Visiting Fort Napoleon, the Ensor house and the beach in Oostende

On the 2nd day at the coast, we took the tram again in the opposite direction towards Oostende.


First, we had an early stop at the Fort Napoleon, where we discovered there was an exposition on the 10-year anniversary of the "Treehouse book series" by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton.  Since Kabouter has all the books so far and is eagerly waiting for each new one to get published to devour it in one or two days, he couldn't get to the exposition quick enough. We had booked the earliest time slot as most slots were already full. 

So right before opening time, we were pacing up and down at the entrance.  And then we got in with some other families to solve a whole floor of Treehouse riddles and puzzles. You quite must like the books because there wasn't much other things to do (well there was an audiotour for non-book visitors). 

While we helped the boys who were enthusiastically working on lots of puzzles, I also amused myself with the little Napoleon figures hidden everywhere in this historic fort. 

In the basement floor, there were more active challenges and of course a tree house play construction. 

At the end we had a drink at the nice rooftop terrace of the fort and then we headed along the dunes and the lighthouse towards the docks of the ferry. 

reading already in his latest treehouse jokes book

On a busy sunny touristic weekend, there was quite a line for the ferry so we had to wait for a while and we'd be late for the train on which my mother would arrive.  Fortunately, the Belgian railroad isn't so reliable at all so my mother was quite late as well. 

We found my mother at the train station and walked downtown together to have lunch somewhere.  

And then we walked along the beach and installed us in the sun for a drink in the sun together.  Enjoying the good life and the time together. 

At the end of the afternoon we headed to the Ensorhouse where we had a booked slot to go and visit Ensor's house and the old neighbouring hotel to learn more about his life and art.   The children sucked it all up with a lot of interest and I enjoyed spotting the (reproduced) paintings from Ensor with his own distinctive style. 

And then it was time to head back to the train station and to say goodbye to my mother after a quite fulfilling family day and we jumped back on the tram in the direction of De Haan.