Hey, so today is the first of September - I exclaimed happily. But just a few moments later I wondered why I was so happy at that knowledge. No logic here as I will have to start working just in a few days. Yes, Monday is the end of my two-month summer vacation, and I can't be really happy and excited about that.
These days that I am enjoying now, going to those places I really like will cease. I will still have time, yes, but half of my days will have to be spent in a classroom and not in the mountain, forest or at beach. You see, nothing to celebrate about the start of the new month hahaha. However, to use these last free days to the maximum we go almost every day to a different place on our Mediterranean seashore. Not so far, though.
To arrive at this hidden beach (which can't be called a real beach, as it is a huge rocky formation with two small coves on each side of it) we need around 20 minutes of driving. Then a narrow path that leads us down to the shore, which is sometimes a bit dangerous as from the dense vegetation you don't see if another vehicle is coming your way. Once you park and start to walk to the rock, all this is forgotten and just the anticipation of a great time is in your mind.
The water here is clear and deep, surrounded just by other cliffs and stones. You could think that the stones are destined to live alone, that the surface is so hostile that nothing can grow there.
But...
That is wrong.
I saw that there are plants that like to live in this combination of salty water and rocky surface.
So, let me introduce you to:
Crithmum maritimum
This plant is also known as rock samphire.
It grows exactly in these circumstances, where the wind is a constant guest and the waves from the sea are not missing either. Seems that this plant doesn't need much more to live its happy life, just a crack in the stone.
At first, I thought that it is a kind of a succulent, then I concluded that it isn't. {edit: But in reality, it IS an edible succulent}. Both leaves and stems can be consumed, and it is common to prepare them with vinegar, water and salt.
Although I didn't pick any leave of it to take home and put into some of the dishes, I still liked to observe this plant and be amazed at how it grows in these tiny cracks of the rocks. But knowing that it contains iodine, mineral salts, carotenoids, and even vitamin C among others, maybe I should have to take a few branches with me.
Rock samphire is blooming right now, from the beginning of September until the end of October. I think I was lucky to see it right now when the lovely yellow flowers were adoring the fleshy leaves and branches.
As the place is not that far away, maybe I still visit it this autumn and pick a piece of it. Also, the view is not so bad, so it definitely will not be the last time I am here. It wasn't the first, either. Who would not love to come here and jump from the stone to the fresh water on a warm day?