Today I walked down to the beach early in the morning while the other Commentboxes were still wandering aimlessly around the house in their pyjamas. It was unseasonably cool so I didn't expect to have a dip in the ocean, but I wore my swim-suit under my clothes just in case. I also took an umbrella because it looked quite overcast.
The streets were empty as I wandered down, many of my neighbours have already left on their summer holidays. The two cafes by the beach, however, did already have several customers tucking into their poached eggs and skim cappuccinos (it is SYDNEY, you know...world capital of the beach-side cafe-breakfast tradition).
A brisk, cool breeze was blowing as I walked to the centre of the beach, I am a safety-first kinda gal and always swim between the flags.
Had the day been clear and hot the beach would have been packed with sunburned British backpackers, but this morning there were a few couples walking hand-in-hand, a group of teenagers standing in the shallows and playing with a soccer ball, a father braving the waves with his two daughters, and me.
The water felt warmer than yesterday because the air temperature was so much cooler. I actually swam out very quickly (usually I wander around the shallows for a good 20 minutes as I adjust to the feel of the sea).
Salty, sea-weeded nectar of the gods. I bathed in it. It was the colour of a piece of green glass buffed by the waves of a year.
Then I realised I had forgotten to bring my towel.
Once I stepped out I decided to race towards the far benches by the sandstone wall and huddle in a little ball in an attempt to dry off. I looked out at the ocean and watched five mothers arrive with their babies, it looked like they had arranged to meet at the bench beside me for a pre-Christmas playgroup. They swapped presents and war stories (nobody slept through last night apparently). By then I had dried off a bit so I could put my shorts and sweatshirt on and walk back home. Carrying my umbrella felt ridiculous as my hair was still dripping wet. I must have looked a sight.
3 comments:
I want to visit Sydney RIGHT NOW so I can have breakfast beachside. What an enjoyable tradition to have! That was a lovely video, too.
post me a skim cappuccino if you would
bizarrely my verification word is Amici, which is also the name of a deli in London I used to visit on trips there which made the best cappuccino I have ever had
Woohoo! A post dedicated to me :-) Thank you Eleanor, I have a romantic affection for umbrellas because they remind me of pre-children days when I had a hand to carry on with. Now I just duck and run!
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