Ship Watching

The shores of the Channel are an excellent place for ship watching. On a clear day, from the top of Fox Hill Down or Langdon Hole one looks down on it. It appears as a lake, or a large river. France and the infrastructure of Calais can be clearly seen. Wind turbines, silos, the town hall clock. There is a nuclear power station at Gravelines and I think that can be seen too. I need to go and spend some time on the French side to get a better understanding of the topography. These things are best learned through tramping and exploring and at ground level.

Force 6 on the Beaufort scale today. The sea looks rougher a couple of miles out from the shore. Very few people on the beach. The roaring and crashing sea, the fresh wind, the bright sunlight and the solitude were perfect for walking. The mood could equally be for thinking, or not thinking, just enjoying the elemental sense of being.

Out on the horizon three ships a’sailing. The Fortune Visitor on its way from Rotterdam to Quebec, Movers 3 from the Port of Ust-Luga in Russia to Cẩm Phả in Vietnam and Atlantic Eagle from Ijmuiden to Tuxpan in Mexico.

Russia is developing its ports and infrastructure and political forces are shaping these as much as the topography of the landscape.

You will need binoculars to see the ships.