The North Sea. Day two.

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So I have a bit of a cold. It's possible that it could be due to the fact that I was so insistant on swimming in the 10° C waters of the North Sea yesterday. This was probably not the greatest idea, but there is no way that I could have stood the thought of going allt he way to Holland to visit the North Sea and not swimming in it. I didn't swim today. I guess my common sense must have caught up to me. It was still cold though as we explored those three little sea side tows on our way home. The first was a cute little Neaderlandisch town called Westkapelle. There were a lot of wind-mills and almost every roof of every single little house was red. It's an oldd feeling, starting out into an incomprehensibly sized expanse of water. Today was one of those day where you can't feel your fingers and you put your hood up even though you know it makes you look stupid. You thank God that it is that cold though, because then you have a perfectly legitimate excuse for the tears welling up in your eyes. I've seen paintings and photographs before. One's that pitifully attempt to capture the beauty that I experienced. I'm sure you've seen them before, too. They hang in nautical themed bathrooms or can be found at craft fairs. The paintings of sailboats, lighthouses, and sea grass on white sand beaches and blue-ish gray waters. I have always thought these things incredibly tacky. I still do. However, I have more sympathy now. More sympathy towards those poor people who paint and sculpt and photograph completely in vain. I can also see why people buy their work. It must only be those people who have seen it for themselves. Because now when I see paintings of what I have previously described I am reminded of how it looked in reality. The image is fresh in my mind and I am sure it will be for a very long time. Those little gift shop trinkets have taken on a whole new feel. I see them differently after experiencing what they are modeled after I myself took dozens upon dozens of photos in an attempt to capture it and hopefully share it with others, but I have a feeling that those pictures, just like the countless others, would not do it justice.

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