A family day in Knokke with a visit to the Zwin

The last day of the crocus vacation, at the end of February, promised to be an ice-cold one.  Right then, we had planned a family gathering as a late birthday present for my mother-in-law. 

We had stayed overnight in Zeebrugge to be at the coast on time, in order to start our family Sunday with an elaborate breakfast together.  I had packed a ridiculous suitcase full of extra sweaters, skisocks, ... But the first stop was a few hours cosy together next to the beach, where we got spoiled with plenty of food.

Fully stuffed, we drove up to the Zwin where I dressed up with extra sweaters and enjoyed my fleece filled pants. 

It must have been 35 years or more since I visited the Zwin.  I remembered the semi-flooded plane very well, since we always saw it from the beach in my childhood. The Zwin stream in Retranchement (NL) was our exact spot when we spent some time on the beach. From there, we always chuckled when we noticed tourists carrying their sunbed and coolers across the ankle deep stream there during low tide, to find a spot in the dunes on the other side. You could take a bet on them later on struggling to cross back in time when high tide flooded the Zwin mud flats through the swollen Zwin stream.  Sometimes they could cross in time with their towels and bags on their head, other times they were stuck on the Belgian side of the border for a few hours.  
I will not admit here to have been a couple of times on the mud flats with my dad, climbing under the wired fencing of the nature reserve, as I'd or course never type such a self-incriminating comment. Let's just say that the security and the respect for the unique nature might not have been at the same level in the 80ies as it is now. 

Anyway, my only official visit to the Zwin must have been on some school trip, and I only vaguely remember big bird cages and a butterfly garden. The latter closed in 2010 and the nature reserve also became property from the Flemish government and province in 2006.  The emphasis on nature preservation and educational communication on the unique landscapes and bird migration has become much stronger.  In a modern building, you are first welcomed by an interactive exposition on (migrating) birds.  It was big and quite interesting.... and hot if you were dressed inside to face freezing temperatures for a while outside.  (there were lockers in the building, but I had not used them). 

Once we had explored the exposition extensively, we went outside for the hut trail along some observation huts at the edge of the dikes and flooding plane.  In each of the huts there were volunteers explaining different aspects from the bird life.  There were feeding huts, look-out huts, child games or a stork nest observation hut.  Behind the dikes we were shielded well against the icy wind and it was quite enjoyable in the sun. 

But to me the Zwin is all about the valley that semi floods each tide with the unique vegetation that tolerates salt water  and the water birds.  The entire visit so far had been quite fun but I needed a bit more walking out and about.   The family split up: some went to sit in the warm cafeteria and with others we ventured on the walking trail in the valley.  

Not entirely surprising the trail was very muddy...and the mud here was euh...well extremely slippery and at the same time heavy and sticking on our shoes.  The just 2 km walk was at times quite challenging and we didn't end with clean clothes.   But I thought it was awesome to be outdoors, close to the wading birds and to feel the mud flats. 

We joined the rest of the family in the Zwin cafeteria. 

We ended the day with another beach walk which was icy though  and in the evening it was another full dinner together inland.  A long day well spent but we were knackered when we arrived past bedtime.