The Beaches

Some of the most vivid memories I have of my life in Algeria revolve around going to the beach. 



Ain-el-Turck Beach

During the warm months of the year – generally May to October, going to the beach was a weekly event for almost everyone living there.  In those days;  (First half of the 20^th century), people didn’t travel much or take holidays far away from their home.  The beach was the place where everyone went to cool down, enjoy water activities, meet friends and have great beach parties. 



Bouzedjar Beach

Then as now, the many beaches lining the coast west of Mers-el-Kébir offer the locals and the increasing number of Algerian tourists, an almost uninterrupted choice of white sandy beaches one can choose depending on which direction the wind blows from. 



Les Andalouses Beach
 

Although half a century has passed since I left Algeria, each time I return there, I still get an immense pleasure in revisiting the many places where I spent so much time during my childhood and early teens. 

Fishermen by the Sea at Les Andalouses beach




Les Corales beach will always a special significance for me as it is the place where I learnt to swim when I was a young boy.  Each time I go back to that very spot, this significant event in my life comes back to me very clearly.



Les Corales beach
 


I recently discovered Madere and Sbiat beaches.  These are located some manageable distance from Mers-el-Kébir but in the Fifties, my family considered these beaches a bit too far to drive to.  I have to admit that we had such a great choice closer by that we never felt the need to drive that much further to enjoy a great day by the sea.  I am glad however that I have discovered these spots as they are truly magnificent and certainly worth the drive. 

Madere beach



The other side of Madere beach



 

Sbiat Beach

 

 



 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 








My Algerian friends

In 2010, after 43 years, I returned to Mers-el-Kébir and caught up with many of my Algerian friends I hadn’t seen since 1967.  I revisited the house where I lived and grew up, my Primary School and many other places filled with the memories of my early years there.  Since 2010, some members of my family have also returned to the old country with me and they too rekindled many relationships long interrupted since the sixties.

It is most comforting to realise that in spite of all the years spent apart from each other and without any contact, the relationship, the closeness and the feelings between my friends and me had remained as strong as they were all these years ago.  The hospitality I receive and the welcoming I am shown from my old friends and the new ones I have made each time I return there is simply overwhelming.

I met Alilou; my friend Kader's nephew in 2010 during my first trip to Algeria.  We somehow connected straight away and our friendship has continued to grow ever since.  Like my father, Alilou is a keen spearfisherman and we exchanged many fishing stories and the best spots to catch groper among other fish.  He gave me the cross which I am holding in the photo.  Alilou found that cross while diving one day and was waiting to meet someone to whom he could give his find.  I was that person and that gift touched me immensely. 



Alilou, an Exceptional Man and a Keen Spearfisherman 



Ryad is another of Kader's nephews.  He is married to Nawel and has two delightful daughters; Ella holding his Dad and Farah.  I spent three unforgettable days with this gorgeous family during the 2014 "Aid Festival" celebrations.  This festival is one of the most important events in the Muslim calendar and they shared this private and most special time with me.  I was very touched and honoured by their gesture and welcome.  Nawel is holding a bowl of savoury couscous which we enjoyed shortly after this photo was taken.

Couscous at my Friend Ryad his Wife Nawel and Daughters Farah and Ella
 

These are some of the children who live and play in Kader's street.  I am here showing them some of the video footage I was taking of them at the time and their fascination for what they were watching was very touching. 

Daniel & the Neighbourhood Children
 

My friend Kader and I standing by the main entrance of the high School we both attended in Oran.  Going back there and revisiting the place was a very emotional experience.  

Kader by the Entrance of the High School we Both attended
 

Rahmouna comes from a very large family and has many sisters and brothers with whom I am also very friendly with.  She however was my favourite of the lot and our friendship now goes back more than sixty years.  I never fail to go and see her each time I go back to the village and we always have lots to talk about and reminisce.

My Childhood Friend Rahmouna

Fatima is another dear friend of mine from that same period and it is always a great pleasure to catch up with her and her husband Basha who is also a very good friend.

My Friend Fatima

I met Mohamed in 2014.  Mohamed owns a seafood restaurant and specialises in assorted fried seafood platters and his unique seafood paella.  We have shared many wonderful moments together and his hospitality is second to none.  I will definitely go back to see him this year.

