At the end of the Route de la Mer on the Rhône delta is a nice, sandy beach. However, when we were there close to 9:30 pm on May 22nd, the Mistral winds that blow from the Alps to the sea, accelerating as they pass through the Rhône and Durance valleys, were blowing at almost hurricane force at the end of our road. The wind was so strong it seemed to stretch shadows, and even using a shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second, the sand blowing across the beach is a blur. Mistral winds blow day and night for three to four days straight without letting up.
Off Center & Not Even 
Since I’m not actually experiencing that wind and sand blowing in my face, I really love that third image. Thanks for standing out in those conditions to get it!
Fortunately I had weather sealed cameras and lenses. The blowing sand was terrible. It would rip off exposed skin if you stood in it for too long.
It”s interesting that different geographical areas have special names for their winds–in Cameroon, Africa they had harmatron winds that were pretty strong in a particular time of the year.
Beautiful shots… The 1st one is simply NICE & intriguing, 2nd is unbelievable to see the cycles parked there! & 3rd… beeyoutiful 🙂
Thanks! Much appreciated.