Capbreton, am. No big news, it is stormy everywhere in Europe. But what came in this morning around 7 am in front of the Capbreton harbour is in a scale of its own. The old Landes harbour has seen some storms over the past centuries and stood firm against all ocean assaults with, on one side the concrete wall and on the other side the wood jetty to outline the dangerous channel exit.

But at 7 am, with a single blow, the ocean took out a piece of local history, pride and I must say, unattractive newly rebuilt seafront. A rogue wave estimated at 10 m destroyed the wood jetty, smashed the shop windows, dug a huge hole in the concrete boardwalk and sunk a few cars in the parking lot (shame those magnificent mosaic walls didn’t go). No one was hurt in the process. Furthermore most of the beach is gone at the Prevent but hopefully the crazyyyyyyy sand bank, home favourite of the Irish and British colony who have established themselves in the back streets of the other mysterious triangle of this world, has remained!

Meanwhile north of the Bourret, sand dunes have stood firm but beaches bear a resemblance to a crowded and smelly ocean cemetery with not a living soul in sight.