Author Archives: words and signs

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About words and signs

I am an Artist and Writer, living and working in London. I am grateful for all the things I have been able to do in my life and for what I am doing now. I serve Christ and seek to share Him with others…

December dip: Herne Bay

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A mild day for December with light wind and intermittent sunshine. I checked the sea front as there was a bit of a heave on in the wintery sea. The waves were not large but break onto the stony shore line at about 45°. My concern was the strength of the undertow, as the force drags the stones and water back into the grey depths.

I decided it was ok to have a go and try out the sea. The heave of the water was churning up the sand further out, but the water line was right up on the stones. I had swim socks on, but the walking over the stones was painful. The water was not that cold and I stood in it up to my waste for a few minutes.

It can be a lonely business swimming in winter, but so refreshing. If your body is hurting, the cold has a healing effect on muscle and bone, and the body is able to relax. When we have any kind of pain, the tension makes us feel sore, but the release into the cold water just seems to override every pang.

I took a dip, and came out. When I reached the edge of the beach, I was sorry not to have stayed a bit longer. I couldn’t bring myself to walk over the stones. I had to be satisfied and remember to enjoy for longer next time…

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Afterward…..

Botany Bay: Summer 2018

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Botany Bay was in full glory today.. 

The sun shone down on yellow sand and deep green sea. The chalky white cliffs rose up from the beach with all the grandeur of huge white teeth.! 

They really are spectacular and give the location a uniquely coastal feel of smugglers and pirates. The orangey damp sand is clean with chips of the white cliffs every few paces.

The sea washes in and cleans everything it grabs from the beach. Swimming is very refreshing after a long hot summer in London. The water eases all pains from yesterday’s bike ride and heals all cuts and bruises in its medicinal depths.

It is so liberating to swim here. There are no restrictions and the water is easy to adapt to. Swimming sets the body free and it calms the mind. Looking up at the blue vault of heaven is so soothing and clarifies the mood and pierces all doubt and fears into oblivion. 

Swimming West is easy in the in-coming tide, but back Eastward is slower. It feels that there is little progress and the turn of the tide has a mighty drag. There is no rush today, just being. 

The water envelops me. It feels like a suit that protects and heals my body. The saltiness is wonderful, a sweetness on the lips. The effect bouys up the weight of the body and gives liberty to movement. Free swimming in 360° of balmy liquid. This is the healing effect. The sights and sound add to the scene. Everything is free and choice. 

I drink in the sensual paradise. I don’t know when so will get back here again. Gazing at the sea, feeling sand, glorying in the beauty of the sky… I look around, full panorama.. fronts coming in on all sides, it seems… they dissipate quickly and the threat of rain goes past. It doesn’t matter anyway… nothing can spoil this scene whatever season of the year you would come here. 

This is the place for pirates and free living people. No rules of the city apply, only the wit of your own mind.

When the waters rise
And the tide comes in
Then will end
The hurt within.
Cold waves rise
For pain and grief
On the coming tide
Full relief.

Brockwell Lido

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After a busy week at school and looking after Frankie, my body was full of pains and I didn’t know how I was going to recover and do the other things that needed doing. My back was very painful from lifting, carrying an pushing the buggy. My Periformis muscle was acting up and causing me much pain in walking and bending and carrying. I do a series of exercises which work really well, but by day three, I felt past the point of no return.!

I remembered the cold water. Cold water is an amazing way to deal with pain. So, off I went to the Lido. I had no trouble getting into the water, it was sheer bliss. As soon as the cold took over, I was instantly cured. All the tension, pain and stress melted away, and I could see the sunshine and sky and trees overhead.

I swam six lengths easily and the cold did not take over. It makes the person feel powerful and like a great healing has taken place in your body and mind. I shall remember this cure, this weapon against the stresses of life….

Herne Bay: Isle of Thanet

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What a beautiful day. A heavenly start to the Wild swimming year. It’s only April, and the sky and sea reflect the most precious shades of Azure and Lapus Lazuli. The water is crystal clear and in stark contrast to the last visit to this beach. All is tranquil and a peace that falls from the blue infiltrates everything along the strand.

