Meditations on the Sea

Sunset over Môle Beach

Our adventure comes to an end this week, as we return to Burgundy and our inland French life. With the end of our stay in St. Malo comes the end of this blog. This will be my last posting. I leave you with some photos of the Bay of St. Malo and some words from others who have mused about the oceans and seas.

Off the coast at the Pointe du Décolle

It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist; the threat is rather to life itself. ―Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us

Spring grasses and rocky cove

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

—John Mansfield, Sea Fever 

Looking out towards the Atlantic

A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.

–Franklin D. Roosevelt

Jumping from the jetty

Sometimes in the waves of change we find our true direction.

–Unknown

Fishing from shore

We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.

—John F. Kennedy

The port of St. Lunaire

In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.

—Kahlil Gibran

Islands as far as the eye can see

Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone. 

—Unknown

The colors of the sea

If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both saltwater mixed with air.

–Chief Seattle

Sunlight glistening on the water

The world will never starve for lack of wonders; but only for lack of wonder.

—G.K. Chesterton

Goodbye to St. Malo, here we sat and watched your activity morning, noon and evening

We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.

—Pascal Mercier, Night Train to Lisbon