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The Calanques of Marseille were one of my fist playgrounds. Strolls in springtime surrounded by daffodils. Yomping and clambering among the heaps of fallen rocks, all of this while being buffeted by a breathtaking mistral wind whose gusts threaten to knock you down. Basking in the protected landscape far from the over occupied beaches nearby on the Cote d’Azur.
The aromas of thyme, laurel (bay), and rosemary waft through the air. A sanctuary. The white of the limestone, the green of the short shrubby vegetation, (the green of the coarse shrubs), against the deeps of the blue Mediterranean. From turquoise to dark sea blue, and all bathed in sunlight. There are worse playgrounds. But in any case, this playground helped to inspire and develop my profound interest in Nature. The great open spaces, the marine elements, the search for calm and meditation. It made me question the role of man among such immense and powerful natural monuments.
Water sports, diving, climbing, those surroundings also initiated a passion that I was able to chronicle later either by pen or by picture through my reporting experiences. I decided to isolate myself for a few days on one of the islands, which looked onto. Riou Island, I lived there like Robinson Crusoe for a few days, benefiting from the shelter that the island’s grounds keeper had left me, these photos are the fruit of that short stay.
Autor : Vincent Hilaire