Wet Feet and Blue Skies

It's been one of those stunningly beautiful sunny Spring days here in Tenby, all sunshine and daffodils and blue skies and blue sea and white waves. Just gorgeous.

First thing this morning (and by "first thing" I mean "after I'd eaten a massive breakfast") the tide was really low. So I set off to walk from Park Hotel, which is at one end of the North Beach, to the headland at the far end of South Beach. I suppose it's about three miles but, like a lot of miles round here, there's quite a bit of Up involved, and a certain amount of Down too, though the Up seems to be harder.

When I set off at about half-past nine, I was the only person on North Beach. I walked along to the harbour. The tide was so low that I found myself outside the harbour wall, which doesn't happen often.

I walked past all the boats lying on the sand in the harbour, went up the slipway at Harbour Beach and then down to St Catherine's Beach and so to South Beach. Tenby, of course, has several beaches, and each is lovely in a different way. North Beach is pretty with cliffs and a lovely view of the harbour. South Beach is a long expanse of sand with a beautiful headland at the end.

So on and on I went, stopping fom time to time to take photos. I was quite a way from the sea, though I knew the tide was coming in. Hearing a skylark singing above the dunes, I turned to see if I could see it.

Ah, no, you can't go taking your eyes off the sea for a moment. It knows.

The next thing I knew I was up to my ankles in water. The tide had suddeny decided to come in rather fast.

Of course. my first thought was - - - did anyone see my ridiculous look of surprise?

Luckily there was nobody about. So I tipped the water out of my walking boots and put them back on. My right foot, which is - unsurprisingly - attached to my right leg, which once had a thrombosis, always tends to feel a bit hot when I'm walking so actually it rather enjoyed its cool bath.

My left foot wasn't so impressed but would just have to live with it.

Of course, I was brought up to think that walking with wet feet was a sure and certain path to Heaven, rather sooner than intended. A bit like walking on Ilkley Moor baht 'at, as the instructive song lyrics tell us.

So I could hear my Grandma's ghostly voice whispering in my ear "Turn back! Turn back! You'll get pneumonia!"

I'm sorry to say that I ignored her completely and squelched my way up onto the headland. It was wonderful. Sand dunes and stunning views across to Caldey Island and St Margaret's Island. There was only me there, and the seagulls and the skylarks.

After wandering about for half an hour or so, I set off back again. By now I was used to my wet feet and they seemed quite contented with their state of wetness.

I enjoyed the walk back just as much - glorious sunshine, lovely scenery.

In spite of the massive breakfast I had taken an apple and a bar of chocolate with me. I'm diabetic and always take something that will give me a quick burst of sugar.

But I don't get a lot of warning about my blood sugar getting low. So I walked quite happily until I got to the bottom of the steep cliff path up to the hotel - - - and then suddenly I just couldn't go another step. So I ate first the apple, in case that was enough - - it wasn't. I set off up the cliff but just didn't have any energy. So I ate all the chocolate as I staggered my way up the path.

I had rung Park Hotel from the headland and asked them to make me some sandwiches for when I got back, as I knew I'd be hungry, and sure enough these were waiting for me along with some crisps. After I'd scoffed that lot, I began to feel a lot better. Finally I took my boots off and examined my wet feet which seemed to have suffered no ill effects at all.

I had a hot bath, and then fell fast asleep for an hour.

I woke up and looked out of the window. Being on top of a cliff, Park Hotel has a wonderful view of the harbour and the town. Tenby was bathed in afternoon sunlight. The tide had come right in and North Beach was covered in sparkling blue sea.

So I put my boots back on again and walked back down to the harbour, and took about a million photographs.

It's been a wonderful day. But if I wake up tomorrow with pneumonia, I'll know it was entirely my own fault. Sorry, Grandma.