My Friend Mohamed at his Restaurant with one of his Cooks

My other friend Mohamed is a school teacher who lives in Kristel; situated a few kilometres East of Oran.  We met in 2012 and we have become very close ever since.  Mohamed's mission in Life is to provide as many educational and cultural opportunities as possible to his students and I truly admire his dedication and commitment to his people.  We are currently working on a project which we hope will soon bring some assistance and benefit to his students.

My Friend Mohamed the School Teacher

This photo was taken at Mohamed's house in Kristel.  His daughter and wife are the sweetest people you could ever wish to meet and each time I visited there, I was treated to a fabulous feast and the warmest of welcomes.  Thank you ladies for your delicious food, your wonderful smiles and your beautiful hearts. 

My Friend Mohamed's Wife and Daughter

Youcef is a very dear friend of mine and it is always a pleasure and a rare treat to catch up with him each time I travel to Algeria.  Youcef works at the Mers-el-Kébir City Council and I always enjoy my time with him.  He is a very educated, sensitive and most caring young man who always have time for me and my family when we travel there.

My Friend Youcef Chouchelamane

I took this photo of Rahmouna on the left and her sisters Farida - (centre) and Fatima in 2014.  My cousin Gyselaine and her husband Jean-Louis came to Algeria that year.  Gyselaine had been to Primary School with Fatima and wanted to catch up with her after having lost touch for 52 years.  

My Friend Rahmouna on the left and her sisters - Farida and Fatima

Moufida is my friend Farida's granddaughter who lives at Farida's along with her sister.  Quite often, couples who struggle with the upbringing of their children are helped by the grandparents in this task. 

With Moufida - My friend Farida's Granddaughter







 




Mers-el-Kebir

Mers-el-Kébir is the town in Algeria where I was born during the French occupation of that country.  It is a coastal town with a magnificent harbour, located on the Gulf of Oran on the west coast of Algeria. Originally a Roman port, it has a long history of maritime importance. At the end the 15th century. It was a centre of activity for pirates and was twice occupied by the Portuguese. The Spanish held the town from 1505 to 1792.  In 1830, the French arrived and renamed it Saint André de Mers-el-Kébir.

Mers-el-Kébir in the late Fifties/early Sixties

  

The Naval Base in 1953



The Harbour today and Mers-el-Kébir in the background  
 

During World War II, following the German defeat of France in 1940, part of the French fleet sailed from Toulon and took refuge in Mers-el-Kébir.   On the 3^rd of July 1940, in order to prevent the French fleet from falling into German hands, the British Royal Navy led by Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville attacked the French Navy fleet.   The raid resulted in the deaths of 1,297 French servicemen; about 350 wounded, the sinking of a battleship and the damaging of five other ships.  This attack, part of Operation Catapult is also known as the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir. 





Le Cuirasse Bretagne



During the Bombardment

A great deal of debate has taken place over the motivations of the British.  London's point of view was that:

“The times were desperate; invasion seemed imminent; and the British Government simply could not afford to risk the Germans seizing control of the French fleet.  The predominant British motive was dire necessity and self-preservation.”

The French on the other hand, thought they were acting honorably in terms of their armistice with Germany and were fully convinced they would never turn over their fleet to Germany. French grievances over what they considered a betrayal by their ally have festered for generations.





The Bombardment
 

My father who was 15 at the time recalled this event on many occasions throughout his life.  The military section of the Mers-el-Kébir cemetery is an eerie reminder of a tragic episode in World War II history.



The Military Cemetery of Mers-el-Kébir
 

After the war, the great French naval base at Mers-el-Kébir came to include a sophisticated subterranean installation in view of a possible nuclear attack.  In 1962 the Evian Agreement, by which Algerian independence was acknowledged, allowed France to remain there for an additional 15 years.  The French however, evacuated the base in 1967.



 

The Construction of the Anti-Nuclear Subterranean Installation



 

The Subterranean Installation
 



This photo was taken during one of my first visit to Algeria.  It was a very emotional moment for me, posing there after an absence of almost half a century.



The Entrance of the Town
 

This is one of the buildings my grandfather owned in Mers-el-Kébir.  This building housed 14 apartments which my father managed.  I spent my whole childhood there until we left the country to go and live in France. 

My grandfather's apartment building

I spent most of my Primary School years in this building.  Once I reached High School, I continued my education in Oran as Mers-el-Kébir didn't provide secondary level education. 

My Primary School

 














 







 





 

 

 



 

 







 

 



 

 



 

 



 







People

I have selected some of the images I have taken during my travels to Algeria.  I love going about in the streets, watching people going about their daily lives.  My camera is always ready whenever someone catches my attention.

