I spent the morning with coffee and crumble and as close to the a/c as I could, letting my legs and other parts recover from yesterday. Apart from a brief leg cramp that drew the attention of coffee-queuers when I suddenly started saying ‘ow-ow-ow!’, that bit went ok. I enjoyed planning my exit tomorrow from OBX, or OBXit. Very early departure planned, then: 35 miles/short ferry/14 miles/long ferry/campground near the ferry.

Let’s see how close to that plan I manage to get, shall we?

My recipe for getting some semblance of spirits restored, which I came up with here, at my workstation this morning…

…was simple: think of as many enjoyable things as I can that are possible to do here, today, and do them. Here they are:

1. WATCH OTHER PEOPLE HAVING FUN AND TRY TO BE MORE LIKE THEM:

2. SWIM IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN: This became also part of 1. above, by virtue of being in the water. No photo because I was actually heading for a shower at the ‘campground’ to cool off after cycling back from coffee. On the way I met a lifeguard and asked about the riptide. He told me it’s only an issue at high tides, 9am-ish and 9pm-ish. So I almost ran to the ocean. The surf was amazing, like West Bay in Dorset after a storm, with towering breakers. I was surrounded by surf-skilled youngsters having a wonderful time with and without surfboards, which was definitely infectious. I spent a very happy half hour being bashed around by it and even swimming a little. Late in the afternoon, before my early supper, I had another, longer swim, when the waves were even more dramatic.

3. USE WHATEVER FACILITIES ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL, HOWEVER POOR: This is shorthand for ‘take a nice shower’. In this climate, you feel so much fresher afterwards.

3. MAKE AN NEW-AND-IMPROVED PLAN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS: Out went the challenge of a long ride on Sunday after today’s rest day (my normal habit). In came two ferries to a campsite by the tiny port in Cedar Island, then a nice motel the following day. Reduced mileage is going to be my ‘fix’ this week, I think.

4. GO FOR PIZZA AND A LOCAL BEER AT LUNCHTIME:

5. LAUGH ALONG WITH THE WHOLE OF HER FAMILY WHEN THE WOMAN RIGHT BY YOUR TABLE KEEPS LAUGHING LIKE A CRAZED MANIAC IN A HORROR FILM: Done.

6. GET A BIT WEIRDED OUT WHEN ANOTHER WOMAN COMES IN AND LAUGHS ALMOST IDENTICALLY AT A TABLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RESTAURANT: I’m wondering if this place is a bit like Portland Bill in Dorset, where most people are related?

7. SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME IN THE POOL STAYING COOL, (AND CHATTING TO A LOVELY GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDADUGHTER ON A LAZY ROAD TRIP TOGETHER)

9. EAT EARLY, GO TO BED EARLY, GET UP EARLY

SPORTS SECTION: This outdoor climbing wall made me think of two things. Firstly, our Jacob, who would nave been shimmying up this lot like mountain goat if he was here. Secondly, for some reason, I thought of the nail that went right through my tyre on Friday afternoon.