This Is Your Brain On Nature from National Geographic
The Effects of Nature on Well-Being from Natural Resources Institute Finland
In Japan they talk enthusiastically about Shinrin-Yoku, or, forest bathing, it's becoming quite the thing as people seek to reduce the stresses of life.
Me, I love being outdoors. Especially at the coast.
Thalassotherapy!
Sea bathing.
Or simply sitting on the sand and listening to the waves make the small pebbles dance and sing. I have a special spot for that, round the orner from Tourony. I'm often to be found there, sitting by the edge of the water with my eyes closed in a semi-yoga state. It is deeply relaxing.
This time I made a big mistake though.
I arrived at Trégastel at 9:45, popped into Super U for some bits and bobs, drove to Ploumanac'h and parked the car and noticed, from the beach there, that the tide was ebbing. And I was so pleased to have parked in the centre of the village that I decided not to drive to Tourony to swim but, instead, to walk and have lunch first.
People, that car park fills up so early and to have found a spare place was, well, it was like Christmas with snow, and elves and reindeer!
I'll do the Sentier des Douaniers from this end for a change, I thought to myself as the dog and I set off walking.
Note, there will be many pictures because it is just so picturesque, n'est-ce pas?
Et voilà...
The Sentier des Douaniers. The path leads from Ploumanac'h to Trebeurden. I usually fo the bit from the car park near the camp site to Plouamac'h and then walk back after lunch, but it's good to vary one's routine sometimes and there was the matter of the car parking space so I set off the other way.
Leaving Ploumanac'h under the eucalyptus trees...
I love the way the bark peels from them, and I love the fresh scent of the leaves. They are said to cleanse the air and I'd plant one in my garden but I did that once before and the tap root was so thick I thought it might tunnel under the foundations of the house.
Since I am having my 'jungle' cleared next month I may plant one up there...
I'd quite like to make it a forest garden.
Where were we?
Right, emerging onto the coastal path with the lighthouse in the distance and the start of the most amazing pink granite rock formations...
This pink granite is only found in two other locations in the world. One is in China, I forget where the other is. It's the product of volcanic activity (soon you'll come to learn how much I love volcanoes) and these rocks once formed a mountain range higher than the Alps...
Four million years of weathering has eroded them, and sculpted them into natural artwork, and it's funny to think that in a few more thousand years they will all be just pebbles and small rocks.
But comforting, in a way...
It's a busy place on a sunny Sunday morning.
Soon the tourists will have departed and it will be much less crowded on the sentier, especially when the weather is wet and stormy. I walk in all conditions. A colleague from Norway once told me, 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.'
I agree.
It's still possible to find a quiet spot to sit and write. I'd love to know what this woman was working on, perhaps her first novel? maybe a love letter to a long lost amour?
At the end of the lifeguard ramp there were people scub diving. Damn! I had meant to take that course this year and now I think it will be too late to start. Another reminder that one should not delay because life passes so quickly.
Most people ignore the collecting box on the wall of the lifeguard's building. The French seem to expect that the state will take care of such things so charities are not so well-supported here. In an ideal world they would be but I think it's good karma to help others when we can so I always pop a euro in the boat when I pass.
The Sentier des Douaniers is a protected natural space. A decade or so ago the walkers had pretty much eroded the soil and destroyed much of the vegetation and then it was decided to reverse the damage. A team of volunteers made little paths and put up small wire fences to encourage the visitors to stay on them, installed signs explaining why and now it's pretty much recovered.
There are still those who don't respect the environment but most people are considerate. I make no apologies for being a long-time eco-warrior, and I have been known to (politely) request that people step back onto the path, and mostly they are understanding.
On this walk I discovered this sign down by a little spring on a path just off the main route.
No sign of the salamanders...
The dog and I did look.
There are quite a few in the ditches and streams near my home though, and a friend has one living in her water metre hole. They look quite exotic with their yellow and black colours.
One of the best things to do on the sentier: stand and stare.
I spend a lot of time sitting with my eyes closed and listening to the sound of the waves on the rocks. And taking photographs of the water because the colours and the patterns fascinate me.
Heading back to Ploumanac'h for lunch.
This is an interesting sign on the way back into the village.
This part of France was occupied by the Germans during WW2 and the Resistance fought hard here. The countryside is dotted with crosses to mark the spot where a Resistance fighter died, near my home there is a crossroads at which thirteen men from my village were executed for 'disobeying the Gernans.'
And so back to the beach at Ploumanac'h
Past the notice detailing the times and heights of the tides for the day. And this greeting that made me smile. Happily it does not apply to me. I am, as I have to keep explaining to people, a resident.
Remember the people who do not respect the rules?
Dogs are not permitted on the beach between 15th April and 15th November.
Didn't seem to worry this pair, even though they risked a large fine.
I had a packed lunch but, well, who knows when I'll be back in Ploumanac'h, parked right in the centre and hungry enough to do justice to a lunch at one of my favourite restaurants? A change of plan, I decided to eat there again.
Alas, they do not take cards, only cheques and cash, so I had to go in search of 'the bank' and this was it! Unsurprisingly. quite easy to miss!
And then back to the restauarnt where I didn't even need to order, the waiter recognised me and said, with a smile; 'Kir cassis, escalope de dinde et une carafe d'eau?'
I am very predictable.
And their turkey steak is very tasty.
So no apologies for always ordering it.
Besides, the restaurant will be closed soon until next spring so another carpe diem moment!
As I walked back to the car there was a queue of people waiting to parl and a tired looking elderly woman asked me, hopefully, 'Vous partirez Madame?' I smiled and said, she was lucky, yes, I was just leaving and she waved happily to her equally tired-looking partner in the car nearby and smiled as I wished her a pleasant afternoon. Silly, but it made me feel good.
And then to Tourony where, the tide being as low as it could fall, Tashi and I walked to the pink castle to take some close-ups.I think I have several thousand pictures of the chateau de Costaérès now but I can't resist taking more.
I wish I could paint. I am about as artistic as my gate post.
Probably less so.
But a couple of years ago it occurred to me that it's a shame that as asults we stop playing and being creative so I bought myelf some little canvases and a set of acrylic paint and now I have fun.
Here's the lighthouse again.
I have thousands of photos of it too.
The beach was quiet.
This group were demonstrating the seriousness with which the French take their eating. They had set up a table, complete with a cloth, cutlery, glasses etc for their lunch among the rocks.
These people were busy collecting their lunch.
I often encounter people with buckets of things in shells and since I usually have a bag of plastic and other rubbish I find on the sand, they often stop me and ask to see what I've found, thinking it's going to be scallops or oysters.
We sat on the beach and watched as the sea slowly reappeared, and I did consider staying for the tide to be full enough for a swim but, well, patience is still a virtue that I have yet to acquire.