Everywhere I go, I am always greeted with a smile and a ready willingness to pose for me and let me take a photo.  To all these wonderful people, my gratitude and special thanks.

I took this photo in Ain-el-Turck at lunchtime.  These 3 workers were taking a break and were eating some Calentica served on bread as a sandwich.  Calentica is a popular food that I have described in the Food section of the blog posts on Algeria.

3 workers at Lunchtime

This lady was resting under the shade of a tree at a popular tourist lookout called "Bel Horizon".  It was lunchtime on a hot autumn day.

A Lady by the Shade of a Tree

You can see many of these merchants in the streets of Oran.  In this case, this fellow was selling assorted nuts such as peanuts, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds etc...  Note the inventive way this fellow has set up his platform; and old pram, a wooden plank, some boxes and his produce and he's got his business going. 

A Street Merchant

I was taken by this man sitting by a shady street.  His face and eyes were so peaceful and gentle and he was quite happy to let me take his photo.

A wise Man

This elderly gentleman was resting near what used to be the picture theatre in Mers-el-Kébir.  These days, it is a government building.

Elderly Gentleman  Resting

The Kristel market is one of my favourite places where I have made and enjoy catching up with a number of friends I now have there.  

Farmers and their Produce at the Kristel market
 

This little boy was standing at the window in his house and was quite happy to pose for me. 

Hello Little Man

I couldn't resist the opportunity to take this photo at the main entrance of the El Mansourah citadel.  The ladies were most obliging and even the horse co-operated in this instance.

Ladies by the Entrance of the Ruins of El Mansourah

I was visiting the house where the nuns of Mer-el-Kébir used to live when this little cutie suddenly came out of one of the rooms.  Her smile and genuine happiness did it for me.

Little Cutie

I took this shot near a market in Oran.  He was sitting there and was more than happy to let me play with my camera.

Man Sitting

These 4 men were watching the world go by at a village near Mers-el-Kébir called El Ançor. 
Whenever they can, locals spend a good part of the day talking and exchanging ideas.  This practice reinforces the bonds between them and keeps the true value of Life foremost in their mind.

Men at the Town Square

These 2 men were enjoying a coffee break in Tlemcen.  As well as sweet Mint tea, a great deal of coffee is consumed every day by the local population.

Men enjoying a Coffee Break

This shot was taken in Oran along the boulevard Front de Mer facing the port of Oran.

Men Exchanging Ideas

Each time I travel to Algeria, I go and visit a family who now lives in the house where I grew up when I was a boy prior to leaving the country to go to France.  Mother and daughter are standing in what used to be my parents' bedroom.

The Family who lives in the Apartment where I Grew up

The year I visited my primary school, the building was closed for holidays.  The cleaners were however inside and were quite happy to open for me and let me visit the place.  I hadn't seen this place for nearly half a century but all my childhood memories were still there.  As a bonus, they agreed to pose for me; thank you ladies for a very special moment. 

The Primary School Cleaning Ladies

These young girls were walking in the streets of Mers-el-Kébir and were curious to know who I was and what I was doing in their part of the world.  There again, I had to take a shot.

Three Young Girls

These 2 young men were caught in a traffic jam as I was walking by in one of the main streets in Oran.  They called out and simply wanted to welcome me in their country.  Their exuberance caught my attention and the camera did the rest. 

Welcoming Smiles from the Locals

These 2 young boys were standing in front of the mosque at Mers-el-Kébir; formerly the catholic church of the village where I had been an altar boy for 8 years.  I stood in this very spot countless times while I lived there and decided it was worth a shot. 

Young Boys by the Mosque

The youth population of Algeria is very high and wherever you go, young people can be seen everywhere.  They spend most of their time at school and when school is over, the street is their playing ground.  No computers, I pads and other electronic devices to occupy their day but plenty of physical exercise and fresh air.  Obesity is practically non-existent and just take a look at those smiles !!!  

Young Boys in the street

This young girl kept watching me by the door of her house as I walked down her street in Mers-el-Kébir.  She gratefully posed for the camera.

Young Girl at the Door

This young man was transporting all sorts of things on his cart with his donkey.  I loved the scarves around its head and when I asked him the reason for these, he simply replied that he thought it looked good.  I agreed with him and took the photo.

Young Man and his Donkey