A 24 hour photo trip, part 2

I woke up (or didn't I sleep at all?) minutes before my alarm clock, at 03.52.
I waited until I heard Peter's clock go off at 04.00 and then got out of the tent.
What a night! Terrible. It felt as if my back was in 3 pieces. But, who cares, it's photo time again!
After a quick toothbrushing and installation of my contact lenses, we were in the car at 04.15 and already on our way back to Petten.

As soon as we climbed the too long staircase over the dunes we saw the sea, with people swimming in it! What?? Already?? It was barely 04.30 and the sun would come up in 45 minutes.
Never mind them. We have a stupid hobby too, getting up at silly o'clock for photos. Who are we to judge night swimming in the cold sea.

We walked to the poles and to our great satisfactory our calculations turned out to be right!. The water was higher now and the first rows were in the water. We both took off with our photography. I started out with some long exposures. Not much of a choice since it was still very dark, with a sun rising behind us, far away behind the dunes.

To my surprise I noticed a nice blue glow in my photos and I realized it probably was sea sparkle (zeevonk, in Dutch).
I read something about that a few days ago, but hadn't thought of it anymore, until yesterday evening a woman on this beach asked us if we were here to capture the sea sparkle. We weren't then, and didn't have the energy to wait until it was completely dark.

Somehow it was still dark enough to witness this phenomenon at 04.30. Great!! Of course I had to enhance the sparkle a bit in the post processing, but that's not an issue I think. My first sea sparkle photo ever! Check.

The longer we were there the lighter it became. The sky gave us beautiful soft pink colors until almost 05.45 am. Around 05.30 we saw two people coming. They installed themselves with towels on the beach as if it was the middle of the day. Complete with cool box and a speaker with loud music (unfortunately). The sun hadn't even appeared above the dunes yet. Why would anyone want to lie on their stomach, in a bikini, on a towel, at that time of day? It beats me. I was glad I had put on an extra vest. But again, who are we to judge....

When the magic light was over, we left the beach and set course to the Fletcher Hotel in Callantsoog. According to their website there would be breakfast from 07.00 hours. We still had time, so we flew our drones first a bit.

I stopped my car at the Fletcher Hotel at exactly 07.00 am, but all was dark and still looking very closed. A man with a dog came out suddenly, allowing us to get in through the slide doors. There we stood at a dark reception, with nothing but a blue and yellow macaw gazing at us. No breakfast here.

We drove on and saw a bakery already opened. Peter bought delicious croissants and a cheese roll which we ate in the car.

We then went back to the camping. We took a hot shower and then we cleared our camp. Within 20 minutes all our stuff was back in the car. No sign of Mirjam. What should we do? Just leave? Everything was already pay for, so that wasn't the problem. 
Peter wrote a few nice words in the guestbook (and promised her a landscape photo from Petten as well!!) and then we left for home.

We stopped in Schagen for a coffee and a McMuffin and an orange juice (and yes, another croissant as well) at the MacCafe. After that we drove home in 2 hours.
Around noon we arrived in Delfzijl an our 24 hour photo trip came to an end. It was great! Thanks Peter!

In the afternoon I set up my tent again in my garden, to let it dry.
I then fell asleep for a few hours. Unfortunately it starting raining a bit while I was sleeping. When I woke up, the tent was even wetter. I put it on the boys' attic to let it dry again. 

In the evening we (Annemarie, Bas, Daan and myself) went to Ten Post, to restaurant Bij de Molen for dinner, to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary next Monday. (No time for dinner then because Daan is in the middle of his school tests).