Visiting Bray-Dunes, France: Abstract Emotions of Tides, Sand, Dunes, Sea, Sky, and a Troubled Past Exploding
The semblance of abstraction made intensely real
Bray-Dunes (1) in the extreme north of Metropolitan France is almost a surreal place.
This is for a number of reasons.
Here, dunes and sand, tides and sea, sky and memories of a troubled past all come together.
Going back some hundreds of years, this northernmost part of France's coastline was not even part of France. In the 20th century, it was the scene of grim conflicts: the Western Front ended here in World War One; and in World War Two what was referred to as the Evacuation of Dunkirk was actually carried out substantially along the flat, sandy beaches seen in the photo, above, taken at Bray-Dunes, looking towards Dunkirk (French: Dunkerque).
This blustery sea resort almost upon the border with Belgium gives the semblance of abstraction made intensely real by the cold winds, by the fact of changed invisible boundaries, by the stark memories of coastal warfare, by the sand and dunes and the continual sequence of high and low tides. All these elements seem to be in a state of flux, competing with each other, never definitively.
Those who love artificial stimulation and crowded, Mediterranean beaches will perhaps think Bray-Dunes boring.
Personally I find the place absorbing, troubling, even. It offers an alternative, North Sea (French: Mer du Nord) perspective on France's northern coast which usually conjures images of the English Channel (French: La Manche).
It is as if at Bray-Dunes so many elements of abstract art are combining to explode onto the temporal landscape.
December 4, 2018
Note
(1) See also municipal website (in French): http://www.bray-dunes.fr/V2.0/
Also worth seeing
Also worth seeing
In Bray-Dunes itself, the parish church has artifacts relating to the former fishing industry based in the town.
Calmeynbos , Adinkerke , Belgium (distance: 5.8 kilometres) is a wooded nature reserve in a locality which saw much action during both World Wars 1 and 2.
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How to get there: A number of North American airlines fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and the French SNCF railroad links Paris with nearby Dunkirk. But the nearest large international airport to Bray-Dunes is Brussels Airport (Brussel Nationaal / Bruxelles-National). Belgian rail links exist between Brussels and nearby De Panne. Car hire is available in Paris, Dunkirk, Brussels and elsewhere. Please check with the airline or your travel agent for up to date information. You are advised to refer to appropriate consular sources for any special border crossing arrangements which may apply to citizens of certain nationalities.
MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada.
Other of my hubpages may also be of interest
- Visiting the Calmeynbos, Belgium: Nature Reserve as Psychological Barrier and Healer
Woodland walks have long been planted on territory near the Franco-Belgian border which once resonated with the fierce sounds of World War One battles. - Visiting gardens of Calais, France: a Flemish Town Hall belfry, Rodin's 'The Burghers of Calais' and
Poignant memories of World War Two and a famous sculpture in front of Calais's City Hall, with its amazing Flemish belfry, combine to offer a rich historical and architectural heritage.
