I started to write a comment in response to Rebecca’s post about the pleasures of the beach, but as is the way with these things sometimes, it turned into something I wanted to post here.
In a way, the downside of living by the sea is that you start to take it for granted, not least the fresh air; it’s always moving, never gets that stagnant, smoggy feel of inland places – especially cities.
When my friends who are living inland come to visit, the first thing they always have to do is rush down to the seafront and take plenty of deep breaths, with me following behind going, huh? what’s the big deal? And then I start to see it through their eyes and remember why I love it here so much.
It’s not the world’s greatest beach – no golden sands here, I’m afraid. (And there are spots round by the pier where the delicious aroma of rotting seaweed can become just a little overpowering.) But the views are sublime at any time of year.
OK, this time of year I need my fan turned on in the afternoons when I’m working in my living room. But that’s the downside of having a very large west-facing window (aka ‘sun-trap’), isn’t it?
(Really must get a better picture of this view from my window when the sun is out…)
One comment on “On the beach”
I’ve just got back from a local franchise of The Beach [tm] and it was brilliant [except for all this newfangled 'rubbing factor-50 suncream into infants' malarkey - I never had this as a lad and I've not died of melanoma yet, etc].
Tide races! Sandcastles! Paddling! Sandy food! Silly footballs! Molluscs! The beach has everything. Why do I live in that part of this island which is equidistant from the ocean? What kind of a fool am I? I must move to The Beach with all speed.