1. It’s a bit of walk to the north shore but it’s worth it: one of my most favourite beaches in the country. Walking through the dunes, Lily is happy enough but when we reach the beach, it kicks up a notch: she helicopter-tails the whole way out along the golden sand and sits triumphantly in the clear water.

1b. The churned up sand glistens like glitter in the water.

1c. John and Lily enjoy rock pools in their own ways. I sit and watch the sea.

1d. A little green troll hand sticking out of the sand. (It may have been seaweed.)

2. We pick up sandwiches and milkshakes from the post office and eat in the sun in the garden. Afterwards, I crochet and snooze on the grass. Utter bliss.

2b. I take Lily out to the Heugh, on the south of the island and, looking out over the lake like water, I see seals ducking and bobbing in the water. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen them in the wild and I can’t describe how amazing it all is.

2c. After fetching John and the binoculars, we gaze out at the islands and watch dozens of seals sunning themselves on the shore. The swimmers are now staying over that way too but every now and then one comes closer and we watch their slick heads and bodies undulate through the water.

2d. I hear a familiar noise – a quadcopter flying high over the harbour. John is as transfixed by that as I am by the sea mammals.

2e. A heavy mist rolls in the alarming speed. First Bamburgh Castle disappears then the seals on the islands, then Lindisfarne Castle huge bulk disappears too. We feel it surrounding us – my sun baked arms grow goosebumps, and see it floating around the walls of the old priory. We feel like we’re in a John Wyndham novel. We’re not alone in noting its strangeness – the chef from the pub fetches someone from inside to show them the phenomenon.

3. The people in the pub are lovely once again.

3b. After dinner, it’s too misty to look at stars so we happy three curl up on the sofa and watch a film. My stack of crochet squares grows.

3c. We watch a couple of episodes of the 1981 Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy TV series. We note that the language is to us like Shakespeare is to others: the words, cadences and rhythms are part of us in a really base way.

Related posts: