In order to receive guests on the Easter weekend of April 1, the owners of seasonal pavilions have to work hard, despite the wind and rain. The pavilions have to be built up and that is not always easy when the winter storms blow around your ears. “We waited for Louis, we didn’t think it would be wise to build with wind force eleven,” says Rob Mueller of Beach Club Zuid Wijk aan Zee.
A number of pavilion owners have already started working for Louis. Two pavilions are wind and watertight, waiting for the first guests. Rob Mueller thought he was wise. He started building his pavilion before dawn the day after Louis.
But even the day after the storm, the weather is still too bad, which is why the work has to be stopped again at the end of the morning. “It’s not safe anymore,” says Rob. “We have to hoist plates and with this wind that is not responsible.”
“It’s actually impossible to do in this weather,” Rob Mueller admits, but it has to be done. “If you don’t start on time, you won’t finish on time, because Easter is early this year,” he says. There are six of them working and struggling through the bad weather. If it gets too crazy, they take a break and hope for better weather.
Looking forward to summer
“We are of course dependent on the weather in the Netherlands,” says Rob. “Last year we initially had a bad summer. Lots of rain in July and August, but in September we had fantastic weather. Then we had a heat wave and you still make up for it. Actually, everything always works out,” says the entrepreneur confidently. When asked if he is looking forward to summer, Rob quickly answers: “Yes always, especially today, I just saw a little bit of sun.”
The key question is of course: when will the pavilion be located? Rob also has a quick answer to that: “Before we open at Easter.” Today he has to stop work. Construction will continue on the beach at Wijk aan Zee on Saturday.