Page 54 - Damen Shipyards Group

54 ZEELAND FOCUS | A LAND APART 55

Djordje Kostic

“EVERYTHING IS CLOSE HERE, I DON’T LOSE
PRECIOUS TIME MOVING BETWEEN WORK, HOME
AND LEISURE.”

Djordje Kostic, a native of Montenegro, has been He is, however, used to urban life.
a resident of Zeeland for over 20 years now. He “I was born in a large, busy city – a real contrast to
lives with his wife and two children in Vlissingen my life here in Vlissingen. I find the pace of life

and works as a production coordinator at Damen here preferable. I am never stuck in traffic like I

Shiprepair Vlissingen. be would back home or in the more urban parts
of the Netherlands. Everything is close here, so

“I’m happy in my job; it fulfils my passion for I don’t lose precious time moving between work,
shipbuilding and repair. More than that though, I home and leisure. The cloisters of Middelburg’s abbey .
appreciate the family feeling at Damen. There’s
a sense of solidarity with your colleagues, which “The peace & quiet and abundance of space here
makes for a pleasant cooperation. There are also mean it’s also a good place to bring up a family. A land of heroic deeds If a job’s worth doing… In this way, both the salt-water ecosystem and the region’s time-honoured
plenty of opportunities for growth and personal Zeeland is the perfect place for being both active As the name suggests, the sea is never far Over the years, this low-lying area has had to contend with disastrous fishing traditions have been preserved.

development.” and relaxed. I like to do sports and there’s plenty away in Zeeland (sealand). Maritime and naval floods on numerous occasions. Things have changed, however. Since the

of opportunity for that and, equally, it’s nice just to tradition runs deep here. This was the home of devastation of the tragic flood of 1953, the Dutch coastal defences have Zeeland flexes its mussels

Djordje is pleased that he was able to find his sit and read here, in lovely surroundings. famous Golden Age Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, been strengthened. Today’s flood protection includes ones of the great The sea has provided food to the local inhabitants since ancient times.

dream job in such a location. “I wouldn’t want renowned, amongst other things, for his daring engineering wonders of the world – the Deltaworks. Back then, Nehalennia, Goddess of the sea, was worshipped in these parts.
to live anywhere else in the country. I came “The Zeeland coast is beautiful. My personal raid on the Medway during the Anglo-Dutch Zeeland has become renowned for the bounty of the waves. Its mussels,
here originally to work in the offshore and favourite area is the Boulevard and the wars of the 17 century. De Ruyter sailed the … it’s worth doing well oysters and lobsters embellish the menus of Belgium and the Netherlands’

th
petrochemical industry and my role was based Bellamypark in the centre of Vlissingen. Here you Dutch fleet up the Thames Estuary in England, Nowhere are the Deltaworks more spectacular than where they pass finest restaurants. These days, Zeeuwse mosselen – Zeeland’s mussels – are

in the Port of Rotterdam. The traffic on the roads are really close to the water’s edge and the ships into the River Medway, where he destroyed through Zeeland. The Oosterschelde Storm Surge Barrier has connected available year round. In July, however, Middelburg still celebrates the start

and the general busyness there is so different to coming from Antwerp and Zeeland Seaports numerous English ships before capturing the lands once separated by the sea, making these once remote islands of the season with a festive street party featuring diverse mussel-based
the relaxed pace of life in Zeeland.” pass very close to land. It’s easy to connect to the flagship, HMS Royal Charles, and towing her accessible. When it comes to water, the Dutch do not do things by halves; dishes, washed down with plenty of wine and beer to the sound of live

maritime heritage of the Netherlands here.” back to the Netherlands. the engineers have created here an ‘open’ dam – one that allows the tides to performers, both modern and traditional.
continue to ebb and flow beneath the barrier, closing only in times of need.

Middelburg’s Flemish Gothic city hall is perhaps the finest in the land. Outside of the towns and villages Zeeland offfers some wonderful opportunities to explore nature.