Sunday, March 22, 2015

Total Eclipse Of The Beach

Depending on where you live, you might have heard there was a solar eclipse last Friday. Above my neck of the seaside, it was quite a spectacular one since the moon was to cover 80% of the sun. With the pupils, we had been talking about it for a month.

Mon petit coin de bord de mer était sur le trajet de l'éclipse ce vendredi. Cela faisait un mois que l'on en parlait avec les élèves car chez nous, la lune allait couvrir le soleil à 80%, ce qui promettait d'être spectaculaire.

Unfortunately on Friday morning, the sky looked like that...

Malheureusement, ce matin-là, le ciel ressemblait à ça...


So we couldn't see the sun. Still, at about 10:20 am, everything became dark as if it was 7 pm. It was fun to watch the darkness settle for a few minutes, but not as spectacular, of course, as if the sun had been shining.

Honnêtement, impossible de voir le soleil ou la lune. Cependant, vers 10h20, le ciel s'est assombri comme s'il était 7h du soir. Nous avons regardé les ténèbres tomber, c'était étonnant, mais bien sûr pas aussi magique que si les nuages avaient raté le rendez-vous.

For most people the show was then over, but for Brittany, it was only beginning...

Pour certains, le spectacle s'arrêtait là, mais pas pour les Bretons.

Thanks to a few messages I exchanged with Kim from Savvy Southern Style last month, it has come to my attention that tides where not the same all around the world. I found that map of the world that explained it clearly. The deepest red means the tides are very important, the blue and green means the tides are nearly unnoticeable.

Grâce à quelques mails échangés avec Kim, du blog Savvy Southern Style, qui habite dans le sud des États-Unis, je me suis aperçue que l'ampleur des marées n'était pas la même pour tout le monde. Le Cottage se situe juste dans la zone bien rouge sombre où les marées sont très importantes, sous la flèche noire.


The Little White House is located in the crimson red part of Europe under the big black arrow. Twice a day, the sea comes close to the shore; twice a day the sea goes away from the shore. We are so used to it that I never mentionned it on the blog. It shapes the way we live: if we want to bathe in the summer, we first check the tide schedule; same thing if we need to take a boat to somewhere. I see it as Nature reminding us it's more powerful than humans.

J'ai pris l'habitude de vivre avec les marées, de vérifier les horaires avant d'aller me baigner en été ou avant de prendre le bateau pour aller visiter quelque petite île. Pour moi, c'est une façon quotidienne de se souvenir que la Nature est plus forte que nous.


Every now and then, usually around the equinoxes, the tides are very important. With the eclipse, the journalists called this weekend the "tides of the century". I thought I'd share some pictures with you.

De temps en temps, généralement au moment des équinoxes, les marées ont des coefficients plus élevés. Avec l'éclipse, les journalistes ont qualifié celles de ce weekend de "marées du siècle", faisant affluer plein de monde dans la région.


Above are pictures of my "everyday" beach, the one that is close to Cottage. It's a huge beach, but last Friday evening, the beach had totally disappeared and it seemed nothing could stop the sea.



Je vous ai remis ci-dessus quelques photos de ma plage "de base" celle à laquelle j'arrive après trois minutes de voiture en partant de Cottage. C'est une immense plage, mais vendredi soir, elle avait totalement disparu, comme si rien ne pouvait arrêter la mer.


Yes, this is where we usually lay in the sun...

Eh oui, c'est là qu'on étend habituellement nos serviettes...


The wall of rock that is always there was created to stop the sea on those days.

Le mur de rochers a bien fait son office de ralentir la mer... Mais elle tentait tout de même de passer par dessus bord.


This wall of rock is about 2 meter-high from the usual beach level, but last Friday, the sea was trying to get over it.

Le mur de rochers doit faire environ deux mètres de haut par rapport au niveau habituel de la plage... Cela vous donne une idée de la puissance des flots.


And we didn't need the stairs to go down to the beach...

Et les escaliers qui descendent à la plage avaient l'air bien ridicule tout à coup...


The tide was at its highest point at around 7:30 pm and by then not only had the beach disappeared, but the path above the beach that is usually the place where all families come for a nice seaside view walk had become dangerous...

La mer était haute ce vendredi soir vers 7h30 et à cette heure-là, même la promenade au dessus de la plage n'était plus au sec.


I might have taken a few risks to take a picture, which actually resulted in me getting drenched and in this picture... It let a nice salty taste on my lips...

J'ai tenté de prendre une photo d'un peu plus près et j'ai été trempée, l'appareil aussi. Résultat : cette photo de la vague qui explose sur moi et un goût salé sur les lèvres qui rappelle l'été.


So I decided to go back home to some warmth after one last look at the power of the sea.


J'ai donc décidé de rentrer au chaud à la maison après un dernier regard à la mer en furie.


