Monica and I were very fortunate this weekend to be overnight guests of Diane and Chris Carson at their cottage on the magnificent and moody Youghall Beach in Bathurst. The weather wasn’t promising any sunshine and in fact was downright insistent on showing us what “windswept” really means. And we were blown away by the beauty and the power of this place.
We arrived at noon and were welcomed to the cottage and promptly escorted to the dining table for a tasty tuna salad sandwich lunch with veggies and chips. What a way to start our visit and such service! Chris’ culinary prowess is second to none. I stand in awe and intimidation at his skill with a knife. It’s hypnotic to watch him cutting vegetables.
After lunch, the rain in the forecast was still holding off so we jumped at the suggestion of a beach walk on this stunning 7 km stretch of soft quartz sand. The tide was out and the shallow sand bars were exposed making for easy walking way way out from the shoreline. We walked and walked and talked and talked…what great therapy! I couldn’t resist pocketing a few colorful beach pebbles to add to my garden at home.
The day was cool by summer standards and as we returned to the cottage, a fresh breeze was coming in from the north-east. That meant drama on the high seas. Because it’s so shallow, the breakers start way out on their long rolling journey to the beach. It takes so long for one wave to arrive that you can actually see 9 or 10 of them coming at the same time lined up one behind the other. You really have to see it to appreciate the tranquility of the place… even in high winds and driving rain, the surf is so consistent and rhythmic… it’s peaceful.
Inside the cottage was anything but peaceful and anything but boring. Between the joking and laughing and philosophical discussion, we managed to uncover life-long memories and stories of our past and present and reveal dreams for the future until the clock struck a new day. We touched on everything from how modern technology has transformed the sport of distance cycling (good luck in Ottawa, Chris) to how our children have shaped us as adults… and continue to do so. Conversation with Diane and Chris is always so adventurous (I mean that in the exciting exploratory way).
Meanwhile, Chris cooked up a storm on the BBQ and we feasted on chicken and sausage, potatoes and salad and cheered to our friendship and good fortune. We really had a great getaway and it’s always wonderful to see our friends. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality and another blog-worthy memory of Youghall Beach.
Here are the photo highlights.
nellyglass studio 