A day by the seaside is just lovely, and even people living in Derbyshire or Leicestershire are not too far away for a few days taking in the sea air. In his book Blue Mind, the author notes that gazing over the horizon is the last place where we can ‘see nothing’ (even parks usually have buildings in the distance). So that’s partly why we feel so relaxed on the coast. Years ago, doctors would send people to the sea to ‘take in the sea air’ due to negative ions.
Check for tide times and sinking mud, and take care on windy days as the sea is powerful and could easily knock a person or dog off their feet (check for dog beach bans before travel and keep dogs away from seaweed, as it can expand in the stomach as it dries).
You don’t have to swim at the sea, just walking is good! Whether the beach is sandy or pebbly, depends on local landscapes.
- Pebbles are usually found near cliffs, with higher waves. Rough rocks can eventually be smoothed by the waves to make seaglass, which is often used for jewellery. Never take pebbles from the beach (illegal in Italy) as they form natural sea defences. Removal in excess could cause coastal floods.
- Sand is found in shallow water (where waves have less energy). It’s usually brown due to iron oxide (unlike the Caribbean, where coral and quartz turns the sand white or pink). For sandcastles, best results are to use wet sand (50/50 water) on cool days.