Back home, I was to tired to cook a proper dinner, but not too tired for very hot tea...


J'étais beaucoup trop fatiguée pour cuisiner, mais un thé chaud me faisait vraiment envie.


And who had had the good idea to stop in town earlier to buy some macaroons? Me, me, me!


Et qui avait eu la bonne idée de s'arrêter en ville pour prendre des macarons en rentrant du travail ? Moi, moi, moi!


I'm going to let you drink a hot cup of tea as I'm pretty sure you got cold even watching at the pictures... Those "big tides" as we call them are sure beautiful, but they are always linked to crappy weather.

Je vous laisse vous réchauffer avec une bonne tasse de thé. Ces grandes marées ne vont généralement pas sans un temps froid et humide...

See you soon,

A bientôt,


PS: I'm sharing this post with...

http://travelphotodiscovery.com/luxury-stay-in-peschiera-del-garda/      Dwellings-the Heart of You Home     The Dedicated House                                     
Linky Party           My Show and Share Party               ARTL316       

Friends Sharing Tea                                             

69 comments:


  1. Welcome Magali, but you will not believe what I was thinking about you today, turn on the computer and here ... You:-)
    Interesting is what you wrote. For me, the eclipse was very easy to see, it was a real spectacle, watched the sun by the old photographic film.
    Ah, after all envy you that you are so close to the sea.
    Gee, I just realized that I have never eaten macaroons:-)
    best wishes

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was so interesting! I was aware that Europe would perhaps see the eclipse and not us but how interesting about the tides that day. Lovely shots...thank you for the hot tea; yes I was shivering a bit! : )

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bonjour Magali! Any time is proper time for tea, but especially after a jaunt at the beach on a cool day, this is perfect. The earth is marvelous in all it's changes and forces. Just gorgeous. Anita

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful post Magali! Love every image!

    Thanks for sharing, hugs from the South of Spain

    Marina

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wondered about the tides as this seemed to be a side issue with the news reports - all focussing on the sky rather than the sea. We managed to see the eclipse as the clouds parted just in the nick of time but I am glad you saw the other event which is equally as spectacular. Have a wonderful Sunday (I'm sipping some tea now!). xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow! I can almost hear the roar of the waves. Thanks for venturing out to take photos of this rare event to share on your blog, Magali.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bonjour Magali,
    nous avons vu l'eclipse sans probleme, en Alasce.
    Je pense que cette maree du siecle etait un spectacle impressionnant!

    J'adore le macarons:)
    Bisous d'Alsace:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nature is an amazing thing! Those tides are something! Water is so very powerful. Those macarons look so tasty. What flavor are they? Can you believe I have never had one? Some day I am going to try one though. I'm still working on the kitchen remodel and tomorrow I am back to work as today is my last day of spring break. Have a lovely Sunday.

    Blessings, Vicky

    ReplyDelete
  9. Crazy! I've seen some pics of Mont St. Michel from the weekend and I cant believe how high the tide went there! I guess the sky, the water and the earth are truly linked - evidenced clearly by your before and after pics of your beach!
    By the way - do you buy your macarons to match your plates and teacups or is it the other way around? : )

    Bronwyn
    www.queenbcreativeme.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. A hot cup of tea and macaroons sounds like the perfect end to a VERY interesting day! So lovely of you to share it with all of us.
    Hugs,
    Lin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I could have tea and macaroons at the end of every day... But maybe it's best to keep it for special occaions!

      Delete
  11. I love the power of the sea. It makes you remember just how small you really are in the vast scope of the universe. Okay, I woke up on the philosophical side of the bed. You forgot to say which flavor of macaroons.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I enjoyed this post. I learned some interesting things. Great photos, too. Have never eaten a macaroon, well, not the ones like your photos. Maybe I will try one, but with coffee, not tea. :))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed that walk in the cold, damp and windy weather brought by the tides. You deserve your cup of coffee!

      Delete
  13. Merci pour cet article ! Internet est précieux pour ceux qui habitent loin de la mer ! ;-)
    Bon dimanche ! Flopsy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh you lucky girl! How I wish living close to the sea!!!!! Sorry about your eclipse - maybe next time!

    xox

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oui, je suis un peu déçue par la marée du siècle... sauf la marée basse car il y avait des centaines de gens les fesses en l'air en train de chercher des coquillages et le paysage était magnifique ! On voyait plein de rochers habituellement cachés par la mer... mais la marée haute a été calme sur Dinard. On a raté l'éclipse à cause des nuages... et les macarons, je les avais mangés la semaine d'avant.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi....you're a girl after my own heart..dinner looked delish.! i hope you don't get sick from that trip..water is a powerful thing..the shoreline here has those huge rocks as well..people have them along their waterfront property..when hurricane isabel hit us in '03 it picked those size rocks up an left some scattered in their yards..it was a reminder that something you can walk through can turn into something very strong..too bad your weather didn't cooperate..ours didn't either =^(

