When I first visited Cornwall, I immediately fell in love with its beauty and calmness. I thought that my first impressions were not going to last long and would disappear or become a norm, losing its purity and uniqueness. However, it did not happen. Cornwall surprised me for the second time and proved to be a truly breathtaking part of the British Islands.
So where did I go? It was a small town, Bude, in the north of Cornwall, where I spent a truly remarkable weekend in a tent surrounded by trees, grass and other campers. Arriving on a beautiful sunny Friday evening in July last year, I felt already relaxed just by observing nature in its glory. After having a very refreshing sleep, I woke up at 6am feeling ready to explore Bude. Driving to the town I had to stop to admire the astonishing views of the blue ocean and yellowish dry grass.
After arriving in the town, I had a little stroll around, I went to see the centre with its local shops and boutiques and then slowly followed the river up to the beach to be impressed by the amazing view of white foamy waves against the background of the navy blue water. I walked on the beach trying to wet my feet and overcome the extreme coldness of the morning ocean. As it was getting warmer, I noticed that many sunbathers found their way to cool down and they were swimming in the sea. I immediately decided to follow them and a minute later I was immersing myself in the pool of natural, salty water. The pool was surrounded by a tall rock formation on one side and by the ocean on the other. At low tide, the pool could be accessed from the beach, however at high tide, it was flooded with water, so swimming was necessary to get to the beach.
As the twilight was falling, many passionate crab-catchers appeared on the river bank. They were accompanied by their family and friends who eagerly supported them. The crab-catchers were only saving the bigger specimen. For the dinner plate?-one may wonder. From time to time, you could hear someone screaming ‘Jellyfish!’ as these beauties were also thrown into the river with the high tide.
It was so good to slow down and simply enjoy life for those two days. I remember the feeling of sadness on Sunday evening when we were leaving the weekend in Bude behind and heading back home. I guess tranquillity and happiness can be addictive. I will need another dose of them very soon!
Written by Kinga Macalla
Edited by Alicja Zajdel
Photos courtesy of Kinga Macalla
