Page 52 - Damen Shipyards Group

52 ZEELAND FOCUS | A LAND APART 53

A LAND

APART

Zeeland: sea, sand and sun.

ZEELAND, BLESSED BY SEA & SUN
Emerging triumphant
With their long traditions of farming, fishing looking for leisure. There is much to amuse
both tourist and resident alike.
and shipbuilding, the Zeeuws people have
become known for stubborn persistence and Made by the sea
hard work. Characteristics attested to in the The sedate, peaceful nature of Zeeland belies
Zeeland, in the south west of the Netherlands, is in some ways the quintessential provincial coat of arms, which show a lion its historical greatness. During the Dutch
Dutch province. It is green and largely flat and boasts more than its fair share of ferociously emerging from the waves, bearing Golden Age of the 17 century, Middelburg
th
colourful windmills. Look a little closer though and this is a place apart. Sandwiched the legend Luctor et emergo – I struggle and was second only to Amsterdam in importance
between Holland, Flanders and the North Sea these islands and former islands have I emerge. and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) had
their own distinct history and traditions, a unique cuisine and a people that have offices in town.
forged an identity all of their own. It’s not all about hard graft, however. Zeeland
is a land blessed not only by sea, but also In those days, the quays of Zeeland hummed
In cities such as Veere, Goes, Zierikzee and capital Middelburg, bell towers of Flemish gothic by Sun. Locals will never tire of telling with the bustle of international trade. Spices,
harmoniously chime over pan-tiled rooftops. Below, shuttered windows adorn immaculate visitors that the area boasts the most hours cloth and porcelain arrived from distant
gabled houses that lean precariously – and charmingly – over cobbled, hollyhock-filled lanes. of sunlight in all the country. These days shores as merchants, mapmakers and
Here, in this article, we talk to Damen Shipyards Group employees who have come to the the winning combination of Sun, sand and shipbuilders busily went about their work. The character of the Zeelandic people is summed up
Netherlands from other countries and made Zeeland their home and place of work. We find peaceful countryside attracts many visitors by the motto on the province’s ancient coat of arms;
out just what it is that attracts them to the coastal south-west of the country. from neighbouring provinces and countries Luctor et emergo – I struggle and I emerge.