    ReplyDelete
  17. Look at the tide map and you will see we are in the blue region. No tides at all. Unfortunately!Because if we had some tides I might find more spectacular sea glass!LOL!Also although we had sunshine we were not allowed to look outside and we kept the students inside with closed curtains so that they don't get sun burnt in their eyes!Ministry of Education rules we had to follow!AriadnefromGreece!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you Magali for the great pictures. They look very frightening to me. I have never really been around the seashore and the times that I have visited California beaches they were beautifully frightening. I had a visitor come from the Chicago area and was very frightened of our Rocky Mountains, she thought that they would fall on her and couldn't understand that you could actually go inside them. Interesting how we get use to our own environment. One thing is for sure I have a lot of respect for nature. Your tea looked amazing I have never tried macaroons like that before. Yum! LOL Have a beautiful day. Jo

    ReplyDelete
  19. J'aimerais les voir ces grandes marées, la méditerranée étant toujours pareille ça doit faire tout drôle.
    Bisous & caresses aux griffus. Babette

    ReplyDelete
  20. Stunning and terrifying at the same time, the sea. Even with the clouds the Eclipse is eerily looking. Be careful out there Magali, you're to sweet to be whisked out to sea, Kathleen in Az

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know the sea is more powerful than I am... I'm staying safe!

      Delete
  21. Mother Nature at her best......thanks for the pics......beautiful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Your high tide pictures look like our every-day ocean here on the Oregon Coast. Many of our beaches are underwater twice a day. Thank you for showing what it looks like in your part of the world. I always enjoy your blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd seen on the map that Oregon also has tides. I think even our climate is similar!

      Delete
  23. Wonderful pictures of your tide. So exciting to see the moon and it's changes on our world during an eclipse. Never fails to facinate me. Wishing you a lovely week! xo Patty/NS

    ReplyDelete
  24. I forgot to add that we did not got to see much of the eclipse sadly.

    ReplyDelete
  25. fantastique ces images, ici c'était tout pareil, du gris, du vent, de la pollution et beaucoup de fraicheur, même pas vu un bout d'éclipse, par contre nous avons vu le jour baisser
    La Bretagne offre toujours des panoramas fantastiques et uniques, c'est juste beau
    Je te souhaite une excellente semaine
    @ bientôt

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Je dois avouer que si l'éclipse a été décevante ici, la mer nous a offert un beau spectacle!
      Merci de cette visite!

      Delete
  26. Beautiful pics and so very interesting,it makes me wish i were at the ocean ,thanks Magali.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh, what I'd give to live that close to that much water! I envy you that. And the photos are gorgeous!
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  28. quelques embruns, une large vague , du sable à perte de vue .....humm ! je suis boostée pour les prochains jours .Merci de ton reportage plein de vitalité.
    Au fait il reste un p'tit macaron ??
    belle nuit à toi,
    Marry Poppins

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Euh... pour les macarons, c'est trop tard... Mais les vagues sont toujours là!

      Delete
  29. Great photos, Magali. I love the photos of the beach. . .all that sand! It would be so wonderful to live near the sea and walk on the beach. Can't imagine anything lovelier, especially living near the sea in a cottage.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Those big tides are beautiful, but I am glad you were able to top them off with a hot tea :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Dearest Magali, the image of the rainbow is stunning! What a delight to capture such a lovely photo.

    How I would love to live by that water - I can almost hear the waves crashing... I used to live by Lake Huron and I miss it a lot. There is something wonderful and peaceful about walking along the beach.

    Have a beautiful week, sweet friend! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I've recently found your blog and am working my way through it... I'm about half way there... but have to say that I so enjoy the pictures and your stories... and this one is another gem.... your writing makes it seem like we are sitting at your table having a cup of tea or walking along the beach... I'm looking forward to the next post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Theresa, for your kind words and welcome to The Little White House!

      Delete
  33. I heard about the eclipse and you were still lucky to see part of it. Eclipses are both eery and breathtaking. I never knew about the tides though, wow, that is pretty interesting on the way the water comes and goes like that! Visitors there should be made aware of this quick change of tides sure. I will surely keep it in mind. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Thank you for sharing. It truly amazes me how powerful the sea can become and take over an entire beach. I have witnessed this on our coast during a Winter storm. The waves were taller than a two story house. It is scary to see the beach that you sunbath on disappear. I am glad you made it safely home to cottage for tea and sweets. xxo

    ReplyDelete
  35. I live on the beach in California. Its 80 here . I got cold looking at your photos. What a beautiful setting for tea. Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The big tides, as we call them, brought some very cold weather and the garden is frosted this morning. But real spring weather should arrive as the tides calm down.

