Net of Wonder

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.
(Jacques Yves Cousteau)


The reason that I posted yesterday's blip so very late (half past midnight or later) was that my lovely friend Sheila rang me and invited me to take a night-time walk on the beach with her. It was magical - we went to Whitburn and walked on the sand as the tide came in, lights reflecting on the water, warm (ish!) breeze, darkening sky, deep conversation. Perfect.

For some reason I was still hankering after the sea this afternoon, so I headed off to Seaham. I have blipped from there before. blairdash kindly suggested that I visit Blast Beach, and this is it! Very different to Vane Tempest Beach, and more isolated. It is so beautiful, in a rugged and post-industrial kind of way! It gets its name from the blast furnaces built here in the late 19th century. There was also a chemical works on the shore just to the north.

There is some visible evidence of this industrial past, but the beaches have been cleaned up considerably to make them safe for people and wildlife to enjoy. You can see that there are wonderful wild flowers on the cliff-tops and on the beach itself. Some of these are rare, and in turn attract some rare species of butterflies and birds.

After having a wander along the cliffs and venturing half-way down the steep slope to the beach, snapping constantly, I went to the fabulous Downey's for chips and a cup of tea. Boy, were they good chips! Unfortunately the very friendly staff also recommended Tutti Frutti the sweet shop next door, so I came home clutching a bag of proper old fashioned cinder toffee. Yum!

For a while Seaham had a reputation for being quite rough, but there has been a lot of development and new marina facilities are due to open in a couple of months. While I was there today I had many chats with lovely people who pointed out good photography points, footpaths, and sites of rare flowers, and shared the history of the place with me.

So, I've had a very slow and relaxed afternoon at the seaside and I'll sleep well tonight with lungs full of fresh sea air. :o)

A couple of videos for you to choose from today depending on your taste - a slightly sunnier sea or a nice relaxing sea themed song.