It is irresistible. Ankle deep was cold. Hip deep was not so bad. I got in the water in the end. The desire to swim has returned for another year. It’s always strange that it seems so cold in the mind, but not so much in reality… 

The water was clean and refreshing – very easy to strike out into the beautiful blue. Hardly a ripple from the deep except for concentric circles from children throwing stones on the seaside. It fills the heart with thankfulness to be able to just look upon the scene all around and appreciate where it came from. There is no way this is the result of a game of Russian roulette.!

Somehow, the chill seems to cause pain and hurt to seep away into the great ocean. It all gets lost in the supreme majesty of the situation. Everything is magnified- the golden stones, the crystal deep, the bluer than blue skies that shout the glory of God. 

I brought a wetsuit because I didn’t think I could bear the cold… there are forces greater than cold and I succumb to them. Getting out feels warm, glowing and life giving. I feel the need to do this as a kind of mind reboot and a return to my home in Ireland where memory is strong…. 

Nehemiah 9:6 NIV “You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”

Let me not be foolish and forget God. May His presence be ever felt and known… 

Porz Pan, Brittany, France

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A tiny cove set deep into the Brittany coastline and easy to miss. No human habitation us anywhere near the small grey beach, with the magnificent deep blue sea washing against the grains of sand and smoothly rounded grey stones and pebbles. Rocks surround the cove and the opening to the open sea protects the cove from rough weather and therefore provides good, safe mooring..

There are no boats and no people today and a gusty breeze sweeps over the sea surface and gives a slight chill. The sky is azure blue with a few non-committal clouds and some seagulls calling out to each other.

As I climb down the rocks, some wetsuit-clad boaters carry their dinghy across the pebbles and away out to sea.

The sun shines, the breezes blow and the great deep calls out to me. I answer. Walking through the waves and over the sand ridges out to deeper water. It is easy to swim and just lie back in the water and view the 360° vista all around..

My hands get cold today and turn bright red, like lobsters.. I lie back and hold them up, like warning flags in the crisp wind, which gives some relief. It’s easier to swim on my back so my hands get some time out of the cold…

This is such a beautiful spot and well worth the travel. The peddles are so smooth on the beach, which suggests some fairly rough sea activity in stormy times.

Nahum 1:5-7 NIV
“The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

Port Moguer, Brittany, France

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An intriguing place, this tiny cove. Empty in the day and full up at high tide. 19:00 and it is almost at its peak high tide. What a beautiful evening that couldn’t be ordered. The sinking golden sun shed its last rays on the grey water before retiring for the evening.

Wetsuit again, as the cold is too much for me at the moment. 10°C is a bit of a shock in April.. my hands turn bright red with the chill, but feel warm and glowing afterwards.

The sea is crystal clear, grey anthracite, liquid and steely metal. It looks like molten iron that has been poured from a great furnace, but cold and harsh. The sunlight makes it inviting, but its heat has not yet penetrated the depths of the ocean. The water is choppy, jostling for attention along the shore- it is there for a sort time and then dragged away by moon and tide until tomorrow’s daily visit.

Striking out is easy in the suit and the water is so buoyant and full of energy and life. There is no sign of animal or fish, but only the grey stones below and huge grey hulks of rock along the edge. The outlet into the sea is very narrow and the cove is almost a circular pond of salty brine. How much to swallow to reach daily minimum amounts, I wonder.!  The salt is strong and purifies the rubbish that floats in its bowers of the deep- part of its mystery and with doom- laden notes.

It is enjoyable just thrashing about and wallowing in the light supporting medium that gives such control and freedom of body movement. The only drawback is the suit… maybe in a few days I will take it off…

Grey in the Scriptures refers to the wisdom of age and God does not discriminate against older people… Grey is positive to Him because it signifies strength and dignity.

Isaiah 46:4 NIV
“Even to your old age and grey hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

Grève du St. Marc, Côtes d’Armor, Brittany, France

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First swim of the season. Wore my wetsuit, as it is April in Le Manche ..! Tried Plage Boneparte yesterday but very cold in a swimsuit. That’s the excuse over…

A grey day with changeable sunny blinks. This small cove was so inviting and the ideal place to get me started. The suit was great and kept me warm so I could enjoy the water and the buoyancy that gives such a feeling of liberty. The water was deep green/blue and clear from limitations. A short gauntlet of mixed weeds in the shallows at first but clear swimming ahead.

