Mediterranean France-Corse-Capraia t/r

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 Mediterranean & Alps, France 2/8-23/8-2017

During the biggest portion of August, we have been in southern France to visit friends and to say hello to the blue Mediterranean and the much greener Alps ;-)

The sails were set in Toulon from where our voyage started towards the west coast of Corsica.
Time was spent along the the Corsican west- and north coast, followed by a brief overnight visit to the small Italian island, Capraia, before it was time to take course back towards the mainland of France again.

Below are pictures from our good couple of weeks on the salty blue. In order not to make this blogpost too packed with photos, I will share pictures from the Alps in another post within shortly! :-)










































Moments With No Reverse Button

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Havstensfjorden, Swedish West Coast 1/8-2017

Already during my very first paddleboard adventure, in the mangroves of New Caledonia back in 2013, I felt how this soothing and fun activity quickly would develop into yet another lovely addiction ;-)

Standup paddleboarding is not only a fun sport, it is also a pleasant and silent way of transporting yourself to further discovering of the coast.



When leaving with the board "time stops" for me, no watch nor cell is normally included in the packing. During the hours I´m out on the water I prefer to be entirely in the moment...




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With my ever growing curiosity for the life hidden beneath the board, however, my packing does include mask and snorkel as this allows me to explore even more of the coastline, also underwater!
 


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Who says you need to go deep to encounter various marine creatures with charming characters?




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For the curious eye, there is plenty life and beauty to observe just beneath the waterline :-)






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It is not only in tropical waters where you can find coral animals while snorkelling. Also here, in the much colder Scandinavian waters, there are different kind of anemones living in very shallow waters. The anemone Sagartiogeton viduatus is one of them, and is commonly found on eelgrass. The pics below is taken on ca 2 meters depth.





The eelgrass habitat has a unique ecological role. They are important habitats for a large number of marine animals and plants, and act as nursery for many species.

Unfortunately, the eelgrass habitat is today a globally threatened biotope that has been decreasing rapidly in the past 50 years. In Bohuslän, at the Swedish west coast, the distribution of eelgrass habitats has decreased by 60 percent since the 1980s.





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In addition to overfertilization and overfishing, eelgrass habitats also suffer from exploitation in the form of ports, bridges and dredging etc.



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Like so often when being outdoors, I find myself surrounded by the most alluring art. It is the ever changing art of Mother Nature!

Out here no moment is the same. Wind, waves, light, currents, visibility and the many movements of the objects, are some of the many changes throughout the day...

The scenario I experience now is unique and has no reverse button.







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It is indeed exciting to be travelling and exploring distant places. But for appreciating the various and captivating beauty nature surrounds us with, we don´t have to go far.





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Even when leaving for the shortest swim, I like to bring mask and snorkel not to miss out on the sight of the marine life beneath...



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...  or when out on a daily walk, run or being session, I prefer not to bring any headset or music as my favourite soundtrack is of the soothing natural kind.

May it be the moving trees in the wind, the falling rain drops on to the muddy ground or the board, the singing birds in the bush...



From ground to sky, I so enjoy to give time for taking a closer look at the many tiny lifes that live and thrive at ground level...



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... and to look up, at the faithful sky who is always there, often with such amazing, patterns, colour variations and fantasy filled compositions. I never get tired of observing what happens up there!



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Being able to appreciate every day´s beauty, feels both obvious and important to me. Big or small, the many details the daily life contains creates precious moments that never will look or be the same.

Stop, breath, listen, look and feel. Whatever activity one might be occupied with, try to give time and appreciation to the moment now :-)