A tranquil walk

Around noon, we set off on a familiar four-and-a-half-mile walk, starting alongside Ryde Beach and heading towards Seaview. The Ryde 10-mile race was taking place, so there were lots of runners along part of the seashore. We stopped for a coffee and cake at Appley Beach Café, which was doing a great trade in drinks and snacks. I suspect it’s great for their winter coffers. At Puckpool, we diverged from the race route to stick to the shore, later through the floodgate onto the Seaview path that emerges again at the yacht club. We sat on the benches observing the seabirds.

I have no idea what the birds were, but they amused us, waddling to the water’s edge, searching for food, and running away from the incoming waves, occasionally taking flight to avoid getting caught up in the surf. Quite a few people stopped to watch. It’s quite a sight seeing a flock of birds retreating from the water in unison.

There was a tranquillity to sitting, watching wildlife by the sea. It’s remarkably calming. Coincidentally, I read an article promoting the positive benefits of silence. We live in an increasingly noisy world—even our attempts to find serenity in an urban environment come with headphones and a preferred soundtrack—and this was a moment away from that. I’ve probably noted before the calm we can find on the Isle of Wight. This was a lovely end to the visit. It’s good for the soul.

The loud conversations in the train carriage—the sort that can be heard even while listening to music through headphones—brought us back to the mainland with an aural bump.