After so many months of sun and mostly desert, France welcomes me with changing weather and a diverse landscape. A real treat. Such a different ambience.
Life is also different when you share it with someone. New challenges emerge. Goals that need to be achieved together. And tasks that everyone has for themselves.
August. France. Brittany. Near the sea. I like to go barefoot through nature. So I can feel every single step I take. Choose my steps wisely. Attentive to the environment and the subsoil, I walk over stones where the sea water romps.
It’s low tide. Some rocks are still humid. At some places there is a mini pond or even a small natural pool. Fish that have been caught in this stony aquarium for a period of time. Underwater plants that make a desolate impression above water.
The rocks are rough. It’s a pleasant massage effect. However, some stones are pointed and edged and want to teach you a lesson as soon as your foot steps on these bumps. Sometimes the large stones are so far apart that a jump is necessary. Or the levels are so different that it has to be climbed. A specially found path is covered with every step. Not a trampled path that leads regularly through nature.
The sun is strong. And the wind is even stronger. With a jacket protected from the wind, a walk is a pleasure. A game with the four elements. The earth in the form of stones under your feet. The moving air that drives the water. The fire of the sun, which is supposedly weakened by the wind. In a place that is protected from the sea breeze, the power of the summer sun can be felt. It is intense and sizzles on the skin.
At sea, in the distance, two ships can be seen. They “harvest” algae. The crane on the ship that fetches the water plants from the sea is called Scooby-Doo. Underwater, the crane pulls the plants out of the seabed with a rotating movement. Fully loaded, like a fork with spaghetti, the crane reappears. With the opposite turning movement, the harvested algae fall into the ship. The whole process happens fast as the wind.
And a fog is coming up fast as the wind. It’s late afternoon. Or early evening? The fog (French: brume) hangs like a veil over the sea and heads towards the land. People head for their home. So do I.
The way back leads me along the coast to a meadow. I take a shortcut across the field. There are algae on the lawn. Spread out to dry. Divided into squares, the water plants decorate this meadow. When they have dried, the algae are laid out in a pile. Ready to be transported away for further processing. The underwater plants are available here in all kinds of products. As an additive in bread, tea, or in soap. A food that often shows up in everyday life.
The fog is faster than me and enshrouds me in a humid cold. The white-gray cloud has devoured the sea and is now taking up one street after another.
A typical summer day. For Brittany, anyway. A day on which almost every weather condition has shown itself.
The western region of Brittany is called Finistère. The end of the earth: Finis Tère. This end of the world is rocky and rough. The area tells stories of sailors, wars and the wild sea. And yet there is a magic hidden here. A beauty that nature reveals. A clarity. A natural order. Something mysterious. Something amazing. Something that invites you to take a closer look.
Such a walk through unknown terrain and new influences reflects life well. But only on a small scale. Make decisions about which route to take. Make mistakes. Feel that. Bear the consequences. Enjoy pleasant moments. Understand what leads to what. Experience success. Have one goal in mind. Always dare to take on an unknown challenge. And perceive changes.
The travel goes on. Very different from what was assumed at the beginning. But that was clear very quickly: Follow the plan of life instead of doggedly forging your own plans. There is always something new in life. Stay flexible and make the best of it. At least that’s what I intent to do every day. Sometimes it works. Times less. Like everything in life, it is a process that is always going on.
