After spending a night in the comfortable seats of the train, Lydia finally arrived at the glorious, miniature village she planned to visit.
The moment she hopped off the old-fashioned train, a warm ray of golden sunshine hit her, as if welcoming her to this new place. As she raised her hand and shielded her eyes from the light, her eyes met a dreamlike wonderland: at the bottom of the trough lay a miniscule valley full of vividness. Victorian-style houses painted scarlet and white were placed close to each other, not tightly packed, but not separated either.
In the middle of it all stood a pearl-white castle that seemed as if it came out from a “happily ever after” fairytale. Freshly-painted walls with large window panels appeared as if the next second someone was going to open the windows and sing a miraculous melody with the birds. The sharp metal tips gleamed under the blinding sunlight and it reflected a bright ray of light towards Lydia.
She quickly looked away in the other direction and saw something even more spectacular: next to the valley was the ocean.
The ocean she had always dreamed of.
The ocean she had always heard her friends talk about, how dazzling it was, how the miraculous magic of it will let you forget all your troubles.
The gentle waves glistened beneath the sunlight, adding dashes of white to the cerulean blue water. Each clean sound of the crash of waves was accompanied by Lydia’s breath.
She allowed her mouth to hang open from astonishment for a slightly longer period of time, then she quickly picked up her backpack and descended the hill.
The village was filled with many delicate, small booths that sold handmade jewellery made out of seashells, along with all sorts of swimming equipment for one to enjoy the ocean. Stands that sold fresh fruits and vegetables had crowded groups of people busily moving around, buying their portion food for the day. There were many enthusiastic people, shouting with high voices, publicising their products. Children here and there ran around, chasing each other with laughter. Admiring the well-designed architecture, Lydia steadily headed towards the coast.
She bought tickets for a speed boat tour to have a close-up exploration of the magic of the ocean. The boat could be seen from a far distance. It was a bright shade of orange with neon yellow stripes circling it. Two lines of seats, enough for ten people, lead up to the cabin where the sailors stayed. The most significant part of the boat was the bottom of the boat made of glass, where one could easily see the ocean and the marine creatures swimming in the underwater world.
As the boat moved forwards, she glanced one last time at the cosy and welcoming village and started to enjoy the view around her. The clear ocean was a shade of turquoise and marine blue, with spread-out bubbles that floated on the surface of the water. Waves lapped gently against the boat, causing the boat to sway slightly from side to side. Water parted as the speed boat moved forward. Blue waves with white bubbles floated away from the boat and slowly drifted out of Lydia’s sight.
She adored watching the water move in its own steady manner, spreading out in the form of waves. It was as if the ocean had its own rhythmic pattern that only it can hear. The cool breeze blew gently with just enough force for her hair to levitate from her shoulders and float slightly into the air.
It was an amazing feeling, having the wind and the ocean surround her and everything being in equilibrium.
Lydia couldn’t help but lean slightly out of the boat to reach down and touch the clear water. The water was cooler than she thought it would be, but the warm sunshine gave her a warm feeling in the coolness. She was enjoying the sensation of the water parting from her hands when a sailor told her to keep her hands in the boat. Slowly drawing back her hand, she continued to admire the grandness of the ocean.
The underwater world was another special view. During the trip, the boat went into a dark, narrow cave that was barely five metres wide. There, schools of fish were swimming in circles, hiding from the strong sunlight. Lydia watched closely as the fish accelerated while swimming, then it leaped out of the water, did a somersault and flipped in the air before it dived back into the water. She found the whole scene fascinating and took a few photos as the speed boat dragged her away from the cooling cave.
As the speed boat went on the journey of return, Lydia couldn’t stop thinking of how small and insignificant she was compared to the magnificent ocean. As rows of waves stretched out around her, her eyes followed them and the waves brought her gaze towards the horizon line. It felt so far away as each lap of water drifted towards the imaginary line.
Lydia released a long and deep breath she never knew she held. It was as if there were no problems in the world and nothing to worry about anymore. Everything felt exactly in place and the peacefulness fell upon her.