Looks like a bunch of beach to you? So it is. We're surrounded by beach, and Tara loves it. Between her toes, under her bum, and especially over her feet. She loves it in Ramsgate, in Margate, or in Botany Bay; on a regular day or a festival, with or without ice cream, with or without picnick, and with or without friends. All she really needs is a shovel, although she loves her sandy beaches best with friends, picnick, shovel and ice cream too. Me too. That's the combo on which I get to lie back, enjoy what sunshine remains of the summer, and read a mag. Beaches are bliss.BROADSTAIRS, VIKING BAY
Earlier this month, when the weather was still officially (as opposed to wonderfully and accidentally) sunny, and Onkel Andi-to-us was around. Tara begged to be allowed on the beach, and then Tara begged for help burying her feet. Can you see her asking, "Please, kind sir uncle, bury my feet some more?" Actually, her English is not quite that advanced, but I'm sure you can still see her begging, "Mehr! Mehr! Mehr!" (morex3)
"Mehr? Meehr! Meeehr?"
She did get some help (see big handprints at front of Mount Foot), but she also did a pretty good job herself, and only had enough when a kilo of sand had accumulated inside her clothes, and ice cream was offered as a bribe...
Here it is, in all it's glory, a proper English summer beach, complete with (under-used, due to pap weather all around) swings, merry-go-round, and trampoline-frames (right front). All closed. Early September is end of season, innit. Donkeys gone home, too.
MARGATE MAIN SANDS, INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL
A festival! Oh aren't we glad we came down! This is de-light-ful! Look at all the kites in the air! Regular, 3D ones, monster-ginormous ones, extraordinary ones, and most of all we love the panda! Look at our delicious picnick... ah, can't see that, we ate it up before I took my camera off the kites. Never mind. Now, Tara? She has to be forced a little to get her to admire the kites. She's spotted the mini-"demmi-demmi" (Remmi-Demmi, i.e. amusements) at the back of the beach, in particular the swings, and is dying to go. We trudge off with a little pocket money from dad and blow it all on the rides. Tara bravely sits through three trips on Thomas Tank (see pic on main link), then blows her last Penny on the scary ride that doesn't only go in circles but also up and down a mini-mount. "Mami, finished!" she tells me once she's gone round twice, but has to sit it out for another two minutes. Brave girl. And the swings? Too big for my small girl, and we're out of pocket money too.
We lurve Mr. Panda
Aaaaaww, kites!Ice cream, on this occasion? A treat, not a bribe.
RAMSGATE MAIN SANDS
The beach at our doorstep. Not the most attractive looking of the lot, so I'm giving you a picture of the adjacent harbour instead.We come down right after nursery, sometimes, tired Tara complete with left over lunch in much loved, smoothie containing lunch box, and a shovel if Mum remembered to bring one. Tara loves this beach too. She's not a discriminator of beaches. I am. I judge them by aesthetic surroundings, and this one fails us badly. You can't actually see the harbour when you're playing. My favourite is Botany Bay, where you can't see anything other than beach, sea, cliffs, people and ships in the distance. That one rocks my boat, so...
(You never truly like what you got, don't you. Beaches, straight/curly hair, all the same...)
BOTANY BAY, THE FAMILY FAVOURITE
We sat here the other day, and I was thinking, 'Not bad, not bad at all. Not quite Leicester and New Walk, but actually, not bad at all. Actually, good!' There we go: My first truly positive Thanet moment, ten (10!) months after the move. It's been a while, but this beach in peach.
So of course we bring a friend. And a picnick. And a mag. And then we trust the men to look after the child. And don't they all look delighted? Me too. Behind the camera, munching on a brownie, reading some randomly interesting articles about random health and fitness things directly opposed to munching on brownies, and chilling happily in the late summer sun. As fate had it, just half a week before a cold autumn chill descended and ended the season, for all that we know.
*Sigh*
5 comments:
I think you just won the price for the longest blog entry ever.
And where did the spinach go??
The spinach went where it belonged, further down the entry list as per its original date, 5.9. (one day and 5 years after original arrival to UK) Why? You wanting to try it for any interesting reason?
Ah, I thought there was sand in'ne spinach. Maybe I will try it, though the microwaved plastic bag sounds a bit daring.
Anyways, love the pics. FUN!
"Oh look! The BEACH! I want to go to the beach....Oh, look ANOTHER beach! I want to go to the beach....Crap, more beach?! Why don't we go to the beach?!"
I love the Tara vs. Sand pictures. Especially the one with her in a hole wearing her rubber boots. Those came in handy I'm sure. Especially for bringing along 2 kilos of sand home for later.
Wellies (aka rubber boots) - I know... What you don't know is that there were still a handful of very nearly naked proper english kids around. scary. and the sand, indeed. we need about two or three extra kilo for our sand in'ne garden. we have miraculously lost some of our supplies there... how, i wonder...
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