The Virtues of the North Sea

I've had a bit of a niggling cold this weekend, so I've not done any training towards the Brighton Marathon, which is now 5 weeks away today.  In fact, in 5 weeks time, at the time of writing this, I'll most likely be home, weeping like a child that I did too much, and it was such a chore walking home from the station.  Then again, with luck, I shall retain my  dignity, and do none of that, or better still, not admit it even if I did.

The cold isn't the worst, but it's one of those dry coughs, where there's something evil lurking in your throat, with a feather, ready to attack when you least need it.  I also feel as though I've done at the very least a 100 sit-ups when I try coughing out said daemon with his tickle stick.  For this reason, I don't want to be rendered with a coughin fit after 3 miles, and have to walk home, knowing I shouldn't have gone out.

So, yesterday was spent doing the usual round of taking Olive swimming, and then the shopping, and finding something to do with the rest of the day.  In this case, it was sorting out a wall in Olive's bedroom.  There were some shelves on there, I took them off one day, to discover a lot of the screws broke, and the plugs were stuck in the wall.  Basically, I put them up too well, and they weren't too happy coming down.  I had to resort to some drastic means to get everything out, and yesterday was the cover-up job.  Her room will be looking right again soon.

Today, I knew there was some decent weather coming along, and somewhere between today beginning, and making a whisky toddy last night, I decided the place to head towards would be the North Sea.  Growing up near to the North Sea (albeit a bit further North than Kent), I tend to find living near the coast the one big thing I miss.  So, whenever I get the chance to pop down for the day, and do some family walking and exploring, I'm rarely more happier.

In this case, it was the town of Whitstable, a dainty little place, with beach houses that would make you envious of those living there, lots of fresh oyster sellers, as well as other quirky places you can explore.  I still find pebble beaches a little weird, but I can live with them.

This was from 2010, Olive's so small

She also learnt the game of peek-a-boo here

We've been here a few times, but I think this was the first time we came that Olive may remember, as she may have just been stumbling around the place the last time we visited.  

We threw lots of pebbles back into the sea making a "plop!"

Walked along walls, and the wooden beach walls.  

We sat down to eat some Haddock and Chips.  

 The only thing that was mentioned, and we didn't find was an ice cream.  

C'est la vie.

With luck the North Sea air has done me some good.  To be certain though, I'm off to make a quick toddy.

Rule of thumb, be generous with the spirit.