Published in SOMETIMES IN BALANCE ( https://tinyurl.com/2h9msacw ), this is a ‘postcard’ from Plage de la Conche des Baleines, one of my favourite beaches, named for when a number of baleen whales washed up there in the 11th century. It is on the northern tip of L’île de Ré, 1100 km (690 miles) from home.