A very long time ago, I even lived in Bru, because that is the name of the village for insiders. I was 18 years old and for the first time I was seriously in love. Through love, I got to know Zeeland and fell in love with it too. Every day I put on my rose-tinted glasses and discovered how nice life was. For the first time, I had parents-in-law and to this day I am grateful for their loving inclusion in their family. They were the ones who made me eat a mussel for the first time. And now, just over 20 years later (ok, 24 years to be precise), I am about to cross the Zijpe on a fishing boat with my daughters aged 11 and 18. On my way to the mussel party I haven’t been to in a long time…
When we pass Anna Jacobapolder, we seem to be heading for the end of the world. However, a restaurant suddenly appears in front of us and further on we see a jetty where a fishing boat is waiting. That must be the Bru45. As we follow the path to the jetty, the girls cheerfully wave to the skipper because we are a bit late. But he must have understood that we would still like to come along, because if you don’t wear a diving suit here, you have to come for the ferry. A friendly man welcomes us and buys us a ticket. With about 15 other tourists on board, it is pleasantly crowded. We cast off and enjoy the view. On the other side, we see Bru waiting for us. There is clearly more water traffic than usual in the channel. Skipper Bert skilfully sailed between an inland vessel, a sailing yacht with spinnaker and a group of sports rowers to bring us across safely. The gentleman who sold us the tickets turned out to be Ad Verschoor. He is a civil engineer who does a lot more than just pay for tickets. We soon see him talking to a group of cyclists. He animatedly tells about the history of this special bicycle and foot ferry. But he also appears to know everything about how the fishing industry has changed and what influence the locks and the water level have had on it. I remember that a house with a historical predilection and, moreover, value for our cultural heritage, is often given the status of “monumental building”. If people could be given the same status, I would now be looking at a monumental man. It’s nice to see how he selflessly devotes himself to raising awareness of this Zeeland cultural heritage. We reach the other side far too quickly. On the jetties, we see how fishermen are repairing their nets. After all those years, Bru’s harbour of refuge hasn’t changed a bit. Even the restaurant De Vluchthaven appears to be still there. I resolve to return here soon with my love. Now, first a walk to the village and the fishing harbour. According to my daughters, it takes normal people about 20 minutes, but we must be at least 35. But I can’t help it, it’s so beautiful here and there are so many memories that come alive. My father-in-law even gave me my first camera. One that still needed a roll in it. I spent most of my salary on contact sheets that I had developed at Pietje’s of the tobacco shop. I decide not to bother the girls with this historical information and concentrate on the route, because it’s the first time I’ve seen the district that has risen from the polder on my left.
As we slowly blend into the party crowd, we decide to have a drink at café Havenzicht. What a nice café this is. It is not difficult to imagine how fishermen have gathered here for many years and have toasted together to the good catch. Outside, the brass band starts playing and we decide to follow the music. First, we walk over the dyke to the mussel monument of Bru, which is a must-see. We walk back via the harbour platform and see that the atmosphere is already good. Eel smokers and mussel cooks alternate here. What a great showcase for Zeeland this event is, I think to myself. The organisers can be proud and it is only right that the weather gods are in their favour. Fishing boats with tourists come and go. From the dike, the fair flows into the village. Many nice stalls make it impossible to go home without carrying our bags. We buy a cup of fresh fruit at the smoothie-cart so that it compensates a little for the fudge from a few stalls further on. The girls buy some more clothes and I am delighted with my book “mermaids don’t drown”. My eye catches the Fisheries Museum, which we can enter for free today. Now that we are here, we can compensate for the shopping with an educational moment. We stare our eyes out. Once again, we are addressed by a monumental man. He lovingly tells us about the starfish in the Oosterschelde estuary, because we definitely want to hear more about it. It turns out that in summer, they can break open the mussels with their arms so that they can feast on their contents. Fascinating! And then there are the barrels from which the mussels hang, how does that work exactly? For many years, I have seen them floating in different places and have always wondered: “How do they manage to get a mussel to hang on them voluntarily? At last, here in the Fisheries Museum, the mystery is unravelled for us. We learn that mussels are hermaphroditic and that they “milk” in the spring, creating embryos. After one year, it has developed into mussel seed and what the mussel fishermen do with it is something you should definitely discover for yourself in this fun museum. I can tell you that after two years, the most beautiful mussels are presented at the fishery days in Bru. I would definitely have bought a ticket because the Fisheries Museum is more than worth it!
After more stalls and two large candyfloss bars, it is time to return to our nautical lift with our luggage. On the way, we meet several rowing teams and also in the harbour of refuge, two cranes are busy getting the boats out of the water. We don’t have to wait long as the ferry seems to be sailing right on time. Once on board, I cannot resist asking Ad who the owner of this cutter is. It must be a very special person, I think, because you won’t get rich from this ferry. Ad confirms my suspicion and says that he has a lot of respect for Dominique Haay. A hard-working fisherman with probably a nostalgic heart. I resolve to come back soon and then I hope to meet Dominique so that I can ask him what drives him…
We had a great day and a special thanks to all the monumental people we met!
Love,
Anna