August
One day I will spend a whole summer by the sea. I will lie on blankets on the sand and paddle with children and eat slightly sandy sandwiches. I will walk along cliff tops. I will watch the tide come in. When I was a teenager I used to spend days on the beach with my best friend, Ruth. If you spend enough time on a particular beach you come to know what is revealed when the tide goes out, the places where the water lingers and becomes sunwarmed pools. You know how the sand behaves, where it ripples and where it hardens, where it goes soft suddenly underfoot. When the tide comes in again you know where the water goes suddenly cold, where the sand holds out in little islands against the rising water.
I must go down to the sea.
I must go down to the sea.
You must! I feel enormously privelidged to live by the sea, to be able to wander down and sit on the beach with a mug of tea or my breakfast toast. I find the sea and cliff walks restful, healing, envigorating, always wonderful. Did you take that photo in the Outer Hebrides? Stunning. I hope you get to go paddling soon.
ReplyDeleteYou must go down to the sea. You must go. You must.
ReplyDelete~~~ to the lonely sea and the sky ~~~ even though I live by the sea your post today brings back such evocative and gentle memories of endless days of a childhood spent by the sea when I, too, knew every subtle nuance of the beach. I might pass on the sandy sandwiches though, I don't think my fillings would cope too well.
ReplyDeleteI miss the sea, it's been years since I've been near it. Your post makes me want to hop in the car and go now :)
ReplyDeleteWhile we had our two little grandsons we visited the beach every day - a different beach, whenever we could. If I could take the day off we'd spend all day, and if I had to work we'd have supper on the beach. It was a golden interlude in a difficult summer. It shines in my memory - what a treat a beach summer is!
ReplyDeleteI live only six miles from the sea, with other beaches within easy reach as well. I still want to be nearer - to wake to the sound of the sea, to hear it pulse gently, and to roar. It's quite primal, really, like needing to earth a wire.
ReplyDeleteThat would be lovely, the sea is such a draw isn't? I haven't spent as much time this year as I normally do, I've been content to spend my days here in the country but we are only an hour away so really there is no excuse to feel the sand beneath my feet. I feel a weekend away coming on! Jane x
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the sea! I do miss it, living in the desert, and would love to take my Lab to see her chase the waves and run with great abandon. She has to settle for an occasional lake dip.
ReplyDeleteIt's me again. Your post got me thinking, where would you go to spend the summer? What part of the world? Apart from the South of France, I would have to send my summer in Wales. But where? Which part? I love the welsh coast, and I'm pleasantly thinking about all my favourite places and where I would love to be, Jane x
ReplyDeleteThat beach looks wonderful. With room enough for both of us!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. I would love to go to the sea as well - the summer seems to be slipping by too fast.
ReplyDeleteI hope to at least SEE the sea this month.
ReplyDeleteWill you? Can you?
My wife and I spent a summer by the sea the year after we married. We were in a little cottage not far from the shore, quite alone on a little point. It was delightful, but I was busy working, so I missed some of it. It would be lovely to go back there again.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs!
Beautiful photo. There's something really special about the sea and beaches isn't there especially quiet ones like yours.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, this post has sent me off on a wonderful summer daydream. Many thanks.
ReplyDeletexo
Yes, you must! And you write about it so beautifully too. I have just returned from nearly three weeks living on the northern water and loved it.
ReplyDeleteA sandy beach and warm water and some trees for my hammock. Bliss!
ReplyDeleteRock pools , sea glass and sandcastles !
ReplyDeleteI think we all want to join you ...
You know, I feel the same way - and I live on an island! It's been more than 20 years since I've been swimming in the sea.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind spending every day at that beach. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI live by the sea and must remember always to be grateful for this. I always long for it, no matter where I am. Primordial ooze or something. We all spring from there. I hope you get your fix soon.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
Your sandy sandwiches remind me of a beach day when we ate a cake my mother made. She'd run out of icing sugar so tried caster sugar instead in the icing. Big mistake when we were eating it surrounded by sand!
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