Where's this? Bet you can't guess.
We go away and I take a few photos. We don't see the sun. That's how it's been this year, a couple of nice days all summer.
To get to the place above I drive for an hour and a half, along windy roads, keeping a wary eye on the oncoming traffic.
We get out of the car, take a deep breath and walk. The sea air calms me down. I love the views. We walk for a couple of hours, take a few photos. They're all as shit as the one above.
Then it's back in the car for a stressful hour and a half drive back to where we're staying. The views and the fresh air are forgotten as my daily afternoon slump takes hold and I'm desperately trying to concentrate on not hitting another car. I hate driving so much but how else do you get to the places you want to go, the places of peace and oneness with nature?
The next day it pisses down and I think "fuck it" and drive home along busy motorways, a sleepy automaton on auto-pilot.
I know where the place is in the photo: it's an old cove somewhere. (Is that near enough?)
ReplyDeleteThose windy roads that you drove along sound interesting. Just how windy were they? Mild breeze, perhaps? Or a force-8 gale? Do tell.
You're right though: it is a bit hard to get to the great British wilderness without a car. But that's just the problem, ain't it? It's precisely because of the car and the road network that was built to serve it, that there are hardly any peaceful, out-of-the-way places left. If there are, I bet someone's planning to build a visitors' centre there soon.
I drove over 3,000 kms this Summer and my better half snapped over 600 pics...that's one every 5k!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun even though I had to white knuckle it through the mountains.
You need some SUNLIGHT man! Go to the store and get one of those faux UV lamps..that'll fix you right up.
Is that the edge of the earth?
ReplyDeleteChris - It's National Trust land so you can imagine the crowds. I did see a couple of confused people at the bus stop nearby, wondering why the next bus was in 20 hours.
ReplyDeleteDonnnnn - I've now officially retired from driving on holiday. I'd honestly rather be at work than behind the wheel. Mountain driving is not something I fancy trying. It looks like we may be getting some sun on Saturday. But I don't trust the forecasts this year.
MJ - One step and we would have been off the edge, falling falling falling into space.
It looks a bit like Chesil Beach, exhibiting classic longshore drift.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Geoff - now they've perfected the satnav they are working on the computer that does the driving for you - a genuine auto pilot.
ReplyDeleteIt's true - I heard it on the radio.
So you can sit in the back and drop off.
You definitely need some sun. Although that might involve turning up at Glasgow airport to find the tour company's gone tits up.
ReplyDeleteBlame the jetstream - it's lying over Birmingham when it should be over Shetland. That's why Orkney and Shetland are the only places in the UK to have a decent summer.
Murph - You're exactly what me and Betty need as a companion: a geographic dog. It was a lot longer drive from home, however. And I was too scared to walk the path down to the beach, what with its vertiginous drop.
ReplyDeleteKaz - Good old Tom Tom. Does it attach to your sleeping hand and nudge you into one fingered hand signals, too?
Malc - I was going to go with XL to support my team but that company's in trouble, too. Isn't there a resort on the Isle Of Wight that's had good weather? And apparently it was lovely in Deal the other day yet shite here.
Just think, though Geoff... you might have gone abroad for sunshine.
ReplyDeleteAnd with your luck, you'd have been in the Channel Tunnel or be booked on XL or Zoom.
By a coincidence Fat Larry, who did the song Zoom, had a mouth as big as the Channel Tunnel and his t-shirts were size XL.
ReplyDeleteIt was all in the stars.