Let us take a virtual break and get ready to travel from your screen to beautiful and relaxing places. Let us start with a calming walk through a path between trees. Tall tree trunks growing close to each other, laden with leaves, making canopies that give a cool shade. The leaves are rustling softly to the slight breeze and the sunlight is getting diffused through the trees, making patches of bright colour and warmth as we go ahead. The path is strewn with dry leaves of different shades and shapes, some crunching softly as we tread on them. There is a low bubbling sound and we get to a stream. The twitter of birds gets louder here and the clear water makes a lovely tinkling sound as it makes its way down the stones. The rough stones have smoothed into rounder, shinier pebbles under the stream. You can try walking barefoot here. Feel the cool water engulfing your feet, the clearness disturbed slightly by the walk. Tiny fish swimming past, as the water dips and falls on little rocks. The wind feels colder here than before and the trees seem happier too, because of the many birds that fly in and out of these woods.
The stream takes us to the edge of the woods and we now come out to a valley- green all around, till where your eyes can take in. The lush green carpet is dotted with small wild flowers- yellow, purple and pink. You can sit among them and run your hands over the grass around you, soft and wiry in some places. The air is dancing and flowing from high to the lower plains, running in and out of the plants and flowers making them join in its dance. As they sway, they make light and dark hues, changing the colourful palette and painting beautiful views. There, far away, you can see waves shimmering in the horizon. Let’s head towards the cliff, down to the beach.
The way across the valley towards the cliff changes from soft to stony. You can even hear the sea now; the closer you get to the edge, the louder the waves are. You can spot colour in the water, and it looks welcoming. Careful now, down the rocky edges. Turn around here, as though going down a ladder and hold on to the crevices dotted here and there, all the way down, till you feel the grainy beach at your feet. The sea breeze smells of salt and is slightly warmer than how it was up the hill. The sounds of the ebbing, falling waters is music to the ears. The grains of sand feel smooth and tickle your feet. Further down near the wetter sand, there are shells sprinkled all around and miniature crabs walk sideways and slide into tiny holes. Further down and we are in the water; this too is clear like the pool, but more alive and loud- filling you up with life. What are you waiting for! Go in, walk, run, splash, roll around. Later you can dry yourself on the beach, sitting a little way up or right where the waves can come to touch your toes on the shore and run back into the sea.
Sit a little while more and you will soon see the setting sun. The sky is changing colours and turning into an orange and red canvas. And if you have a little more time to relax, do lie down on the beach and stare into the sky, it will get dark soon and there will be scores of stars twinkling at you. Happy stargazing!
