Swimming! At last!

I have been dreaming of this. At last. Our first swim in 2020 and we walked to the Coast of the Sun, our local beach.

Slightly choppy when we arrived, but it calmed later

We always come early in order to get a shade on the first row so that we can be as near the sea as possible. But, also, because it's not as busy early on, something that is particularly important these days when social distancing is an imperative.

Very few people around now, but by 11:00 when we leave, it will be packed.  Come the 1st of September though, most people will keep away and things will be more relaxed.

I can't describe how wonderful that first dip was. When I am in the sea swimming, I feel pure joy, the purest, all-consuming happiness.

The water is particularly clear this year, almost like being on an island. Fewer boats polluting the waters due to the pandemic just like air pollution levels fell during lockdown.

It's pure sand around here, but you do come across the odd small rock

I don't know if you noticed how clear and blue the sky was when we arrived. Just as we were about to leave we noticed this black cloud in the sky and we just knew it was smoke. We later found out that on the other side of Athens, a plastics recycling factory had caught fire - the toxic fumes stayed in the atmosphere for hours, and the Cancer Society warned people of how dangerous they were. Yet another reminder of the harm and destruction that humans cause to the environment and our planet.