By the water

You would say I’m on a beach somewhere, by the sea. In fact, before taking this picture I ate a sandwich and took yesterday’s pic. The Thames is low and so there’s a huge bit of land right next to the water where you can walk and collect stones and shells.

I am definitely an urban soul, but I love to see a bit of nature here and there. This is one of the reasons I love London - wherever you go, you can find a park, a forest, the river. I have a very interesting relationship with water. I don’t know how to swim and that makes me respect the water. I like to listen to the waves, I let them come to me and wet my shoes. I like to walk around the water and feel the breeze. But I know that I have no control over its world.

I have a very clear memory from when I was a kid and went to the seaside with my parents. A woman was standing on the pier, with a shawl around her shoulders, blowing in the wind. It was such a beautiful image for me as a kid and it remains such a beautiful image for me today.