bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese very nice indeed, but poor old Isabelle was not impressed with her Caesar salad.    The coffees that followed came with a little Easter egg and a 'Baileys' type liqueur.

I walked there and back from home, quite nice, and did some supermarket shopping on my way home.  I took a few pictures of the circa 1930 homes I walk past every day.  The contrast between what was contemporary and also traditional 80 years ago is fascinating.  A beautiful (if dull) neighbourhood.

Someone went to the beach as well for lunch.

There is still another pavilion to be built - the others are all operating. 
Oh, the pier in the background was put on the market today
 and would you believe Rene was interviewed by TV
 regarding what he thought could be done with it, and I was interviewed
for radio at the same time. 
I suggested nobody in their right mind would buy it, even for one euro.
I didn't say (being diplomatic) that the Germans in 1943 had
the right idea and demolished the grand old pier.
It was rebuilt in 1961 and is now really a white elephant.

Isabelle and I both pretending it was not cold.

A three home building from 1932 along the road from here.

Lunch for three - Rene's smoked eel was the very best I had ever tasted.

Large single home on a large block - I don't even want to think how much it's worth.

This is a single house from 1931.

Love the squared off design - very 1929.

Coffee, choc egg, Baileys and water - that's how you serve coffee!

Some clients in 1930 wanted the contemporary look.

This is the upper front section of the same house - has a large curved glass window too - love it!

Four houses built at the same period in 1931 - styles varied according to tastes of the owners.