Beach trek

That tiny figure along the sandbank is Anna, who decided to come looking for me and her dad - a trek that involved a barefoot squidgy traverse of the green seaweedy bit and a long test of determination over sand that hasn't quite been sufficiently pulverised to be painless.

One of the joyful things about holidays here - a feature that hasn't changed since I was a child - is the freedom given by space and nature, so that a small girl can choose her adventure and complete it.

They've just left on the evening ferry and the big house feels very empty without them. Having family with us means I can relive my childhood - and I have!