(Lire cet article en français ici)
Before leaving Jersey, I was treated to a visit to the Ecréhous islands, a collection of small rocky outcrops a few miles out to sea from Saint Helier, Jersey's main town. My aunt, uncle and I climbed aboard a RIB - a rubber inflatable boat, on which were three benches and six seats that looked like rodeo riders ! That's promising, I thought, and settled on one of the latter, after donning the windbreaker and lifejacket supplied by Seafaris guide. Music then started playing from the front of the boat, some good tunes to get us in the mood. We set off on the 15 minute ride across the water. Riding that funny seat like the back of a motorbike, with the wind in my hair, up and down went the boat, skilfully speeding over each wave while we enjoyed the coolness of the spray and looked out for sea birds and hoped for a dolphin sighting. You can't imagine the overwhelm of emotion that descended on me, as I soared over that deep blue sea ! Have you ever really experienced tears of joy? I don't know that I had before that moment - my eyes welled up, my throat was throbbing and I really felt like crying the same way as one would in an intensely sad situation ! But I felt happy, soooo happy ! Like I'd been waiting for this very moment my entire life ! I can still feel it as I write this a couple of weeks later...
The islands were strikingly beautiful. Home to large seals and various protected sea bird species, including Gannets, (which was my childhood nickname because I ate everything set in front of me and finished all the dishes - and still do hahaha), there were also a dozen tiny colourful fishermen's homes - now used as holiday accommodation - and a few french sailing boats at anchor. We swam in the sea off the slipway, adding another spot to my list of sea swims. The water was absolutely clear, deliciously salty, and only a tinge cold. I was grateful for the swimming shoes this time, walking over the shells and jagged rocks... None of the other passengers swam, and I felt a little bit like we were some sort of dare-devils ! With windbreakers back on we then explored the small stony beach a while and imagined what it would be like to live out at sea like this so far from anyone... Over the centuries there are many stories of people who have lived like this, including one who called himself the King of the Ecréhous and was even received by Queen Victoria, gifting her with a basket of lobsters.
I had felt the call of the sea. My soul remembered it from my youngest days. I was born in Saint Malo, on the edge of the sea, and at six months old my parents set off with me on a sailing boat with another couple and their baby to sail around the world. They only made it to the Canary Islands before calling it off, but at least they tried, and those few weeks on the water must have profoundly affected my little growing being, because I've always longed for the sea.
So it was impossible to pass through Saint Malo coming off the Jersey ferry this time without stopping to spend a few nights there. As usual I booked last minute so I took the last room available in town and ended up in a lovely little hotel at the far end of the promenade, one building up from the beach, with a view of the sea down the slipway from the breakfast terrace - I loved it so much ! I lugged my new red suitcase up to my room - my purple one had a wheel chewed up on the first ferry crossing so I had to buy a new one, what a waste and so un-ecologically considerate… oh by the way, if you need to buy a suitcase, make sure the wheels are hard plastic and run freely, because I can tell you, I bought a cheap one and paid the price, it was really hard to pull and never wanted to run along smoothly on all fours like it's meant to, like the new one.. I could have saved myself some really hard work on that Munich-France trip if I hadn't been so stingy…
So anyway, first thing I did in Saint Malo was head to the looooong beach where I spent the afternoon lying in the sun treating myself to a proper beach vacation suntan session with some fun discreet people-watching, and a couple of swims of course. Lots of grandparents with little kids - you can tell which ones are from the city, they are so overprotective compared to the locals - just everyone enjoying the time outside in the good weather. In the evening, amble through the old city with its great granite buildings, narrow cobbled streets, big old stone ramparts, lots of Crêperies and seafood cafés, loads of foreign tourists and general good mood. In 1944 eighty percent of the old town, Intra-muros (inside-the-walls) was destroyed by ten days of allied bombings, and it was rebuilt exactly the same by the end of the 60s. Over the ages it was the home of great navigators, explorers of Canada, great commercial companies and privateers under Louis XIV, fishermen of Newfoundland, and generally crazy Malouin adventurers ! I didn't live there long but I love it and I feel like I belong. In fact the hotel owner told me, oh, you were born here, so you are a real Malouine, whereas he only lived there most of his life, he was born elsewhere so he can't claim that title. Well, that's what he told me, even if he was just saying that to be nice, I took it heart and it meant a lot !!
I simply could not get enough of the music of the waves lapping the promenade walls at high tide, the sea covering half a mile of beach every twelve hours, as if it had never existed. I spent ages just staring at it, listening to the song and being pulled in by its deceptive power. I could have never left and settled right there ! But then one day I saw the perfect home on wheels in the classifieds, less than 200km from Saint Malo. And the call of the road won in the end. But I’ll be back…
This blog I write because I enjoy writing, and so my friends and family around the world can follow my adventures. If we’ve just met on the roads or online, go ahead and subscribe for the next episode to land right in your mailbox. Also, I write in English and French so you can follow both if you’d like some language practice, but if you don’t, feel free to unsubscribe from either one. If you know someone who needs a little inspiration, share one of my posts with them !
The call of the sea
Sounds absolutely lovely!