To the beach or not - short path through lock-down

Although what I have written about are small everyday things; they have definitely helped me stay sane through lock-down, I'm a person who has always got much relaxation and inspiration from being near the sea or river.

I'm ok in lockdown; being near the relaxing sea; no, not quite, I'm in my study bedroom in suburbia. At this time, it has become more of a retreat than usual. 

To start off with: my sea colours are from prints of Monet's Régates à Sainte-Adresse, Normandy and Alun Davies' Storm, Porthgain Harbour, North Pembrokeshire. They are both on my bedroom wall; the former in a marble-like green frame. There is a soothing mix of turquoise, blue and taupe in these paintings. Two DVDs are on my study desk: Tati's Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot set in summer 1952 at St. Marc-sur-Mers in Brittany. Much of the zany film action takes place at the Hotel de la Plage. Also, I have the Mr Bean's Holiday DVD to hand. This is said to be based on the Monsieur Hulot film; particularly in the hilarious body movements of the actors. Mr Bean has a crazy train journey from London to the French Riviera. Both of the films are pictures of simple light-hearted fun. 

A box of soap stands on my bedroom shelf. This was a present from a friend. It contains pine, seaweed and rosemary soap. They are each wrapped in delicate cream tissue paper. I keep on making tiny holes in the creased paper so I can smell the scent from the soap and can't really bear to use them, as this is when I would eventually lose my scented treats. 

Although what I have written about are small everyday things; they have definitely helped me stay sane through lock-down, I'm a person who has always got much relaxation and inspiration from being near the sea or river. I have a leather band of threaded tiny pinkish white Cowrie shells, which I use as worry beads, by my bed. I have recently been using them often, as a remembrance for those that we have lost. 

Anonymous