As I gaze upon the sea... By Axelle PERCIE du SERT

I spent my holidays in the most fabulous region of the world! I took these two pictures in Quiberon in Breizh on February 17^th during my holidays. This beautiful location was a simple fishing village and it has become a busy tourist destination. 

The first picture was taken at the seaside when the sun was setting. There was hardly any wind. In the foreground we can see the sea. Little waves are lapping the rocks. There’s pebbles and a little further off a bit of sand. In the background: houses, small buildings and hotels on the waterfront which make up part of the city. I could watch this landscape for hours.

The second picture is of a pleasant square in the city. It’s winter so there aren't lots of people because, though it is very sunny, it’s a bit cold. In the summer holidays, all the town squares of course have a lot of people. In the foreground, there are tables and chairs with folded sunshades in front of restaurants. There are little shops in the background. It is a place for tourists who want to take advantage of the sun and the sea in summer.

These two pictures show two different environments nevertheless situated in the same place. The first is the landscape around all the built-up area, the second is a square within the town. The two pictures are fairly representative of the not-so-little town in which there are very few ugly concrete buildings. There is hardly any pollution here.

Quiberon is a good example of urbanization. Amenities were set up to improve the living conditions of the tourists and inhabitants and to take better advantage of the seashore as a tourist attraction. The urban area has spread but has been made attractive to attract tourists in summer. Many small businesses have been set up to cater for them (hotels, cafés, shops, etc. The sea is an indirect source of profit...

But are all these improvements really necessary? Sure, Quiberon is a nice place now with all modern comforts, but the urban lifestyle does produce a lot of waste and pollution which inevitably has a cost and an effect on the natural landscape on which the local economy ultimately depends. In our efforts to modernize, we should not forget the simple joy of a seaside sunset, the beautiful waves crashing onto the rocks…