Monday, October 12, 2009

On the Beach . . .

If one should ever venture up to explore the area around the bay of the Somme, the wildlife preserve of the Parc Marquenterre is well worth a detour. Discreet footpaths and observation blinds take you past stretches of water and marshlands populated by a wide variety of birds, many of whom are just passing through while migrating far and wide . . .
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The beaches in the area are vast . . . this one is at Quend Plage, just south of Fort Mahon . . .
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This beachside walk seemed to stretch on forever; and perhaps it does . . .
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25 comments:

Amanda said...

What a coincidence! I was just looking at pictures of this bay on AOL France. I don't know this part of France at all. It looks amazing.

Catherine said...

It looks wonderful...such vast stretches of beach to explore...also a part of France i have never visited..thanks

The Sagittarian said...

Love that last photo and the one with the yellow ball...I am super impressed at your ability to take photos without spilling a drop!

Owen said...

Hi Nadege and Catherine, you both get the Early Bird Award today... and today's prize is the right to walk as far as you desire down this beach-side walkway, right into the sunset... I'd never been along this stretch of coast before, no end of surprises to be found when one gets out to poke around a little in France...

Owen said...

Oh Saj, you just slipped in there while I was answering Nadege and Catherine, so you can be the third and final recipient of the Early Bird Award for today... well, it's not so early for you I guess, more like going on late afternoon...

Now, whatever do you mean about not spilling a drop... don't you see that big puddle out there in the distance that spilled out of my glass while I took these pictures ??? And now I'm going to go sleep it off...
:-D

Karen said...

I love beaches. When I lived in NJ, I'd go to the beach when I wanted to think. We had rock jetties and you could walk out there and be all alone with just the sound of the waves breaking.
Very zen.

Steve said...

Ah what a grand way to start a Monday morning. I feel like I've been out for a bracing walk...!

Martin said...

Owen

I'm just back from a week of Cornish coves and beaches. Your photographs have kept the mod alive.

Particularly like the B&W shot.

Martin said...

Owen

That should have read mood rather than mod. Mods and beaches have an association further back than I care to remember!

Lynne with an e said...

Owen, dear Owen, In your first response above I see you referred to "no end of surprises to be found when one gets out to poke around a little in France..."?! Is La Grenouille aware of your shenanigans? A little poke here, another one there. Not to mention the pig in the poke. Pokeman. Pokeymon. Do the hokey pokey.

I am fascinated by the woman to the right in the third picture: she is clad in a smart black suit and sensible walking shoes. I would think she might have white hair but I understand French women only go blonde as they grow older. At any rate, it is refreshing to see a woman of a certain age wearing proper beach attire. Especially with all those transplanted American pokeymons poking about!

I'm glad to see that in spite of your battle scars from the work field, debillitating car troubles, and riotous birthday celebrations you are still up for a good poke in the nether regions of la belle France.

Adam said...

Lots of early birds there - shame they'll be shot by hunters in other parts of France!

joo said...

I like all photos, bu the first one is outstanding!!!
have a great week:)

Buskitten said...

Hi Owen!
Warmest Greetings from Chilly Scotland! How lovely to see you still visit my little Bloglet - alas, I don't seem to have much time anymore, to post as much as I'd like....but the new job is an absolute joy, as the children are so amazing and never fail to surprise and delight with their lovliness!
Seeing your awesome pictures of beaches has reminded me of my 'past life', and spending the summer on the beaches of lago Trasimeno - it feels like a lifetime ago.
Tiddles has left you a message on the Blog! I do hope all is well with you and yours, and send you lots of love,
As always,
Liz and Tiddles xxxx

Nathalie H.D. said...

Three great photos for a part of France I particularly like. Those huge beaches are quite a sight, aren't they? I spent a few summer holidays near Calais in Wimereux, further north along the coast. I love the atmosphere there. Your photos render it beautifully.

Harry 'aka' Mojo said...

You are BRILLIANT LAD!!!

CiCi said...

It is so much fun to take a virtual trip to a place as lovely as this.

The Panorama said...

Beautiful pictues, Owen. Made me wish it was summer again:)

jeff said...

Quand je pense que tu dis au sujet de mes photos qu'elles prêtent à faire une sieste...:-)))
Tes superbes photographies toutes en douceur et tons pastels retraduisent bien ce bord de mer... du moins comme je me l'imagine !
Ces promeneurs qui laissent aller leurs pas sur le sable fin avec en ligne de mire... l'horizon infini... et si proche pourtant...!
Tu devrais poster plus souvent des images pareilles Owen ! ça a tendance à m'apporter un peu de sérénité, le soir, après mon job...! ! !

Ciao amigo...;-)
On klaxonne en bas de chez moi - J'ARRIVE ! ! ! - c'est certainement la camionnette ! ! !
Bon début de semaine my pixelpote !
...;-)

The Poet Laura-eate said...

