Uitwaaien

(v. ) to take a break to clear one’s head; lit. “to walk in the wind”

Sometimes, after a busy Christmas and then being cooped up in the house because of incessant rain, you just need a walk along the seafront – even when the wind is blowing a gale.

And my god, was it blowing a gale.

We wrapped up in big coats, snuggly scarves and hats, and headed to Llandudlas.

The waves were crashing on the rocks, spraying us with fine droplets of icy cold water, making the kids shriek and giggle and run back for more. We watched the waves for a little while, marvelling at the sheer size of some of them and the roaring noises they made.

Alex zoomed off ahead on his scooter. He’s always been the daredevil; the one that has to be ahead at all times. Ben ran behind him, trying to keep up across the wooden bridge. Harrison wandered along next to me, chatting about the photos he wanted to take. Elizabeth trotted along next to me, her little hand in mine, her blonde curls peeking out under her bobble hat.

We followed the winding path around, across the wooden bridge, taking a moment to peer into the stream below. The water, which we have paddled in so many times in the summer, looked cold and was moving quickly. We wondered how long it would take for the stream to carry a stick down to the sea. Not very long!

We stopped to take pictures of the sea, waves splashing over the rocks in the distance. It was so very cold that we could only take our hands out of our pockets for a few moments at a time. The tips of our ears were biting, and our noses were going very red – but still, we kept on walking, pushing against the wind.

We briefly watched a lone duck, fighting against the current of the stream, occasionally dipping his head underneath before popping back up. Elizabeth found it hilarious, shouting ‘quack’. We looked to see where other ducks might be – but he was all alone.

When we got to the beach, we didn’t venture any further. It was just too cold to stumble over the rocks and get a little closer. We stood and watched for a while, pointing out Rhyl in the distance and feeling very jealous of the lovely views that the caravans on the cliff above us must have of the sea. Waking up to see and hear the waves must be amazing!

It was cold. We hurried back to the car, taking a few photos on the way. Our car was covered in salty seawater when we got back, showing just how far the water sprayed. Heaters cranked up, we slowly started to warm up. It might have only been a short walk, but that walk, in the icy cold wind, did us all the world of good.