Happiness is a wonderful state, even if it doesn’t last long. I don’t remember when I was last this happy. But it must have been in Brittany. And it must have been at one of our many walks in this beautiful part of the world.

We start from the front door, passing old houses in typical Breton style, but also many new buildings with white or sand-colored facades. Then we cross wide fields with lush green grass swaying in the wind. The sunlight sparkles in it like a thousand stars. The air smells of damp earth, sand, and the salt of the sea.

We reach the village of Portsall and soon after, the harbor. The bars are busy, most people sitting outside, drinking, talking, and enjoying the sun. At the end of the small harbor, there’s an unobstructed view of the sea, where large waves break against the rocks and spray into the air like white pearls.

On March 16, 1978, the supertanker Amoco Cadiz sank off this coast. A 20.5-ton anchor from the tanker stands here as a memorial. Huge and massive. Unmovable. I remember images of oil-covered birds and rocks, when I was very young, though I’m not sure if they were pictures from this particular disaster. Being here at this place and reading about it moves me.

From there, our route follows only the coastline. We stop at a rocky area exposed by the low tide. Carefully, we climb over the partly smooth, partly sharp stones until we find a nice, dry spot to sit. From here, we watch the sea and the waves that rhythmically break against the rocks.

And so we continue on and on. We walk, pause, and marvel at nature’s beauty. We linger longer at a bench. From here, we overlook the entire distance we’ve covered, as well as all the rocks jutting out from the sea where wave after wave breaks. It’s a sight that never grows tiresome – absolute beauty. I feel joy, more than this, pure happiness.