Stone me. The second piccie looks like it has a sea wall of King Penguins all lined up against the skyline.

Or have I been inhaling too much Olbas Oil again?

Aitchoo!

Margaret Pangert said...

Hi Owen~ These incredible pix certainly show you to be en forme--fabulous shots. Amazing how you got the geese to position themselves precisely as told! The hues of blue are stunning, but I also like the far-reaching boardwalk in b/w. And you managed to get a couple of black dogs in there! Take care, Margaret

Owen said...

Karen, I think beaches were invented so people would have a place to think... perhaps to think about how our ancestors crawled out of the water all those millions of years ago ?

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Steve, you have been out for a walk, I'm sure it was you I saw moving in the distance of the beach photos...
:-)

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Hi Martin,
Wow, a voyage to Cornwall... I'm green... we went a few years ago, I'd love to go back at a quiet time of year. And funny, when I read through the first time, I didn't even notice the missing "o" in "mood", I read it like it was there... wasn't until I read your second comment that I noticed. Yeah, Mods on the beach, isn't that what the Who's Quadrophenia was all about ? Was just enjoying your post about Cornwall...

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Dear Lynne ! What a mind you have ! You may think of "poke" as in the Grateful Dead song "Shakedown Street", in which a line goes : "Don't tell me this town don't have no heart, you just gotta poke around..." (pardon their grammatical lapses)

I was wondering if anyone would notice the well dressed older lady in black out for a prim and proper stroll. She was certainly not poking around, she was out for a "promenade"...

Yes indeed, there are few things that will keep me down for long, as you have so aptly observed... hope to be out poking around again in the very near future, have two weeks of vacation planned coming up very soon... I can see all that Pacific sea breeze is clearing out the cobwebs...
:-D

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Adam ! I'm afraid to think you may be right... many hunters out there, and they justify it by saying they are intelligently managing the populations. Now if only humans could figure out how to intelligently manage our own population, before we hit ten billion and head down the back stretch toward 20 billion... not sure I want to see that film...

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Joo, thank you so much, and will do all possible to have a good week...

Owen said...

Hi Liz ! Hi Tiddles ! Great to hear from you both, and am tickled pink by Tiddles and Stepford Bunnies photos on your bloglet, as you say... I figured you've been busier than busy with the school work and all, but just wanted to send a big hullloooo up to you and Tiddles. Best to all of you !

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Bonjour Nathalie, je pense ces grandes plages continuent jusqu'en Belgique, et encore... en traversant le pays des Cht'i. Merci bcp en tout cas, suis content si cela t'a fait plaisir, de revoir un coin peut-être un peu oublié...

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Hey Harry ! MERCI ! Maybe not so brilliant, but enjoying the little bit that I can do here in these pages... hope all is well in Sunny Sandy-Hey-Go !

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Hi TechnoB, virtual vicarious travelling is a good thing I think, although after a while I want to get out and see things for real...

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Hi Panorama ! Well, it will be Summer again in a few months, or even sooner if you get on a plane to South Africa or Australia...

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Salut Jeff, mmmm, viens de me reveiler après une bien bonne sieste, je revais au soleil dans les arbres... ahh, quelle puissance somnifère peuvent avoir certaines images ! Et c'est une bonne chose... Alors, cela t'as plu, une petite balade sur la plage ? Pas trop de sable dans les godasses ? Les oiseaux n'ont pas laissé des traces ? bon... un après-midi au coin du feu ensuite avec un bon livre, ou un bon blog, et un bon verre, et le tour est joué... bonne semaine ogima... errr amigo... parfois l'air du large me fait tourner la tête...

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Dear Laura, oh my, what on earth is Olbas Oil ??? Haven't heard of that before... will have to go Google it... in fact that was a colony of penguins, they'd come to see a movie about them,"The March of the Penguins", and were all on their way to the theatre...

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Hi Margaret,
I had to honk out instructions for quite a while to get those geese to hover just so while I took a picture, at first they thought I wanted to have them over for dinner, and they were inclined to fly the other way... glad you enjoyed all this... and noticed the dogs... it is precisely the dogs I was watching when the finger clicked on the shutter...

Marguerite said...

Wow, what a beautiful beach and the photos are amazing, Owen! I'd love to go there. Come on over, when you have time and check out the Cajun Woodstock we had this past weekend! Lassiez les bon ton rouler, cher!

Owen said...

Hey Marguerite, bonjour au bon temps... I took way too long to see your comment here, but better late than never... and many thanks... I'll be by, there are too many good things to see and taste and smell and hear over at your place, a guy can't stay away for long...
:-)

Anonymous said...

je connais bien ces plages
toujours de jolies photos..