Au bout du Sillon de Talbert

Last day of term today, and a beautiful sunny day. Alice will miss out on 2 of her friends' birthday parties while we're in Guernsey. Softie (our aged and not-so-well cat) has been coughing for the last couple of days, and doesn`t seem quite so sprightly. We decided he was in need of his magic injection that the vet gives him every 3-4 weeks, so off we went this morning. The difference is amazing - he was up and about, in and out, eating well, as soon as he came in the door. He just looks so much better already. We believe it`s been good for him to be here in France, as he`s getting much more attention here, whereas he was always hiding somewhere when living at home in Guernsey. The other cats didn`t tolerate him well, especially Dusty and Snowy, but oddly, they are both much more settled here and don`t seem to bother him now. Maybe 5 cats is just too many!

I`ve been inside a lot this week, and I wanted to get a more scenic blip today, so after taking Alice back to school after lunch, I drove to le sillon de Talbert, which is a ridge of pebbles and sand that extends 3.5 kilometres out into the sea, from the headland between two rivers - le Jaudy and le Trieux. It was high water when I got there, so seeing it at its best perhaps. Click on the map link at the bottom of the page, or click here for Google maps. (I took the photo at the very end of the "sillon") You can see the lighthouse (la Phare des Héaux) in the distance. More about le Sillon de Talbert (in English) here.

Sand dunes gave way to a ridge of loose pebbles. The early path was soft sand with sand dunes each side. It was hardish work, so I took the beach route with patches of harder sand between the stones at the waters edge. What you see in the photo is very flat pebbles, but this was right at the end. It was mostly a ridge of pebbles about 10-20 feet above the high water mark.

I initially intended to walk for half an hour then turn back - at a leisurely pace. I should have know I wouldn`t have been able to resist the lure of reaching the end. And I don`t do anything at a leisurely pace! It`s just as well I was alone. M wouldn`t have left the car park, and Alice would have been too distracted by jumping in the waves.

After a while I started to become more mindful - of my being, of my walking, of the environment. The scenery was beautiful. Blue seas with white surf crashing onto the pebbly beach, a cloudless blue sky, the colours of the pebbles, the rocky islets, the lighthouse. Then there was the sound of my footsteps in the pebbles, the sound of the waves and the birds. The feel of the pebbles beneath me, the sun on my face, the wind in my hair. Glorious.

It was very hard going though, and a lot of effort for a blip! I really should have worn walking boots with thick wide soles and ankle support! My ankles suffered - and feet and legs too! I did reach the end after 35 minutes or so. I breathed for a couple of minutes, then set off back again. There were occasional signs about "restauration des dunes" and I finally understood what "restaurant" means. It`s where we are restored! Obvious really.

Back home in time to upload the blip, then a coffee at the café before (closed) collecting Alice. Tonight it`s going to be packing, tidying, sorting - all the stuff that needs to be done before travelling. Alice and I need to leave the house before 9am tomorrow morning, so we have to get ready today.

Alice and Nicolas once again set up a "restaurant" on the terrasse, where I had to sit and be served a tomato, "sans sel" and a glass of water. The menu wasn't too extensive, and a tomato looked like the best option. It was chilly out there tonight, so the restaurant kindly supplied a blanket. :-)