beachcombing

When you have a friend with a car who suggests a last-minute trip to Cumbria’s lesser known islands, you fetch your camera and hop in.

The sun was shining in an early Spring sky blobbed with fluffy white clouds and the two-hour journey from Manchester passed swiftly.

The highlights of the Furness Peninsula include tiny Piel Island, accessible only by ferry boat which had a lot of passengers waiting for a ride. I’d taken this commute back in 2018 on a quieter weekday.

Instead we looped through the industrial town of Barrow to visit Walney Island. Its rock-strewn beach was practically empty and proved a haven for beachcombing and enjoying the seascape. A blissful retreat from the city.

Tap/click first image for gallery view

On a day trip of spontaneity, we decided to make a homeward detour to the pretty little town of Kirkby Lonsdale, just as dusk was beginning to sink in.

There was a much-needed pub pitstop and a swift wander around the honey-coloured houses and charming little shops of a place straddling the Lake District and Yorkshire Moors.

With just time to take a couple of photos, it was clear Kirkby warranted its very own grand day out another time.

The second part of our travels led us away from the stifling heat of futuristic Dubai and to the Indian Ocean island country of Mauritius.

The contrast couldn’t have been more marked – a fresh breeze was blowing across the island, and the hard work of negotiating the Middle Eastern city was replaced with relaxation and a touch of luxury at Le Touessrok.

It has its own private island – Ilot Mangenie – a boat ride away and a place where lazing in hammocks and beachcombing are the order of the day. These photographs will provide warming food for thought deep into the grey and chilly London winter.