Go Fly A Kite

This kite has been with us over ten years, and Sunday was it’s second ever outing. I know. But, adding it to our alphabet year way back in January finally gave us the nudge to pull it out of the loft, and I’m so glad we did.

Flying a kite is pure, simple joy: feel the wind catch the fabric and pull at the lines, while you stare up in to the blue and watch it go. In goofy abandonment, I did a lot of leaping, shrieking and yelping. I didn’t know my face could pull so many weird faces until I saw the photos.

This is a job for two. You need a launcher, who can double up as a spectator to admire your seriously cool ever-so-slight loop. And then they can do the necessary repairs after you crash to the ground. Either way, it always feels good to run around in the high grass and chase the wind.

Seaside Bloggers: MYcreative

I’m excited to share a little corner of Italian coast with you this morning. Tom and I cycled through this beautiful city on our way to Ljubljana years ago and fell in love with its steep twisting streets.

So, reading about Michelle’s move to Trieste, her thoughts all accompanied by beautiful photos, has been an absolute treat. MY Creative is a lovely peek in to this coastal city. Here’s Michelle to tell us more.

1) Tell me about your slice of coast and why you love it.

I live in Trieste in the North East of Italy. Before my husband got his job here I had never even heard of the place. It might be considered unusual moving somewhere you haven’t ever been but something I had done before when I moved to England. All I knew (after looking on the map) was it was Italy, was very close to the borders of Slovenia and Croatia and was on the sea. After about 8 months of being here it is a beautiful change to the rush of London (people by the sea are just calmer, no?) and I am definitely growing to love this place.

I grew up by the sea (in Cape Town) and I suppose that creates in you that weird sort of love for the ocean while at the same time also not really appreciating it. This time around I am definitely going to make the most of it.

I love that I can see a (tiny) sliver of ocean from our window and I think the ocean makes you appreciate how small you, and your problems, are. Plus it has that ability to still your soul. I’m not much of a meditator but staring out to sea and down into the depths (the water here is really clear) is the kind of meditation that I can definitely manage.

I also love how changeable the ocean is. It has mood swings like me!

2) What’s your favourite thing to do by the sea?

I’ve never been an impressive swimmer so although a dip in the ocean is lovely I mostly just enjoy a decent walk alongside, sitting and reading a book and occasionally looking up and realising how tiny I really am.

Since we have only been here over the winter so far seaside activities have mostly involved just walking down to the waterfront, going for walks along the promenade, appreciating how water makes sunset’s just that much more spectacular, and watching all the sea life (jelly fish, little fish and more recently biiig fish).

I did take my first dip in the ocean recently though and with summer here I am planning to take a couple more. I actually quite like that they don’t have the sandy beaches here because there is a sudden drop and then you are basically in a giant pool! Plus it is so much warmer than the water in Cape Town.

3) If you had a little sailing boat, where would you go?

Ooh, so hard. I have never been to Greece and been thinking about a Greek Island holiday. It seems a bit of a weird thing to crave when you live by the sea but I suppose we still live in a town.

That deep pool for swimming sounds a pretty perfect way to enjoy the summer. I’m still working up the courage for my first chilly dip this season. No excuse to put it off any longer!

If you have a slice of sea you’d like to share, please get in touch!

Pictures by Michelle Young

Moving On

You might have heard my rumblings about changes at work. We now know that our team will definitely be cut. They are, all twelve of them, a fantastic team to work with and I feel proud of what we’ve achieved together in the last eighteen months. And we’ve still got another eight months to do more.

But, as the end is in sight, I’m starting to plan my next steps and my head is full of SLT. So, I’m looking forward to sweet seaside distractions from some guest writers. Keep an eye out on Monday for a note from Trieste.

Seaside Bloggers: collaborating

I’m writing this to you now, but I’d far rather sit over a cup of tea and tell you all about it. The instant connection of talking face to face is hard to recreate through a screen. But, I love sharing my corner of the world and hearing about yours. Whether it’s a good read, or an average day, it’s those little connections across the miles that add to the joy of writing.

Blogging is a distillation of what’s important to us, and a chance to share those passions. If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know I’m a seaside dweller through and through. I love the summer holiday colours (bright plastic buckets, raspberry sauce on a Mr Whippy) as much as the moody winter storms (seaweed churning under roiling depths, wind whipping your hair).

I know I’m not alone in this. With 217,490 miles of coastline on this little blue planet, a lot of people must be seaside dwellers; or close enough to run away to the edge of the land when the moment calls for a few lungfuls of that salty air. I’d like to share some of those moments- give a glimpse of different slices of sea, and hear from those who love it.

A few of my favourite bloggers are busy writing for my new Seaside Bloggers guest series. If you have a favourite coastal spot, from whichever corner of the big blue expanse, I’d love to hear about it. Do send me an email. I can’t wait to share some different coastal perspectives!

Foxes and Bombers: June Reads

It’s been another busy month of distractions, but I’ve been saved by two good reads that have kept my mind occupied. I never knew a Kate Atkinson that I didn’t love, and Life After Life exceeded all promise. Ursula is a wonderful character, and I was amazed at the seamless way Atkinson weaved together lives that are different but the same. Go and read it; it really does live up to the hype, and chances are someone you know will have a copy.

I’m currently reading The Passage. Very different from Atkinson (what with the vampires and futuristic viruses) but equally captivating. It’s well-written pulp fiction that reads like a movie. I’m obviously not the first person to think this as it’ll be coming out it in celluloid before long.

One of my favourite things about reading is wandering round the house and gathering a pile of books that a might read next. I’m still far too engrossed in Cronin’s California adventure to choose my next book. No doubt I’ll get some inspiration from Laura’s linkup on #theyearinbooks.