J’ aime les grands espaces
I like the vast spaces
English version below the picture .
Cette photo a été prise le 7 décembre dernier . Elle montre le commencement de l ‘ estuaire d ‘une rivière picarde , l ‘ Authie . Sur la photo le rivière vient de la gauche et commence à se frayer un passage dans les dépôts de boue laissés par les hautes marées pour s ‘ épanouir plus loin dans la mer.
Je frissonnais en contemplant ce paysage sans limites , fait d ‘ eau , de lumière , de boue et de végétation capable de résister au sel . Cependant je connais très bien cet estuaire puisque j ‘ ai fait en 1964 la carte de la végétation qu ‘il contient , formant des zonations selon le gradient de sel des amas de boue . Cela me prit deux mois à marcher de long en large à l ‘intérieur de l ‘ estuaire pour étudier la végétation et ses variations .
Mais je ne me lasse jamais de regarder cet espace infini dans lequel on se sent re – créé . Je vois là un paysage des origines avec cependant quelques traces humaines ( les petites barques collées à la boue ) , un paysage qui incite à la méditation et à la prière .
Le commencement de l ‘ estuaire de l ‘ Authie , rivière de Picardie .
The beginning of the estuary of the river Authie in Picardy ( Northern France ) Photo Michel Fauquet 7 Décembre 2005
This photo has been taken on the last 7 th of December . It shows the beginning of the estuary of a river in Picardy ( Northern France ) called Authie . On the picture , the river comes from the left and starts to clear a path among the amounts of salted mud left by the high tides to bloom farther in the sea .
I was shivering in gazing at this unlimited landscape made of light , water , mud and vegetation able to resist to the salt . However I know very well this estuary since I made in 1964 the map of the vegetation inside , forming zonings according to the percentage of salt in the amounts of mud . I needed two months to walk back and forth into the estuary to study the vegetation and its variations .
But I am never tired to gaze at this infinite space in wich we feel ourself re- created . I saw there a landscape from the origins with , however , some human traces ( the small boats stuck on the mud ) , a landscape inciting to the meditation and the prayer .
NB: I have just found again this post published on Xanga on December 13, 2005.
130 friends commented this in 2005 ( there were no replies at this time). I could not resist to publish it again. I like it
fauquetmichel
fauquetmichel 
Sometines you need to be where the view is clear and you can see the horizon. Those are the places that make our souls feel larger.
our soul embraces the infinite
What a lovely comment. I agree.
What a pretty picture. And a nice story. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
This landscape always made me dream.
I can understand. The lake is what makes me dream
ah now the link works. 🙂
what do you mean, Bonnie ?
A beautifully serene scene Michel, such a lovely photograph. The little boats are perfect sitting there, the only sign of humanity. I love this! ❤
Yes , Hollie , the presence of these few small boats stranded on the mud accentuates the solitude of this place..
Reply
They really do, I love this photo, I would frame this and hang it.
You make me think of ,Holly!
This is something to enjoy everyday.
❤
Michel, beautiful prose! No photos show up for me though unless I look at the version of your post that came in email. That shows a beautiful photo of the estuary. Your last post, 4315, appears to be empty, both the email version and the one I see in the WordPress reader.
I hope Lavinia that you see the picture of the estuary in the present post above. I had some problems this morning with the posting . I posted the same entry but with the 130 comments that I got in 2005. Bad idea because this was much too long. So I deleted this post but it already was registered by wordpress.
The photo shows up for me now. It is beautiful, Michel! 🙂
I am relieved ,Lavinia . Sorry for the mess when I posted this.<3
Do not worry, Michel. A beautiful post, beautiful photo and all is well. 🙂
❤
How beautiful to find an unspoiled place in this crowded world. Does it still look like that today? Our human population is growing so fast, I find that even when I hike miles into the wilderness, I encounter people and the evidence of their passing.
Yes, Judy, nowadays this place still is preserved .FORTUNATELY.
A quiet serene place…a place where your soul and mind expand…away from the clutter and noise of what is happening.
Very nice.
Figure Françoise I was almost two months long in summe 1963 alone in that place : It was wonderful.
I almost didn’t notice the boats. The small size of the boats reminds me of how small humanity is in the scales of time and place. On a side note, December 7th was Pearl Harbor Day for us here in the US.
Yes those little boats reinforce the contrast and allow to appreciate the immensity .
What a beautiful serene sigh-worthy setting, Michel! The vast spaces do make us grateful and cause us to daydream! We all need these places and times! They are good for our hearts, souls, and minds! 🙂
How wonderful that you studied the vegetation! What a great adventure! 🙂 I took a botany class in college many years ago and we studied A LOT of vegetation. I enjoyed it immensely! 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂 and ❤ to you and Janine!
PS…I joined Xanga in 2005! 🙂 Seems like forever ago now. 🙂
.yes 2005 seems already distant, Carolyn and it is during summer 1963 that I studied during two months the vegetation in the estuary. I distinguished the different plant groups , I made a map of them , and showed that they varied according to the level of salt in the mud. I presented this as a kind of thesis.I was almost alone in that immensity .. ❤
It’s hard to believe that so many years have passed since you took this photo! And I believe I remember it from back then. Does it look the same, I wonder? Xanga – those were the days, my friend…
This part of landscape is remained the same , fortunately .
What was your xanganame , Susan ?
