MISTY WIDEMOUTH BAY

On Sunday, we decided to head for the beach, this time to the spectacular Widemouth Bay along from Bude, in North Cornwall. As we approached Bude in the blisteringly hot sunshine, we noticed a strange belt of what looked like cloud, running along the coast as far as we could see in both directions. Marvelous - over an hour of sweaty driving and we cruised into an incredibly thick sea mist and the temperature dropped by about seven or eight degrees. To start with, we could barely see where we were going as we schlepped along what we assumed was the beach; only the sand and rocks were the giveaway. We found a little inlet all to ourselves. This picture was taken later when the mist had cleared:

Despite the mist, it was still very hot and Snippet started to look for a nice cool place to settle in:

Where can he go?

Aha!

We couldn't see the sea at all through the mist...

We walked in the right general direction....

And even when we made it, visibility was pretty low!

Eventually it started to clear and within an hour was a mere wisp:

We could see how really spectacular the rock formations were:

The rocks were covered in tiny mussels:

The sand was perfect:

I found a bit of charcoal left over form someone's barbecue and drew Snippet on a rock:

There were little sand elvers in steaming shallow pools, poached in the hot water:

The five hours there passed in a flash. I swam in the sea for the first time since 1983. We walked back to the car with hair sticky with salt, skin sticky from factor 50 sun cream and that feeling of being baked in the sun. We ate ice cream before driving home. I haven't been abroad since 1998 so haven't felt like this for SO long. What a lovely day. Long may this weather last, although perhaps a bit of overnight rain for the garden please? Until next time, here's Snippet in the mist.