A few small boats tied upI in this bay. A sheltered refuge, surrounded by the rocky coast. Also a sandy beach with many detached Limpet shells, with the tops worn off..! The sand is quite rough to the skin, and very abrasive.

A short but enjoyable swim and I hope to come back here. There are rocky islands further out that could be good landmarks to swim to. It is very invigorating to swim in the sea and enjoy the air, water and breezes that blow across the cove.

The sea was calm and inviting today. It if fearful to swim in it, as there is so much unknown beneath and under. It is not a trifling thing to go out into the depths…
Job 38:1-3,10-11 NIV
“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me…. when I fixed limits for it(the sea) and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?
The Lord us in charge of even the most intimidating power, even the great sea…

Sillon de Talbert: Swim at sundown

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At almost 22:00 the sun had already gone down under the horizon and the water continues to break and churn against the shore. We walked along the Sillon watching the water relentlessly cast itself wildly on the Western side of the sand bank. We walked 6.5km down to the far end of the stones and watched the evening change from silver to gold and then dark azure blue.

As the sun sank down, the sea took on that metallic quality that makes it look unreal and unworldly. The tips of the waves tipped with a silver light and the under depths a dark, shady Prussian blue and also black. Maybe this was the time for the night swim I had been promising to do for a long time…

The beach was so different in the fading light. As I walked into the sea it was by no means easy. The waves broke violently on the shore, churning up weed and stones. It seemed to get deep quickly, so I launched into the darkness. The water was really pleasant and beautiful to swim in. The swell bore the body up, but the waves didn’t break too far out, so it was easy to swim. The water below was very dark. The only light was the distance glow of the Suns whispering ends, as it disappeared over the edge of the world.

Getting back onto the shady beach, was different. I swam into the shallows but as I stood up, the drag back from the undertow was quite powerful. I had to hold on the the eroding sand as the powerful waves reclaimed their prisoners. When the moment came, and the next wave broke, I ran up the slope with the water. But the waves also brought in stones and rocks, which rolled over and under my feet. Fortunately the sand was soft and very pliable with the water, so standing on the stones buried them in the shifting surface. Reaching the shore unhurt, I walked home in my suit, enjoying the freedom of the open world.

It was a good experience, but it could have been hurtful and scary. Never under estimate the power of the sea…. Nothing is as it seems…

Penn Lann:Laneros:Brittany:France

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A beautiful day for swimming on this tiny ismus of land just around from Laneros. The town land is labelled Penn Lann, but the swimming cove is right down at the very end of this mini peninsula. The cove is used as an anchorage point for small pleasure boats. When the tide is out the sand and rocks are exposed across the cove, but when the water returns, it is clear and suitable for relaxing swims.

There is a definite current that pulls towards the eastern side of the cove, but it is easy to swim against this in shallow water, but has a significant impact further from shore. The water is clean and the sand and rocks can be seen on the bottom. The eastern end has no seaweed, whereas the western side of the cove has wrack of various kinds.

The discipline of keeping my mind above the water surface can be challenging. The depths are deep opaque green the further out I go, and keeping the concentration on the surface sunlight is important.

It was lovely to just relax in the fresh, clear water and swimming is safe and you can decide just how deep you want to go. With the sunlight sparkling on the rippled surface, it seemed like nothing could ever go wrong. The boats gave an added sense of good feeling.

The warm sea water was easy to get into and a good antidote for tired muscles after a cycle ride. Flip flops are necessary for walking over the stones- just watch for the incoming tide…
Returning to shore I met a golden Labrador who was very friendly and happy to be in the sea. This is a good place for swimming and it seems not many people go there.

Pors Rand: Le Quebo: Brittany: France

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This popular beach has many visitors when the summer season is in full swing. There is a swimming deck just out from the shore and the yellow sand is skirted by large burnt sienna rocks. The beach is also interspersed with pebbles and stones, and shoes are necessary to walk comfortably to the water.

The water is deep blue well out from the shore, but the shallows contains much seaweed scraps that get caught on the swimmer. The weed is also dumped on the shore line and smells in the hot sun. This is probably a seasonal situation and to do with the wind which blows from the sea.

Swimming is pleasant and the water is cool, but had the bits and pieces of the seaweed floating in it. The bottom is sandy in places, some large stones and rocks. I didn’t swim here long as the water had been churned up quite a lot by use.