My favourite afternoon drive

My favourite drive at any time is down the Esplanade, either on my way to, or from work – in fact, any time I am in the general area I slow drive the entire beach front. I love the seashore, with water sand and surf changing with the weather in an instant. People on the beach are so different, some walking the dog, and there are fast walkers with iPods in their ears, taking no notice at all where they are. One child sits quietly amid a ring of sandcastles, she is watching, with longing, a family with six rambunctious children. They are chasing seagulls, playing cricket, screaming, running in all directions, pure enjoyment. Couples, long married, with pants rolled to the knee paddling in the warm water of the rock pools, collecting shells, content in just being together. People, diverse in their circumstance are gathered together enjoying the surf, sun and sand. Then there are the Wind surfers, I can sit for ages watching them, in the short paragraph below I have tried to capture the excitement of the sport. Please enjoy.

Wind surfer 

I sit on a bench overlooking my favourite beach, where golden sand meets aqua sea. The late afternoon sun is hot and bright; the choppy waves, silver tipped, are being pushed toward the shore by a strong west wind. I enjoy the activity before me. The windsurfer is skipping across the water, faster and faster, gathering speed until he and his board leap into the air, flying like a translucent butterfly, glittering and shining, high into the sky, on a one-winged flight. Then, plunging back onto a wave, hesitates, for a split second, as if getting the measure of sea and wind. It then skitters across the waves until once again gathering speed, leaps high above the waves, this time flipping a complete circle, then slapping down with a satisfying thud. Watching man and board compete against wind and sea, I am constantly fascinated with their courage and tenacity. Their constant battle against Mother Nature is amazing. I sit, relaxed, day dreaming about my love of sand and sea, then realise that more wind surfers have joined my unknown friend. I sit mesmerised as they fly faster and faster, the wind chasing them, pushing them to perform even more magical aerobatic feats. Suddenly, joining them, on the long curve of sand, a dune buggy appears; it has a large oblong wind filled kite overhead. Man and machine race with the wind, faster and faster until both, unbelievably, leave the sand and rise up toward the sky. Hanging, for a few long seconds, until gravity, again, takes hold; they bounce back to earth and continue to race the length of the beach, turning they race back, again, at an incredible pace.

I return to my car, reflecting on the magic of nature and the people who continue to strive to conquer her.

Where is your favourite afternoon drive? Where do you stop and have a think? Tell us below.

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