The Netherlands-Egmond aan Zee
Koloniehuis Zwartendijk (I guess that the word summercamp is just about an English equivalent) was build in 1910, on the initiative of A.C. Bos, teacher in the village Egmond aan Zee. Bos was one of the founders of an association, concerned about the health of children, growing up in poverty and mainly living in deprived parts of Dutch cities. These children were invited to stay here for a certain period, to recuperate, gain weight and sniff some fresh air. The former visitors often look back on their stay with mixed feelings. Homesickness, the harsh regime concering peace, cleanliness and regularity, the nutricious but not always delicious food, the long walks. There are reports of children, escaping the house, homeward bound. In the boom time, the village Egmond aan Zee counted more than ten of these houses. Nowadays this building contains apartments. But not for the deprived. In the background kitchen gardens in the Dutch dunes, the so called zeedorpen landscape. Image made with kite and camera (attached to the kite's line). © Tom Kisjes
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