Sandy, Salty and Sun Kissed...
For me, a weekend when we don’t visit the beach is a weekend wasted. Here in Qatar, the summers can be prohibitively hot and the winters a little too cold for beach lounging, but right now we’re in the glorious Goldilocks Zone, where the sun is shining, the sea is cool, and the temperature’s just right for soaking up the glorious rays and indulging in some fun beach activities.
The weekend days here are Friday and Saturday, so on Thursday we start to feel that invigorating burst of energy in anticipation of the break ahead. On Friday morning, I’ll usually cook up a storm and pack up a picnic, before we load our beach equipment into the car and head north to one of Qatar’s beautiful beaches. It never fails to give me that energising holiday feeling, where I let the blue sky day roll out before me, with no obligations or worry, and nourish my soul with lots of quality family time.
We usually go to French Beach, just south of Fuwairit, where we park directly on the white sand, with the car boot facing the sea, and set up camp for a few hours. Our standard fair includes everything we need for a perfect day; a fold out picnic table, some camping chairs, a washing basket full of sand toys and two cool boxes jam packed full of our favourite food and drink.
As soon as the children jump out of the car they strip off and head straight into the water. It’s one of my most treasured sights and never fails to warm my heart; watching them run towards the sea, bursting with happiness and enthusiasm.
The water itself is spectacular. More than once I’ve gasped out loud at how crystal clear it is, glistening in the sun with a light turquoise shimmer. I often think about how it rivals beaches I’ve seen in the Maldives or Fiji and it makes me realise how very fortunate we are to have it right here on our doorstep.
The sea level there is perfect for young children as it remains shallow for quite a way out. If you swim a little deeper, however, you’ll find some brilliant snorkelling, with colourful, tropical fish meandering through the gently swaying seagrass. We once marvelled at a beautiful blue starfish and our friend even found a stunning sea turtle.
The children happily while away the hours making sand castles and playing in the water. We always take our inflatable dinghy too, which keeps them endlessly occupied. There’s a wonderful sense of purity and freedom that comes with watching your family enjoy the great outdoors, creatively making up games, with nature supplying the inspiration.
Last weekend we even did a little bit of yoga practice at the beach, followed by lots of football and touch rugby. Then my husband and I played some bat and ball, something we’ve enjoyed doing since we first started dating! (Yep, we're total nerds!). Meanwhile, the children dug holes for themselves in the sand and made mermaid tails, delighting in their creative artistry.
I love taking photos and nothing beats the natural smiles that come from the sheer joy of being out in the fresh air, with the sun on your back and the wind in your hair. Being able to capture that on camera is so rewarding. The bulk of my happy childhood memories come from being outside enjoying the freedom and beauty of the countryside (which provided a lot of inspiration for my novel, Wimberry Picking), and I hope that in the future my children will look back and feel the same way about our blissful, beachy days.
We usually stay until the sun sets, swathing us all in its warm red glow and signalling the end of another wonderful day. The children pile their sandy, salty, sun kissed bodies into the car, tiredly content, and will often fall asleep on the night time journey home, while my husband plays some of his relaxing tunes.
These are the days that I cherish. So beautiful in their simplicity and so deeply fulfilling, making us feel thankful for the place that we call home and eternally grateful for these perfect, precious moments that we get to enjoy with each other.