      Delete
  36. I hope it's not rude to suggest that "lay on the beach" is a southern US idiom. The rest of us generally say "lie on the beach."

    Your photos remind me of when i lived near the beach and how much i miss it. Thanks for this lovely post and all the memories it brings back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for telling me about the right way to say it. I must confess that I pick idioms while reading blogs and then I don't remember where they are from ;)

      Delete
  37. This is a great post Magali. Very interesting about the weather, has dramatic photos and ends with a cookie :-)
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  38. Love the photos, Magali. Magnificent. It reminds me of when my father lived by the Bay of Fundy in Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Merci Magali pour ces belles photos ! Celle avec l'arc en ciel est particulièrement jolie, je la mets sur mon Pinterest.
    Bonne journée.
    Nathalie

    ReplyDelete
  40. Magnificent post. Your blog is so interesting and varied. I so very much appreciate it! xo Sarah TP (turkey plate)
    PS-I just packed them again, for what I hope is the last trip they have to take in packing for quite some time!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Stunning photos! Such an interesting post Magali, love the info on the tides. It is not so extreme when we go to our Florida beaches. While visiting Mount St. Michelle I remember the warnings about the tides, and how quickly they roll in. The sea demands attention and respect, should we forget we only have to remember the hurricanes of the past.
    Fabulous post............

    ReplyDelete
  42. So being that you are so knowledgeable you'll know that we have tides too and I've never known anything different. I'm also ashamed to say that I thought there were noticeable tides everywhere, so thank you for enlightening me.
    As to the eclipse, there was so much cloud cover that I didn't see it, but also loads of people came to the beach to see it and then wanted breakfast and coffee and there were only two of us, so suffice to say we had a very chaotic hour and a half with everyone trying to catch a glimpse..........and I really have no idea whether they did or didn't !

    ReplyDelete
  43. It did indeed look like an ominous day Magali. When we went to the Cape last year, we were enthralled with how far the tide went out...as far as the eye could see. It was cool to see some boats just sitting there, waiting for it to come back in.

    ReplyDelete
  44. The ocean is bewitching. I've seen the power of the waves during and after a cyclone and days where the water is like a mirror. Magical days when dolphins, turtles and whales have appeared beside our boat. You are lucky you are situated close to a beach where the tide is exceptional.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Saw a little eclipse through the clouds, nothing as spectacular as that tide though!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi Magali,
    The seaside is so beautiful, it's one of my favorite places to be. Although something so beautiful and calming can so quickly turn to something dangerous and powerful. Glad you got some good shots but stayed safe so you could enjoy your tea at your charming seaside cottage.
    Thanks for visiting my Ravenswood Mansion post and letting me know you did so.
    Have a great week,
    Gina

    ReplyDelete
  47. This makes me yearn for summer and the place where we rent a summer house near the beach. Lovely pics.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Your photos of the sea are so beautiful - even when the sea is angry! So powerful and magical to just watch that water, isn't it? Love your pretty teacup.

    ReplyDelete
  49. What a beautiful rainbow! And it's nice to see the map and know exactly where you live. We live in Florida and the beaches we go to are nice and wide but we still like to know when the tide is out so that we can search for seashells. Enjoy your week! Hugs, Diane

    ReplyDelete
  50. A gorgeous arch of colour in the skies must have been a sight for sore eyes!!

    Poppy
    P.S.: Love your dinner!

    ReplyDelete
  51. It is good to be reminded from time to time of the awesome power of nature. It somehow makes a cup of tea more comforting!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Et cette marée aurait été pire avec un bon vent. De jolies photos...

    ReplyDelete
  53. Holy smokes Magali!!!! Those pictures are beautiful and awesome!!!!!

    -andi

    ReplyDelete
  54. You and those beautiful macarons!!! Gah! I can't take it. I am going to make them for Easter this year. Wish me luck. I've been pinning recipes like crazy. I love watching choppy seas. So dramatic.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Such gorgeous pictures. How lucky you are to live so close to such beauty! I think I will go make myself a cup of tea now.

    ReplyDelete
  56. la photo de l'arc en ciel et du goéland est superbe !! désolée d'être hors sujet grandes marées mais cette photo mérite vraiment qu'on l'observe ! cordialement - monique59

    ReplyDelete
  57. Thank you for sharing these amazing images! I would also love to try one of your yummy macarons.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Oh, those are fantastic photos! The one with the rainbow is spectacular. It's funny, but when you switched to the photos inside cottage, I could feel the warmth and coziness clear across the Atlantic Ocean! I can only imagine how cozy it is in person. The macarons look beautiful!

    ReplyDelete

It makes me so happy to read your comments! Let me know you stopped by!
J'adore lire vos commentaires. N'hésitez pas à vous joindre à cette discussion multi-lingue.