Day 2: August 30

We’re heading home. Having breakfast. The omelet has completely stuck to the pan.

It’s cool. It’s strange that it’s so sunny, and I still can’t seem to warm up. 
The water in the shower is barely warm. Probably it’s heated by the sun and hasn’t had time to warm up yet.

I’m bored. And I’m thinking maybe I don’t actually like the sea all that much. 
I miss trees and shade. The sun is too bright. I don’t know how to lie on the beach. I don’t know how to swim for long periods of time.

From the terrace I look at our bay, at how people lie there on sun loungers all day and splash around in the sea. And why can’t I do that?

Maybe I need to come up with a different kind of vacation?
And how am I supposed to publish all this on the website? And why?

We went to a little café to grab a bite before the beach. It turned out kind of so-so. But I learned to deal with the fact that: 
- first, it’s normal when reality is worse than expectations. 
- second, any experience is useful and good.

We drank coffee and ate a local pastry with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

And then we went to the beach. I wanted a wilder, undeveloped beach. But we missed the start of the trail and drove on.
The beach was so-so, not the most picturesque. Lots of people, a bit dirty.

On the plus side, there’s less wind here, it blows in a different direction. And so the sea is clean and calm.

We snorkel. The bottom is sandy, an underwater sandy desert, nothing but sand. Only solitary fish.
And very beautiful sunbeams. I have always loved these beams very much; they fascinate me.

I find Volchy; he is swimming closer to the shore. He lifts his head and says, “Look, I’ll show you a little flounder.”

I look at the bottom, where he is pointing with his finger, but I see nothing. Just sand. Then Volchy starts waving his hand, and the sand turns into a little flounder.

It’s incredible how much it looks like sand, perfect camouflage. The flounder seems to hover above the sand, and at that moment you can faintly make out the outline of its flat body and two eyes. And then—whoosh—and it’s gone again, burrowing into the sand.

By evening, clouds appear in the sky. I realize how much I love clouds. They seem to bring magic into our world.

- What does that gray cloud remind you of? I ask Volchy.
- Mmm. I don’t know. A seal.
- Yes, a seal is a good option too. To me, it’s a dirigible.
- Yes, a dirigible too. But a seal is still better.
- Yes, I agree. You can even see the little snout with the nose.
- And the white belly.

After dinner I go for a walk. So nice. To walk alone nowhere. Along the sea. I reach the very cape.

For a moment everything turns pink, the clouds and even the sea. Magical.
I love this moment so much, just before it finally gets dark.