07 Feb On Such a Winter’s Day

Nothing beats a perfect sunset. The kind that starts off with a burning orange glow and becomes more haunting and beautiful as it descends through the spectrum towards pink then through deep purple until it’s quenched. I’ve always been my happiest at dusk. To me, it’s by far the most beautiful part of the day and the strange sense of excitement, wonder and optimism I often feel during that otherworldly time is something I won’t forget to appreciate.

While the winter makes moments like these less frequent, the Californian sky has done anything but disappoint. I came here fixated on the mental image of silhouetted palm trees set to a backdrop of magnificent pastels and my word, has this place delivered. I spent an early evening on Ocean Beach. To any person who appreciates the surreal, this place I recommend. The sand is black and sparkles with flecks of gold. I didn’t know how or why, but I only wondered for a moment before realising that I was tainting a special moment by trying to figure out its beauty. The setting sun burnt spectacularly through a fine mist; it was almost too much. Like a silent, lava-medallion it sat on the horizon and imposed a blanket of meditation upon all of those who stood at the shore. You’ve caught my attention, San Francisco. This might be the start of something cool.