Treasures from the sea

In the centre of our table I've placed a large abalone shell that contains a selection of treasures found on our seashore.

In 2003, about 30 paper nautilus shells washed up onto the sand after a very high tide. These delicate creamy white shells are the eggcase of a female octopus. Last year we found just one, and it sits in pride of place in the abalone shell. Other treasures include shells exquisite in their shapes, sizes and colours, and a piece of driftwood weathered by salt, sun and sea. I tend to walk along the beach in a bit of a trance, picking up shells, nudging things with my feet, walking just above where the waves break, for here is the hardest sand. I love the smell of salt, seaweed and sun on sand; the sound of waves breaking and gulls crying; and the feel of sand between my toes.