Yesterday was the first day of rain we have had since we moved to Brighton three weeks ago. The weather has been altogether glorious, and I have loved wandering around in flip flops and summer dresses. But yesterday was one of those blustery, atmospheric, rainy days, which are perfect for jeans, boots and cups of tea.
Over a decade ago I spent nearly 100 days on a ship going around the world as an interpreter, and two of the lovely girls who shared that adventure with me – Saeko from Japan and Hanna from the Netherlands – came to visit me here in Brighton yesterday.
Hanna and Saeko
Amid reminiscing about our times on the high seas, catching up on our lives since then and trying to stand upright in the wind, we had a wonderful afternoon. The beach was blissfully empty, all the huts and shops closed, the merry-go-round a little forlorn and lonely, and not an icecream seller in sight.
The waves were pounding the seashore and hundreds of baby seagulls were trying desperately to fly, many hovering just a metre or so above the beach, the wind too powerful to allow them progress.
Brighton is a new place for me, and being near the sea was one of our main reasons for coming here. I can tell that this beach is going to become a very special place for us, regardless of the weather, as a place to drink in the sea air, blow away the cobwebs and just wander along observing life.
What a discovery this place is becoming!
How about you? What places and spaces do you have which always blow away the cobwebs and make you feel alive?
