Yesterday was dramatically hot, or hot for the UK anyway. As I sweltered all day at work I became more and more obsessed with going to the beach, with dipping my hot tired feet in the cold water. It was all I could think about. I texted John at work in the afternoon. Did he fancy going to the beach? He did, and a hurried plan was formed involving picnics and my nieces, who I'd previously arranged to have after school yesterday. We set off late and the traffic was awful, as predicted. There is only one road to this beach and everyone has to use it. By the time we arrived at the beach hut it was after 6 but we still had a couple of hours, bedtimes being later and relaxed since today is the last day of term. The children ate their picnic and went off to play. Angus and I went down to the water and paddled. I had wanted to swim but there was such a breeze on the shore that it really didn't feel so warm once I was down there (only in the UK could it be 34°C but feel too cool to swim!), so I contented myself with standing with my feet in the sea for about a hour. It was bliss. Angus and my niece, Jennifer, "surfed" in the shallows. The tide was coming in, covering the sand and reaching the pebbles. It was time to go home, back to our hot house, to shower the kids and make ourselves some dinner. John cooked some rigatoni with a really fresh tomato and basil sauce and we had a beer. Then I fell asleep on the sofa. It must've been the sea air. I asked myself if it was worth it, all the rushing and traffic for a couple of hours on the beach. Yes, without a doubt.
Falling asleep on the sofa after a wonderful late afternoon/evening beach adventure sounds like the perfect end to the day. Glad you enjoyed it! x
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful. Such a shame about the traffic, but lovely to have those memories. We made do with lots of splashing in the garden. How blissful it must be to live by the sea. Hope you have a good last day of school. Holidays at last! CJ xx
ReplyDeleteSounds perfect,well worth the rush! x
ReplyDeleteI spent yesterday constantly running my wrists under the cold tap to try amd cool down. No neaches near here, but if there were, I would have done the same as you. Enjoy the last day of term! We are half way through our school summer holidays here, having broken up the last week of June. I always rather envy the english summer holiday timimgs, as they seem more summery somehow. Our kids go back mid August, which always feel too early X
ReplyDeleteAh yes, that should say 'beaches' of course. I really must get in to the habit of checking what I have said......! X
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had the chance to get to the beach. Sometimes it's worth it to be able to do something even when it isn't convenient. Your feet look happy. :)
ReplyDeleteWe're just back from London and found it very hot indeed. Wish we'd been near the water, cool breeze or not.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect decision for such a hot day!!! I am a teensy bit envious of your proximity to the beach, but so glad for you that you just went and did it! Yay!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for seizing the moment. When my children were little I thought nothing of packing our swimmers and buckets and spades and heading down to West Wittering for the day. I will always remember the very first time I made the solo beach run with my nine-month-old son because on the way home I stopped at the telephone box to tell my husband where we were (visions of him arriving home to chaos and an empty house!). We took wine, beer, crisps, cold frittata and salad and had our picnic supper on the top of the North Downs last night - bliss!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth it - just looking at your photos makes me feel cooler! My brother phoned me yesterday afternoon, while sitting in a traffic queue for 90 minutes enroute to what I think was the same beach. Hope you get to spend many more days at the beach during the school holiday.
ReplyDeleteLovely way to spend a hot evening (especially 34 deg which is warm for UK), and it must have been worth it if you all slept well. Hope there is some lovely weather for the school break. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThe neearest beach here is about 800 km away :-) There are lakes and rivers here, but the ones near enough for me to walk to are not swimmable. The alternative would be several public swimming pools (some out-, some indoors), but I don't particularly like that.
ReplyDeleteInstead, on my way home from work (the office was warm but not stuffy) I got off one stop before my town and walked the rest across the fields in the sun. Yes, it was hot at 34 Celsius, but it felt just so good - this is what summer is supposed to be!
Just after 4.00 this morning, a thunderstorm put an end to the heat for a while. It's still going to be warm enough for summer dresses, but probably not going to go above 30 again.
And next week: Yorkshire!!! :-)
Lucky you to live so near a beach; I'm very envious. It sounds like a perfect evening. xx PS. I love your sandals!
ReplyDeleteLovely! It was too hot for me. My best ever beach memory was in Normandy. Dan must have been about 10. He had a kite and it was actually flying and then I could hear him singing "I believe I can fly"' it was a lovely moment. X
ReplyDeleteYes the beach on a day like the other day is the place to be, very worth while I reckon!
ReplyDeleteSx
Hey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteIt's always worth it! I took Olly to the beach yesterday, as his dad and brothers were out kayaking. It felt like a,lit of hard work getting there, but once we were there it was wonderful. I think that it's the best time to be at the beach in summer. And you have a beach hut!! Very envious.
Leanne xx
We've waited so long for some proper summer weather and when it comes it hits us all with a punch, we're just not accustomed to working in such heat. Still you made the best decision, heading to the beach was a great idea and looks like perfect fun.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have the beach so close! Ours is at least an hour and a half's drive away. Our beaches are cold too. The surfers wear wet suits all year round. Your rigatoni and beer sounds just perfect for a hot summer's day.
ReplyDeleteWe had a similar eve yesterday... end of term and Grandpa's birthday just had to be celebrated! We are now looking forwards to lots of eves like this over the next few weeks. Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see your brood playing with buckets and spades - the simple pursuits are indeed the best. Much happiness for the carefree weeks ahead Xx
ReplyDeleteOh I am so jealous here in land locked Shropshire, there was just no way of getting away from the heat here on Tuesday and we had sports day at school, wait for it, in the afternoon!!! I wore my white blouse and it was a god send. I felt like being the sunburn police, so many burnt parents. Glad you felt the breeze on your cheeks and the water between your toes. Jo x
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a perfect evening.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
All the best people take power naps ;-) xx
ReplyDeletetotally worth it xxx
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely, happy photos! Thank you for sharing them with us. This just demonstrates how children (and grownups!) can be happy doing such simple things as letting the sea wash over our feet and it makes me thankful and appreciative of the fact I live within a mile of the sea. I could do this every day, should I choose to.
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
so lovely to be so close to the sea, sounds like the ideal way to spend a few hours x
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