15th post - a night on the beach

I've been wanting to spend a night on the beach for some time now. However, weekends are almost the only option for this and so far they have been pretty fully booked for me.

That's why I kept this weekend completely free and looked for people who would also like to. After a bit of back and forth, the plan was finalized and we could get started on Saturday.

Florian and Tobias picked up the car from the car rental company (an ultra modern SUV, it was fun to drive) and then picked up Marlene, Marie and me around 10:30. We then drove to L'Hérmitage beach, as there are many trees and palm trees to attach the hammock to. We then had a very relaxing day and lounged around on the beach for a bit. It was pretty cloudy, but not cold. Unfortunately, this meant that I didn't use any sunscreen and now I've mutated into a sweet cancer again. Unfortunately, the UV factor here doesn't necessarily depend on whether you can actually see the sun :D

In the afternoon, Marie took the bus home and Sébastien joined her. He brought UNO with him and so we played a few rounds. That was surprisingly difficult, because as it turned out, the Germans, French and Swiss don't have anywhere near the same rules... but after a bit of diplomacy we were able to agree on a set of rules.

Towards the evening we went to a snack bar (snack, as it's called here) and ate a little something (and possibly drank beer and a bottle of wine). The rest of the evening was really quite fun and I was in a very good mood :)

We set up camp around 10 p.m. After some initial difficulties (none of us had much or any experience with how to hang a hammock), we all found a comfortable place to sleep in the open air. Sébastien, Marlene and I slept in hammocks, Florian in a tent and Tobias with a sleeping mat and sleeping bag on the sand.

Before we actually went to sleep, we went straight to the sea (some even into the sea) and looked at the stars for a while. It was really magical and so beautiful. A southern sky like this is different than ours, especially on a small island with little light pollution. You saw the Milky Way and even a few shooting stars. It was just a perfect moment.

But at some point we went to sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well at all, or I almost didn't sleep at all. It was super cold (despite long clothes and a sleeping bag), music was playing next to us until 3:00 a.m. and - probably the biggest problem - I had already slept on the beach all day :D But it wasn't bad, I actually did still enjoyed every moment and just admired the stars. The sun came up at around 5:45 a.m. and that was just great. The first rays appeared over the calm sea, the sky turned into soft colors and the warmth of the sun felt good for me. I watched the spectacle for a while and then fell asleep for another hour. This early in the morning on the beach you are still almost alone, and it was really a pleasant feeling to wake up with nature and in nature.

At around 10:00 a.m. I went to get breakfast with Sébastien and Tobias, as the other two were obviously busy in the tent... So we walked 10 minutes to the Carrefou r and the adjacent market, bought pain au chocolat and croissants for everyone, two baguettes and a dip. On the way back we got some coffee and then prepared breakfast on the beach. The other two joined us at some point and we chatted a bit.

After breakfast we went into the sea again, sunbathed for a while and then headed back around 2 p.m.

For me it was a really great experience and I will 100% do it again. During this trip I also noticed how much better my French has become. I was able to communicate for the entire two days with almost no problems and I just had fun!