After a brush with a nasty troll of the worst kind, who has kindly agreed to leave us in spite of a corny line from The Terminator – “I’ll be back”, I am truly quivering and shaking with fear! We’ll soon find out if this person has sufficient computer skills to hack the blog or my e-mail.
It really is preferable to think back to this afternoon when I went sailing in a “new” place along the Côte d’Albâtre – the Alabaster Coast as it is called here. The cliffs either side of Les Petites Dalles were cast in a quality of light that has inspired many impressionist artists at the beginning of the twentieth century. The sea was in a mysterious mood as the rain clouds dissipated to reveal a veiled sunlight. The wind was light (about 8-10 knots), and it was nice to have the boat under full sail and jib.
Let all mortal flesh keep silence as the sea and the land soundlessly sing God’s praises. The sense of wonder is the one thing that makes life worth living. I am thankful that I have always lived in beautiful places, from my origins in the Lake District and Yorkshire, Tuscany and now Normandy. That is truly a blessing from God.
The Blue Flower 
Seems the ‘Petites’ are grander than the ‘Grandes’! why might that be?
Or is it a French kind of thing?
One wonders, at least I do!
I agree with you. When I looked along the coast for a new place to sail, I found these two tiny fishing villages on Google Earth. I had already been there by car, as a friend of my wife has a daughter who lives there. The Petites is a bigger village than the Grandes. The Grandes has a better slipway for getting boats down to the beach, so I’ll take the boat to the Grandes Dalles next time. There is also Saint Pierre en Port and Fécamp, but they charge for launching boats at Fécamp. I would very much like to go to Etretat where the cliffs are absolutely incredible. I have already seen them from a vintage fishing boat. I could go a lot closer (safely) in my dinghy.
Could it be that centuries ago the bigger was bigger and the smaller smaller?
Here’s some information in French – https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Petites_Dalles
As you have studied at Saint-Serge, I know you can read French.