Life´s a Beach

Most of my friends and family think that living on the tropical island of Lanzarote I must be going to the beach a lot, simply because “it´s there”. Well, the truth is…. I don´t! 

I guess when you have something on your doorstep every day you soon start taking it for granted.  Take all the tourist attractions in London, for example – I think in my 20 years of living there I have only seen a handful of them (when family was over from Germany) – they were always there, but when you live in the same place they simply become part of your life and you don´t even consider visiting them. 

The same with the beach here, and it´s not just me.  Many other locals don´t go to the beach that often either.  Maybe once or twice a month, or during the summer. Like I say above, you just take it for granted when you live here. 

To be honest though, I have never been a beach person anyway although I love immersing myself in the salty sea water. To lie on a beach to get myself a tan, however, has never been something I have been interested in, because a.) I get bored very quickly and b.) I overheat within 10-15 mins in direct sun and have to seek out shade.  I prefer to just wade along the beach with my trousers rolled up, sandals in my hands, watching tourists splash about or “lobsterise” themselves in the blazing sun all day. 

But I love having the seaside close by. I have always had this affinity with water and the ocean, much more than with forests or mountains or countryside.  I spent most of my early childhood growing up in a small town by the North Sea in Germany, so that could play a part in it.

Having said all this, it´s an amazingly beautiful, hot day today (35C degrees) and I am going to the beach, for the first time this year…