I had gone to bed the previous night with a blanket on, which was really necessary due to the cool night air that comes from the Atlantic Ocean. It was so great to sleep in a quiet, cool room, with the window open, and stars twinkling all above the Breton coast. I think that this was the first really good night of sleep I had since leaving Canada.

I woke up around 7am with the sun shining on the sea, and gulls flying across the sky on their daily search for food. Ahhh...it was so still and peaceful...was I in heaven? I got dressed, grabbed my camera and headed out side to explore. Everyone else in the house seemed to still be asleep so I was as quiet as I could be... not wanting to awaken the baby.

I was totally thrilled with everything that I saw...like a kid in a candy store!

Walking along the small dirt road passed the house, I came to a narrow, grassy path which led down the hill towards the beach. Perfect, I thought, this is where I wanted to go.

Across a low stone wall adorned with pink roses I could see a white house gleaming in the sunshine. What a beautiful home! Maybe I'll have a place like that some day, and wouldn't that be a wonderful place for an artist to live?

The sun was just getting up in the sky, so the shadows were long and the light was soft. There was a heavy dew on the grass which made every blade of grass a shimmering jewel.

The tide had gone out so the beach was fully exposed for quite a distance out from shore.

Sea birds of many kinds soared above, swam on the calm water, and walked on the sand...all searching for their morning food.

A small boat made its way from where it had been anchored over night near an island a few hundred yards off shore.

This tiny island of rock was occupied by a magnificent house...like a little castle, and other small sail boats were tied up near by.

It must have been the private domain of someone who was quite wealthy, and this was their own magic little kingdom!

There were actually a lot of trees along the coast line...pines and other species I wasn't familiar with. Little roof tops, and wisps of smoke could be seen here and there, but there was no noise at all other than the voices of the busy sea birds.
This scene was such a dramatic contrast to the hustle and bustle of Paris. It was hard to believe that just yesterday I had been part of that world, and now I was in this paradise.
I decided then and there, that this was for me. How could I ever live here I wondered?
Well, you have to dream don't you?

I sat on a large ,grey, drift wood log that had come here from who knows where.
I just breathed in the cool salty air, and enjoyed the sights and sounds that flooded my brain.

I quickly snapped off a couple of rolls of film, which was no problem. Everything was so rich in colour, and texture that it made me want to paint. When I travel I am so keen to see everything that I am the “artist/tourist”; not taking time to sit and paint at the time, but will do it later.

My watch said 9 o”clock so I made my way back to the house, as I thought that the rest of the family might be up and breakfast would be starting. When I went inside I said good morning to everyone in the kitchen, and sat down to fresh coffee, toast and confiture.

It was so great to see people I knew and be able to speak English.

“Did you see some interesting things to photograph and paint?” asked Benedict. “That's an understatement”, I said,”There's so much to see out there, it's hard to know where to start. You are so lucky to have a house here!” “We all feel the same way”, said Benedict, ”It really is a piece of Heaven I think”.

“You are absolutely right,” I said.

Blair T. Paul, all rights reserved
Edited and posted by: Chris MacFarlane Photography