For a Belgian like me, it is always a bit of a magical moment to re-discover that the rest of the world hasn’t felt the need to pack their seaside with ugly fifteen-story buildings like we did. Look at the Bay of the Somme, for example, where the local authorities have done their best to keep the landscape in a state of semi-wilderness, which benefits not only the flora and the fauna but also the mind of whoever visits the region.
It is the perfect place for contemplation, whether it be while walking through the immense natural reserve which is home to hundreds of thousands of migratory and sedentary birds, or simply by sitting on the long beach to watch the Grey and Harbor seals in the distance. At low tide, the locals come to pick up glasswort, a delicacy which will then be served with salt meadows lamb in one of the discreetly quaint restaurants of Le Crotoy, Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme or Cayeux-sur-Mer. And while I am waiting for lunch, I’m leaving you with some stills of a tranquil morning in the Bay of the Somme.
