I was sopping wet, soaked through, my shoes squelched and I felt great. We’d just returned from a walk along the sea front that stretches from Sutton to Clontarf and I’d misjudged the weather. I knew it was going to rain but when I left the house I thought the worst of the downpours had passed. I got it wrong.
I don’t mind walking in the rain. In fact I quite like it; especially by the sea. If the tide is in and the wind blows and rain falls there can be a great feeling of energy. The only other time I felt that raw power was when I was on a walking trip in Italy a few years ago. A group of us were on a guided hike in the Dolomites. On one of the days the good weather turned nasty and we got caught in a lightning storm that cracked and electrified the air all around us. It was scary, exciting and fun.
Although yesterday was tame compared to that storm in Italy there was one big difference. In Italy I had waterproofs at the ready, yesterday I had summer gear and that was it. Usually I follow that often quoted phrase by Rannulph Fiennes, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”. Well yesterday we certainly had bad weather and I definitely had the wrong clothes.
The rain was light enough when we set out, but it didn’t take long for it to really get going. Throw in a strong wind blowing in from the coast and the recipe for a good soaking was set. At one stage I had to cover my right eye as the angle of the rain stung it over and over again. When I got home I realised that on one side I’d started to dry out a little (just a little) and on the other I was dripping – that’s the sea breeze for you.
We weren’t the only intrepid walkers out there. There was a merry band out “enjoying” the experience. The word of the day was “mad”. Practically every exchange we had with our fellow walkers was “Are we mad?”, “We must be mad!”, or “This is madness”. But it was fun too. There was a certain camaraderie in our drenched sloshing that ensured that although we were being pounded, although none of us had worn appropriate clothing and here’s the kicker, although we could have turned back!; we all kept going to reach whatever distance or destination we set out to achieve.
When we finally arrived home, a hot shower later, I think it was P who said “that was great to do”. She was right, being outside in the wind and driven rain, cleared away the cobwebs, and left us feeling alert, lively and full of energy for the rest of the day.
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