Three friends in a small car, loaded to the roof with badly packed tents, folding chairs, sleeping bags, gas burners and clothes. We’d been volunteering at a music festival for six days enjoying endless music, fun and unusually hot weather for the UK in June. We were tired and happy but not yet ready to return to our everyday lives. The drive back to Yorkshire would be long, but it was only 7.30am and the cloudless blue sky and early morning sunshine promised yet another heatwave for the day ahead.
Harbouring a weak sense of direction between us, it slowly became apparent that we were heading in the opposite direction to home, but as we drove around narrow country lanes with hedges high and signposts pointing us towards places none of us had ever heard of, we had but one goal and wouldn’t stop until we got there – the sea. By mid-morning we arrived in Ilfracombe, a small and beautiful town on the North Devon coast, we parked the car and began to explore. The place was just beginning to come to life, and we passed tourists strolling towards the harbour and others sitting under sunshades outside coffee shops and quaint cafes, we however, were not even tempted to stay and continued on our way toward distant cliffs.
We came across a small beach inhabited by only few people but decided to carry on. After a short walk along a stony path and through overgrown bushes we stumbled out to find ourselves at the top of a cliff. There below us was a small but perfectly formed cove. Soft golden sand, clear blue sea and large flat rocks, the invitation was there and we didn’t hesitate to accept as we scrambled down.
Somewhere in the distance we could see the harbour and the place we’d left behind, but we were here and we were now, and we were alive! Time didn’t matter, while the sun was shining and we were playing and relaxing, freedom was ours. One friend was soon asleep on a rock, the long nights of festival dancing finally catching up with him, another friend was lying on the sand, eyes closed and listening to the only sound, the gentle lapping of the sea on the shore. As for me? I was swimming in the sea enjoying the cool water in the hot midday sun. Every so often our intermittent laughter and joyful conversation would break through the still, warm air as we moved around our cove feeling at peace with ourselves, each other and the world.
Nature is a powerful communicator and we understood that we were meant to leave as the tide crept closer then closer still, gently pushing us back, first to the rocks then to the top of the cliff. We looked down as the sea made sure we left no trace, however there was something it couldn’t submerge – the sun touched joy that filled our souls and shone through our faces. It was a day I would dare to call perfect.
About the Author: Nina lives in Yorkshire and is passionate about Fair Trade, coffee and wild swimming and has travelled extensively around the UK and the world in search of places and people that can deepen her understanding and offer new experiences of these things and more.
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Obviously this turned out to be a good trip. Sometimes when you have a detour turns out to be the best adventure. Just came across your site looks great.