A Trip to the Beach

Laura and her cousin Isabel had been planning a beach day since the beginning of the week. Laura packed sandwiches, a towel and the novel she was halfway through. The weather forecast promised sunshine, so neither of them thought much about the wind.

By the time they reached the beach, the sky was blue but the sea was rough. Isabel tried to spread the towel on the sand while Laura held one corner. As soon as they let go, the wind lifted it again. A little sand landed on Laura's sandwich and between the pages of her book.

“This isn't exactly the quiet afternoon I imagined,” Laura said. Isabel laughed, but then noticed that Laura was genuinely disappointed. They had both travelled for an hour to get there, and going straight home seemed a shame.

Isabel pointed to a small café on the path above the beach. It had outdoor tables protected by a glass wall. They carried their bags up the steps and found a table with a view of the water. Laura ordered lemonade, cleaned the sand from her book and finally started reading.

Later, they watched a family trying to keep a beach umbrella upright. Laura laughed so loudly that she had to close her book. The wind never stopped, and they didn't go swimming. On the train home, however, Laura admitted that the afternoon had been better than she expected. Isabel suggested checking the wind forecast next time, not just the sunshine.