walking / isleofwight / isleofwight4

Isle of Wight–4

Chale to Freshwater Bay – 6th September 2026

I've no doubt harped on about this before, but by fuck are we boring creatures. At dinner with two long time married. He is going on about the fire alarm system, she is glazed over wishing her mate Margaret was along for a bit of a laugh. To my right, she is nonstop about; she said this, he said that, and doing down every person she knows, while he wishes Norman was around to discuss dominoes. Both saw me as new meat to engage and leaven their tedium, but my normal don't-speak-to-me 'Good evening.' put paid to that. I know my relationship was anything but normal, but boring it was not. Is that the trade; a life time companion but boredom eternal?  
A lovely sunny day at 24.

It is funny what makes your day. I was sitting at a little coffee van - most welcome - and an old dude, my age but quite blobby with it, is ahead of me in the queue. He gets his and clinks over to his bike bulging out the Lycra in all the wrong places, it must be said. He sits and sips for a minute, then unfolds a little kite from his bag and sets it a flying, drinks his coffee to the tune of it flapping, then packs it away again and mounts up. I did worry for him going up that hill. He was as slow as me but beset by inconsiderate cars and vans. 
I like to think that he was travelling to many, many places in memory of someone loved to let loose the kite in their honour. Wasn't a bit bothered by all the wanky looks from the ice cream cone and candy floss brigade. Kite on! 

walking / isleofwight / isleofwight4