Chasing Beauty in the Ordinary

Unexpected beauty often lurks in the most familiar corners of our lives. Tonight, as I walked down the lane from Haamstede to Burgh, a stroll where every house, garden, or even pavement tile is etched into my memory, I stumbled upon a feast of colors that made me stop and capture it for you.

This stretch of road, a historical track on slightly higher ground where Haamstede and Burgh once touched hands before merging into the combined town of Burgh-Haamstede, could narrate the long-forgotten tales of the two villages. Quiet Haamstede, proud of its oversized church, an 800-year-old castle, and something that may narrowly qualify as a short shopping street, contrasts slightly with the serenity of Burgh, with its focus on history, culture, and an even more tranquil ambiance.

Yet, it wasn't the architectural nuances or the historical whispers that captivated me this evening. The colors, the light, and the silhouettes changed when the dark blue sky managed to suppress the last orange to an ever narrower band above the horizon.

I tried to freeze the moment's magic in several snapshots with my iPhone. It wasn't until a passing car entered the frame that the photograph came alive. The bricks of the road glowed greenish and yellow by the headlights of a vehicle whose driver had no idea of its creative talents that perfected the picture.

Looking at the result, I love the skeletal fingers of bare trees framing the orange glow against the dark blue sky, a last gift from the recently set sun. The moment reminded me of the fleeting beauty surrounding us, often overlooked when focused on our daily routines.

The peculiar tall house on the left used to be a tram station, heralding modern times finally reaching the isolated and impoverished island. The tram line reached Zierikzee in 1900 and extended west in 1915. It was a time when, slowly, some modern comfort reached the island. A telegraph connection was established in 1865, and the telephone followed in 1900. Only in 1920 did electricity arrive on the island -for those who could afford it- and it took another ten years before the houses were connected to fresh water.

The horizontal row of lights on the left and above the car lights is still a bit of Christmas decoration from the local supermarket, where I bought vegetables, cashew nuts, and coconut oil to make a rice dish. Walking back home, I took another route and caught this photo of the windmill you must know by now.

The old tram house, the supermarket, or the windmill, I have all seen them so many times. But at the right light, moment, and mood, you can suddenly be struck by a moment's beauty. The mundane transforms into the extraordinary when life aligns ordinary elements to perfection.

Seeing beauty in every new combination of the ordinary has a hidden allure; it's part of the story of why I enjoy hiking so much. A walking holiday is a near overdose of beauty that sometimes, even years later, still projects impressions in my brain before going to sleep.

Discovering and appreciating beauty makes life worth living, even on a late walk to the supermarket.