It’s beautiful Michel! So serene and peaceful! It must have been wonderful treat to spend so long here to study it! Merry Christmas to you and Janine and family Michel ❤
Thank you, Gayle . yes this time is unforgettable . Two months alone in the estuary in summer to study the vegetation? This is unique.. ❤
Would love to venture to a place like this, a place where my soul can breathe and my eyes take in the infinite. Thanks for reposting this, Michel!
you describe very well the feelings we have in such place , Suzy.
I live in the heart of the city so views like this aren’t easy to come by. This is good for the soul I think.
it is sure this is a big change for you who live in the heart of a city, Matt.
Open spaces are always welcome! I hope the Christmas season is going well for you. We had it easy up until two days ago. Now we are up to a foot in snow and shoveling has brought three foot piles along sidewalks and driveways. Each year gets a little harder. This year especially. The accident still takes its toll. Hopefully, next year will be better.
Merry Christmas to you both! 💚
Yes Rachel shoveling the snow is especially hard . Take care of you after this accident ;Until then no snow here in Amiens but it is very wet and cold.The winter is happening hard. ❤
Michel
Wow, Michel, I love that scenic view. It is very soothing for your soul.
It was noyt only a view , Angy, I was in during two months and I can confirm this is a peaceful place but I had to take care of the tides.
I like it. I wasn’t aware of you on Xanga back then. 130 friends commented. Wow. I wish I would have met more of them. 🙂 Blessings.
yes, Miriam 130 the days were diferent on the old Xanga .At first I re-posted with the 130 comments but I had to delete because is was a too much long entry !
That’s a strangely beautiful place! It almost looks like it is part of another world.
.This is a place such it was at the origin, Nancy,, not spoiled by the Man.. This is exceptional.
This is amazing! More amazing is the engagement with our environment, the desire to discover.
In fact I was working for a kind of Phytosociology thesis for this estuary: to identify the plant associations, their distribution in space and their relationship with the physicochemical factors of the substrate (here, the salt content of the mud mainly)
Ah yes. The vast space gives a sense of peace and wonderment. Reminds us we are mere mortals as well
❤ Elizabeth.
Yes we feel very tiny in that space ! ❤
A stunning and magical looking place this is Michel! The vastness of it is compelling to stand and gaze at! 😋
and we remain in awe, Marion.<3
That is a very fascinating photo, Michel. Hope all is well with you and your family💞
Yes this place is fascinating, Barbara . We feel being on another world.<3
It is a somewhat haunting picture…conjures up many things in the imagination! Lots of Love ❤
haunting, yes, Nancy. We cannot forget this landscape near of the origins. ❤
C’est … comme un tableau …
Un très beau lieu reliant sans limites ciel et terre et mer …
Amitiés de décembre, AM
Tout se conjugue à l’infini,AM.;
I’m glad you are posting it again, Michel. I enjoy vast spaces, too. They are awe-inspiring!
Yes , Louisa: captivating and much inspiring. ❤
The picture draws us in. It’s beautiful.
Love,
Julie
We are never tired to watch it , Julie. ❤
This reminds me of the 1990 movie “Mindwalk” http://transcriptvids.com/v/E8s0He0560g.html , where a politician, a poet, and a scientist meet during a day’s outing at Mont St. Michel. All are going through mid-life crises, and they start to talk about life. The scientist tries to explain to the other two the holistic vision of reality she has been developing while living in solitude on the island.
At the end, they’re walking on the tidal flats outside the village walls, and the politician remarks, “All this is covered in water when the tide comes in, including the pastures. It must take a special breed of sheep to be able to graze here with all this salt. And how could the grass grow without the manure and the sheep grazing on it? I wouldn’t be surprised if the people here have a taste for salty lambs, so the people are in on it, too … the sea, the grass, the people, the sheep.” He has absorbed some of her perspective!
Studying the communities of living things in that estuary must have provoked some of the same universal musings—and in the end also brought you back to yourself and the individual, irreducible life that apprehends that vastness of being!
Thanks Neil for the transcript of “Mindwalk” and for your very interesting comment. . in that estuary I was a bit like the scientist in the movie..
I put in evidence the existence of plants groups, their distribution in space and their relationships with environmental factors. These plant associations have their properties, their characteristics. It is indeed a holistic way of thinking. There is also a taxonomy of phytosociologie [ the groups have a name and are gathered in larger group that have also a name )
Thanks Neil to have put my scientist memories awake! 🙂
It is people like you who help us understand the world around us. People who can see beauty and people who can see details!! Beautiful place my friend!! ❤ Thank you for taking us there. love, Rhonda
I am glad to have the advice of a scientist like you, Rhonda.Thank you. ❤
Of course, I had to look up your original Xanga post to see if I was one of the 130 commenters. I was 🙂 I still love reading you! Merry Christmas, Michel!
Yes Cheri you were among the 130 commenters and you commented already before ( in November 2005 for instance and perhaps before yet ). A faithful friendship is beautiful. ❤
Looks like a beautiful place to be. Merry Christmas!
yes it worth to watch it, Linda.
Moi aussi j aime les grands espaces et en particulièrement la baie d authie.j y suis allée avec toi papa quand nous étions jeune et plusieurs fois à cheval. Espace préservé ,très sauvage que l on a plaisir à regarder .bonne journée on vous embrasse Carole
Bon sang ne saurait mentir ! 🙂