refreshed and recharged

Big Jim and I just returned from our weekly sojourn to Torre del Mar and the playa. It was a particularly pleasant beach day. The sun was shining, and it wasn't too hot. The water was nice and warm, and there was a gentle breeze, which made it a good day for sailing. The Med was peppered with many boats and windsurfers. The children were all having great fun, and there were several groups of teenagers playing cards. Big Jim and I both got in quite a bit of reading and several long swims. I love that the Med typically doesn't have large waves and strong tides, unlike the Atlantic, where I've done most of my swimming. I can swim out from shore much farther than I would have dared in the Atlantic. I remember one time in Virginia my sister and I got caught in a rip tide.  I knew not to swim toward shore, but rather parallel, which I did and then was able to help my sister back to a place where she could stand. We were fine, but only after a couple of scary minutes. Today, though, the water could not have been more gorgeous or clear. At 8 pm, slightly groggy from a few blissed-out hours in the sun, Big Jim and I packed up the towels and umbrella, and headed to the Nestle kiosk. The ice cream today was very sweet.