A low tide at Polzeath, Cornwall

We slept well and woke quite late, so that our first day began at a slow pace and continued thus.  The low cloud cover stayed for most of the day and encouraged us to be suitably lazy.  When we did get out we wandered down to the beach and headed for the small group of shops and cafes which are congregated where the road crosses the small river which once upon a time created the bay in which Polzeath lies.

The web access here is limited and we are learning to modify our online behaviour.  We knew a cafe we had visited last year which provided free wifi access, but I was wary of it because it is a religious centre.  There was no pressure put on us, and we bought some tea and coffee and did manage to get  online, but the speed of the service was exceedingly slow.  I received some good news via my email that the Neighbourhood Plan project was proceeding well, which means some of my concerns were alleviated, so that I can begin to relax into the holiday.

Form the cafe we walked around the southern headland of the cove and with the sun beginning to break through the clouds I hoped to get a different view across the beach with the sun behind me.  The tide was just about at its lowest point but that doesn’t stop the beach life.  Swimmers and surfers enjoyed the small waves which the Life Guards’ noticeboard said was ideal for beginners.  The surfing school had two large classes in the water, the small blue boards being mostly young people, whilst the yellow boards seemed to be for those trying to stand for the first time.  As these classes made their way down the beach it provided an interesting colour scheme marking the activities.

I stood for a while on the headland waiting for the intermittent sun to illuminate the scene.  To save carrying heavy gear around the path above the cliffs, I only had one lens so couldn’t zoom in on some of the wonderful little scenes being enacted across the wide stretch of sand exposed by the low tide.  I liked the rather ‘Lowry-esque figures in this picture showing the young and old, the active and passive all enjoying the setting in their own ways.  I also wanted to catch the beautiful golden light on the wet sands, formed by reflections from the fields on the far headland.  There is so much to see here.