The beach, Bahrain

Many things puzzled me about Bahrain. It's an island, but with remarkably few public beaches. Nonetheless, on my visit there, I decided that we ought to give my sister's beagle, Gypsy, a taste of liberty by letting her run wild and free along a beach, as she might have done before she came to Bahrain in 2002.

It was not a great success. I had not realised there were so few beaches accessible to the public, and, crucially that the culture of Arabia does not permit casual contact with dogs. They are feared, and possibly considered unclean. We were approached by several giggling children who very daringly asked to pat Gypsy, but others were scared of her and scurried away at her approach. The Chariots of Fire gambol along the golden sands did not happen. Chariots of Fear, more like, along a grey beach on an overcast day.

Only the solitary seated figure seemed at ease.

This is a very old image. If you view it, please also check out my blip of today's actual date. I am exploring working on old photos; they may not be great images, but if I don't try and process them and put them up, they'll never be seen again. Besides, as Joe might say, one picture sparks a thousand memories. Stories are worth sharing.