exploring beer//hikes

Yesterday, I had the entire afternoon free so I headed to town to explore thoroughly. 

beer is filled with these tiny treasures/ this pump provides a stream that runs all the way through town

Most of the shops there are touristy, bursting with trinkets, jam, fudge, and tea. I also found an “up-scale” grocery store (like the Whole Foods of Beer) as well as a scuzzy* fish and chips shop, a post-office, and an antique store.

 

The antique shop was actually chock full of cool things, including poems written by a World War II soldier casually slipped into an envelope and hiding in a book shelf. I found baptism certificates from 1892, wedding license from 1902, and old star-wars comic books from 1978. There were countless ceramics, old brooches, and tons of fishing devices (Beer is historically a fishing town). It was a treasure trove.

made a friend

Chatted with quite a few Brits. Their sense of humor is distinct, and their bluntness hides behind mitigated politeness. They also tend to be more formal and a bit quieter than Americans. They’re friendly enough though, and I’ve enjoyed most of the interactions I’ve had with them.

Later, I headed towards the beach for some reading. Beer beach is odd- a small inlet between two white cliffs and the shore is made entirely of smooth, round stones. Walking on it is difficult, because it sucks you down and you must continually pull your feet up and forge on towards another step. On the main beach, people sun bathed between striped beach chairs and small fishing boat. 

v posh, beer beach

One man pulled on a wetsuit and swam into the water, joining the kayaks and buoys. Dogs barked and splashed, seagulls cawed high above, and the waves flowed gently onto the shore. A fishy smell pervaded the air, mixed with sea-salt and afternoon heat. A little further, closer to the cliffs, moss covered rocks were exposed by low-tide, and tourists balanced on them carefully. The sun shone down with the lackadaisical intensity I have come to expect from the British sun—not too hot, not too humid, just warm enough to know it’s there. Not a bad place for reading. 

reading view

Later, I hiked up the mountain for a bit of shade before heading home for dinner (which was chicken curry that was oddly quite good. I find this fascinating—the Brits themselves produce bland food and yet they fully embrace the Indian cuisine of spice.) 

After dinner, I hiked the coastal path to Seaton, the nearby village. It was a lovely hike, complete with ambling fields, wooded paths, and breath-taking views of the coast. I made my way down to another coastal inlet that was deserted, and spent a bit of time just admiring the towering cliffs above me. The sun was setting, the shadows were long and deep, and my solitary hike left me introspective, joyful, and marveling at the English country-side.

That led to this poem, by the way.

through fields and sunshine

sea cliffs at sunset

seaton

through the shaded wood

 Today or tomorrow, I might hike to Seaton again and explore the town a bit.

By the way, if you’re the kind of nosy folk I am, you’ll be delighted to know that there are two potential couples on this trip that I’m keeping my eye on.

Cheers, friends!

*British slang for cheap and greasy food