If you ’ve ever jactitate a subject matter in a bottleful into the ocean from anywhere in Northern Europe , it ’s likely it terminate up on Texel Island . Located off the North Coast of the Netherlands , Texel is at the intersection of several major stream , and close to several shipping routes . For the last 400 years , Texel residents have survived , in part , by clean items that have been lost at ocean .
According to documentarian Sam Walkerdine in apiece forTheMirror , the practice has fade as other economical opportunities have opened up , but many occupant still scour the beaches for lost item . One professional beachcomber , Cor Ellen , claims to have found over 500 bottle with letters deep down — and has even answered some of them .
Ellen is one of the subject ofFlotsam and Jetsam(2012 ) , Walkerdine ’s 13 - minute of arc documentary on the Texel Island beachcombers ( you may watch it above ) . In the moving picture , a smattering of Texel Islanders show off their best finds , and divvy up their stories and unknown observations . Ellen , for example , brags about scavenge crates of food , pelt coating , pulverized milk ( “ I did n’t have to go to the milkman for one year ” ) , and even umbrella handles from buy the farm lading ships . Another beachcomber reminisce about finding something more personal : the collected photos and memorabilia of an English twosome who had broken up and toss their memories into the sea .
One of the uncanny observations comes from Piet Van Leerson , whose family unit has been beachcombing for at least five multiplication : he claims that only left shoes rinse up on Texel ’s shores . The right shoe , meanwhile , end up in England and Scotland . ( The shapes cause them to go in unlike directions . )
Beachcombing is such a with child part of living on Texel , they ’ve even open several museum to show off their uncanny , funniest , and most interesting uncovering .
If you do make up one’s mind to test and get a bottle with a letter in it to Texel , the residents have a few suggestions for you : drop the bottleful somewhere off the coast of England , weigh it down with pebbles so it does n’t get caught by the flatus , and of course , remember to include a restitution address .
