Holiday at the coast

Since Monday we are staying at our flat in Knokke-Heist. It's our intention to go living there permanently when my sister takes her pension. Our flat is ideally located; entrance at the sea promenade, terrace facing south (takes the sun - when it shines - all day), top floor with a beautiful panorama. It's not very big, but you don't really need too much space when you're getting older. We have a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher and washing machine, a nice bathroom and a bedroom big enough for a wall-to-wall dressing and space for two beds. What more do you need?

We also have nice neighbors next to us. When the sun is shining, we are all on the terrace having an animated conversation and enjoying the good life.

Heist (the less expensive part of Knokke-Heist) is not very big, so everything you need is close-by. Just take the underground passage to cross the road and you're at the (big) supermarket. Doctors and dentists, banks and other shops are at a 5 minutes walk. The hospital is ten minutes by bike, just like in Dendermonde.

So we like it here very much. It is also our home and we know more people around than we do in Dendermonde. Perhaps this is because we've been coming here since we were little kids and we went horseback riding in our teens and twenties. All the shopkeepers know us by name. Of course, you'll never be 'someone from Heist' even if you live there your entire span of life. You'll always remain an outlander.

An added plus is you don'r pay city taxes in Knokke-Heist. That will save some money later on. In Dendermonde you pay about 12% on the amount you're taxed for. With our combined two pensions and the house in Dendermonde sold, we'll be able to live without any monetary worries here, as a lot of the costs of right now will fall away. Like now I pay for two internet-tv-phone deals. Later on I'll only pay for one. Also I have some insurances on the house and what's in it.

I'm looking forward to being here permanently!