A Bug's Life

Hello from Jersey! I've been here since Saturday afternoon, today is the first day of sunshine.

Bad things: Bridget can't fly. The 1-hour flight from Cambridge was smooth, uneventful, and painless, but within 20 minutes of landing my back started seizing up in full "What have you done to me you bastard" mode. Frustratingly I cannot pinpoint what exactly is going on biomechanically, but it seems that my joints (while perfectly happy to walk 20 miles or sit on a train for 90 minutes) get (probably) aggravated by being subjected to those odd and sometimes prolonged accelerations in unusual directions. Or something. Whatever. Empirically flying is bad for Bridgets (even Bridgets in peak physical condition). This is a shame and I am trying not to think too hard about all my super ideas for hiking all over the island and scrambling over rocks and getting buses to northern beaches etc etc. I can walk a bit but it starts to hurt quite quickly and become Not Fun, less Exciting Exploration and more Distracted Trudging. Today I'm trying pretty much a whole day on the sofa to give the joints a proper rest.

Good Things: Am on holiday! There are tides, cripes there are tides. I'm in an apartment near the sea front (not sandy beach); at high tides the waves lap the beach wall, at low tide they retreat a good 100 metres or more out, and reveal a rocky seafloorscape that is hidden at high tide. Seen lots of oystercatchers. They have swimming pools on the beach - semicircular walls which are covered at high tide, and as the water recedes they stay full for swimming. On Monday we went to Elizabeth Castle, which is connected to the island by a causeway walkable at low tide - and amphibious vehicle ferries which sail you over or drive along the sea floor depending on water level.

Plenty of good food, and places which cater for gluten free. Am looking forward to visiting GF bakery.