This Road Vanishes Twice a Day

This road disappears twice a day. Send this to someone who would drive it anyway. In the west of France there is a road called the Passage du Gois. It goes from the coast to an island. It is about four kilometres long. And twice every day, the sea covers it completely.

Imagine you are driving it. On both sides of you there is wet sand and seaweed and small pools. There are boats sitting on the sand, waiting. The road is only open for about three hours, and the middle of that time is low tide. You look at your clock a lot.

Along the road there are nine tall poles standing in the water. They are not decoration. If the water comes back while you are still out there, you leave your car, you climb the pole, and you wait on the platform at the top until somebody comes for you. There is a bridge now, and most people use it. But the old road is still there, and people still cross it.