The Kindness of Strangers

I turn out of the drive, making the most of my borrowed car while my brother is in America. The bay looks beautiful. Even the sand looks nice; the tide is a fair way out, leaving on show bronzey-coloured sand, rather than the usual grey. But Swansea bay is not the setting for the day's adventures; I'm setting off for the South Gower Coast. Windows down, camera by my side and breeze on my bare shoulders; it feels good.

I drive as far as Shepherd's Ice cream place, and park. I'm sure someone said this is the place to park to walk to Three Cliffs from, so I look around for something that might be the path to the bay. There's a few paths, all in very different directions, so when I see two couples of different generations, one pushing a baby in a pram, I ask if they know the way. That's where they're going too, so they point me in the right direction and set of leisurely while I put the steering lock on, wind up the windows and lock the car.

I enjoy the walk to Three Cliffs; through a bit of woodland, over lots of sandy dunes, past the ruins of Pennard Castle and over a little wooden walkway. There's a steep sandy path up to the castle, which I would totally run up if I didn't have £500 worth of my boss' photography equipment slung over my shoulder.

I get to the bay, take a few pics, get frustrated that I really don't know how to use an SLR properly, and end up taking pictures that are better than I realise. Slightly.

I have been known to be labelled 'The Paparazzi" so I'm snapping a fair bit, and a kind man stops while I get my camera out yet again. I thank him but let him go ahead of me; who knows how long I'll be?

By this point I've been desperate for the toilet for a fair while. (Why did I leave the house so soon after tea?) I look for an appropriately secluded place to go but without success.

I get back to the car, and feel much better now I'm sitting down. I'm enjoying cruising along the Gower roads. After perhaps 10 minutes of driving I take a right turn into a cafe car park. As expected, it looks closed, but there are people there, and I see in my wing mirror a dog approaching. I get out of the car and there's a close moment when I think the dog might leap in. However, I manage to close the door before this happens.

The side door of the cafe is open and I can see two ladies in the kitchen clearing up.

"Are you open?" I ask, from across the car park.
"No, we're not open love," the older lady shouts back. I'm walking towards them now and say,
"Do you think I could use your toilet? I'm really desperate."
"Oh yes, yes, come through," the younger lady says, perhaps the daughter.

She's kind, and understanding, shows me the way, switches the lights back on, apologises when I brush past her with my camera bag.

On my way out, the older lady (in her 60s perhaps?) touches my arm and says goodbye as if she's my Gran. I thank them a lot and say goodbye. As I pull out of the car park I look back and wave with a smile. They're waving too, as if I'm family member setting off after spending the evening with them. I thank God for them and ask Him to bless them big style. I kind of have the sense that my parents would be really chuffed about the whole thing; that they'd appreciate too the kindness strangers showed their daughter.

Maybe you think I'm being sentimental, but it was a lovely moment of a lovely evening.
The dog chased me out of the car park and I set off for the rest of my Gower adventure, smiling.