Therapy

We were sat just to the left...

This weekend I spent most of the two days in therapy.  I don't mean the sofa and childhood questioning sort, I mean two of my absolute favourite things, which just happen to make my soul sing: the beach and the park.

It's been a while since I've felt the sand between my toes, mainly because it's been just too damned cold to be stripping off to a bikini. Ok, it's been 25 degrees, which in Manchester would have people reaching for the hotpants/boob tube combo immediately, but my resilience levels to temperatures has changed massively after three years in Dubai.

On Friday we headed off to beach club for a traditional day of: reading celebrity trash, inane chats and musings, and hard-core troughing.  All whilst being gently caressed by the near-perfect heat of the sun and gentle breeze.  Ok, I lied on that one: it was boiling. I'm clearly out of practice in the sunbathing department as I managed to get burnt for the first time in years...anyway, I had honestly forgotten just how blissful it is to spend the day doing pretty much nothing.

Saturday was park.  I've always loved a trip to a park, whether walking the two steps to the gorgeous city oasis in front of my Manchester apartment (hello Angel Meadows!), or meeting up with the girls to take Gorgeous George for a forage and walk around Prestwich.  I've waxed lyrical about parks in Dubai before: suffice to say, they're gorgeous, and extremely popular amongst residents.

My favourite is Creek Park; as the name suggests  it runs along the banks of the creek,which means that if yo pick your spot carefully you get the benefits of green gorgeousness combined with a view of the water (and sometimes, beach!).  I don't know what it is that makes me feel so relaxed; it's probably a combination of the grass beneath my feet, the blue sky above, and the gently wafting trees which wash birdsong over you.  It's also such a simple pleasure, and so clearly being enjoyed by so many people, from all walks of life.

And I think that's the key: you don't see many miserable looking people on the beach, or in the park. It's hard to feel downcast when surrounded by such loveliness.  The beach joy will carry on throughout the summer, regardless of the heat.  The park however, is on limited time....best to get involved as much as possible over the next few weeks....