Great day for surfing?

I could hardly stand up! I definitely wasn't going to walk into that wind. I'm just not heavy enough.

Today was our local, scenic bus routes day. We realised at breakfast that we had only s few minutes to spare before heading into town for the bus to Combe Martin. In fact, we legged it down the hill so fast that we arrived twenty minutes early! It was raining, and J sat on a red seat provided by the Turkish barber shop while we waited.

Combe Martin is a pretty village with a beach that is probably far too crowded in summer. We walked out along the path to the open waters (there's a sort of breakwater on the beach) and watched the waves for a long time, as well as the rock pools that form at low tide. Back in the village, we found an unpretentious bakery and had elevenses. Just for good measure, I must point out that there was also an organic handcrafted sourdough bakery, but who needs both ? We caught the bus back to Ilfracombe, and boarded the next one to Wollacombe, the the three-mile long surfers' paradise beach.

There they were, the surfers, like penguins on a David Attenborough documentary,, riding the waves in winds they could hardly stand up in. I just stood and watched, mesmerised. Dogs looked happy to be alive and free on the beach. Children were cheerful too. I just kept thinking I might blow away.

We found a cafe overlooking the beach and had some hot chips. I thought I had gone to paradise. Wollacombe is so busy (not the cafe, they are regulated) there was not much social distancing at all, but maybe the stiff Atlantic breezes destroy the virus, or blow it across the ocean.

Back in Ilfracombe, I checked out the restaurants for our final supper, and found they were mostly booked up. We ate at the Tandoori night in the end, and, despite a long wait, enjoyed a fabulous meal. Watched the crazy waves flinging themselves around the rocks on Wilderrmouth beach one more time, then caught the bus back up the hill. Unfortunately it didn't stop, even though I rang the bell, so we had a long walk, fortunately all downhill.