Belle

The saying goes “curiosity killed the cat”, as if being nosy is a bad thing. As I stood knee-deep in the cool Atlantic Ocean, marvelling at the beauty and emptiness of the Plage de Port Lin, I decided this was nonsense: without this little detour, “just to have a look”, I’d never have discovered Le Croisic, on the Guérande peninsula. The downside is that time isn’t on my side: it’s past 5pm and I’m supposed to be at the big resort, La Baule-Escoublac, six miles east by now. But the presqu’île (a “nearly island”), as the French call it, tucked in the corner where Brittany meets Pays de la Loire, is calling out to be explored.

First, though, a late afternoon dip in the sea is too hard to resist, and I wade into the water, sharing a delighted smile with fellow swimmers. Two elderly women in flowery swimming caps nod a cheery “Bonsoir” as I take my first strokes. Afterwards, I wander up the coast a little way. A row of belle epoque villas overlook the rocky coastline, and I climb down on to the sand in front of them to look west at the enchanting view of the small headlands jutting into the sea and scattered black rocks in silhouette.

Back in the car, I hazard that I have just enough time to do a circuit of the peninsula if I delay my evening dinner reservation in La Baule, and so I follow the coast road west, spotting menhirs, small sandy coves and a golf course along the way. As I approach the town of Le Croisic, there are more people out for a stroll beneath the towering maritime pine trees and I park up again to join them for a while.

At the jetty that usually sees passengers boarding the foot ferry to the islands off the coast, such as Belle-Île-en-Mer and Hoëdic, I notice a crowd of people aren’t queueing, but fishing. Old men and teenage boys are peering over the railings, with nets lowered down on lines; there’s a jolly camaraderie and their chatter carries on the breeze.

In the sea behind them, I spot the Trehic jetty, an 850-metre stone pier that snakes into the bay nearby – its end point marked by a lighthouse – as well as the tip of the Pen Bron peninsula on the other side of the bay, which seems so close it could be within swimming distance. Its proximity reminds me what the two peninsulas embrace: 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) of marshland and the salt ponds from which the famous Guérande salt crystals are harvested. The thought of sprinkling it on my dinner makes my stomach rumble, and so I head on to La Baule, taking a detour through the main town, along the pretty harbour front with its yachts and quaysides.

After checking into the Hotel des Dunes, I wander out for dinner. There’s a holiday vibe in the town and restaurants are full of families and friends dining together, black-clad waiters whirling between them with trays aloft. I arrive for my reservation at Restaurant Le M (starter, main course and dessert from €18.90), and tuck into briny oysters from Brittany and grilled fish with Mediterranean vegetables.

La Baule-Escoublac first welcomed tourists in the late 19th century, after the opening of the railway line, and became a sophisticated resort. Today, it is a mix of modern apartments, belle epoque-era timber-framed architecture, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. Away from the main drags are desirable 19th-century villas shaded by the cypress and pines that were planted in the early 1820s to stabilise the dunes. It is undeniably touristy, but that’s no surprise for a place with such a good beach.

The next morning, I wander down to the seafront and inhale the ozone before wandering along the shore, sitting for a while on the golden sand.

Some 15 minutes north of La Baule-Escoublac is impressive Guérande – its name familiar from the eponymous salt – with its mighty walls, towers, moats and grand medieval gate, La Porte Saint-Michel. Inside, it is a delight: bunting flutters above streets packed with bakeries, arty boutiques and creperies.

The sun is shining, so I take a table in the main square on the terrace of the creperie Chez Lucien and soon I’m tucking into a crispy golden galette complète, with ham, cheese and a gooey egg at its centre, and a cup of cider. I might strictly be in the region of Pays de la Loire, but the identity here is resolutely Breton, and the salt harvested from the nearby marshes has been a key ingredient in Brittany’s famous salted butter for centuries.

To find out more about the fascinating process of harvesting the sel de Guérande, I head out to the marshes. At the shop and visitor centre of the Terre de Sel cooperative (salt marsh tours from €10.50), I meet Simon Pereon, a paludier or salt harvester, who has agreed to show me how he and his 220 fellow paludiers enact the process of salt harvesting between June and September. Salt has been prized in these parts since Roman times, when soldiers were sometimes paid in salt (hence the origin of the word salary), but the marshes as we see them today date from around 1,000 years ago.

As we drive to Simon’s ponds, I start to see the appeal of working under the big skies and open air, and the reason he followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. “The government classes us as ‘farmers’,” he explains, “but we work with seawater and the whole landscape is balanced between the land and the sea.” With a long, toothless rake called a las, he moves the seawater between a labyrinth of shallow rectangular ponds that don’t drain, due to the clay mud beneath, coloured pink by the algae that thrives here. As the water moves between each pond it becomes increasingly concentrated as the sun evaporates the water and leaves the salt behind.

Simon sweeps the las across the ponds and the water ripples gently: the process is hypnotic. By the end of each day, he has raked the salt into neat piles on the dykes between ponds. “In summer, we harvest 50kg every day. The job has evolved over the years, with tractors and other machines, but for the actual salt harvesting, we still use the identical process that’s been around for centuries.”

The tranquillity has been passed down the ages: I hear little more than the calls from the avocets and ibis in the neighbouring lagoon. “I start at daybreak,” Simon says, “and for the first few hours of the day, I see the sun rise, listen to the birds, and there’s no one around. At the end of the day, too, I just watch the sun go down.”

It sounds like bliss and, after I take another detour later that day through the salt marshes – the clouds in the reddening sky are reflected in the mirror-like ponds – I am reassured that curiosity can only be a good thing.

The trip was provided by Pays de la Loire Tourism; accommodation provided by Hotel des Dunes in La Baule (doubles from €65 room-only). Brittany Ferrieshas crossings from Portsmouth to St Malo from £229 return for a car and two people, including en suite cabin on the outward, overnight leg

Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France by Carolyn Boyd is published by Profile, £10.99. To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com

Kevin Williamson, whose previous screen creations include teen romantic drama (“Dawson’s Creek”), meta slasher horror (“Scream”) and teen supernatural gothic (“The Vampire Diaries”), has thrown his hat into the popular dysfunctional-family-doing-crimes ring with “The Waterfront,” premiering Thursday on Netflix. Set in North Carolina, like “Dawson’s Creek,” it’s a soap opera with drug smuggling.

Welcome to Havenport. As crime families go, the Buckleys are not the Corleones, although their involvement with the darker side of life is generational. (Legitimately they run fishing boats and a fancy restaurant and are sitting on a prize piece of undeveloped seafront property.) Grandpa (deceased) was some kind of troublemaker; father Harlan (Holt McCallany), who fondly remembers the cocaine trade of his younger days, when people dressed well and were polite, has checked out of all family affairs after a heart attack or two in favor of drinking and cheating on his unusually understanding wife, Belle (Maria Bello).

Meanwhile, without telling Harlan, Belle and son Cane (Jake Weary), a disappointed former high school hero, have been providing boats to idiot drug smugglers in order to pay off mortgages and loans that might cause them to lose their aboveboard businesses and cherished identity as the Buckleys of Havenport. When things go south, they get drawn in deeper — Cane, reluctantly, and Harlan, almost enthusiastically. It makes him feel like his old self again and gives him a reason to bully Cane — in order, he imagines, to toughen him up. But he’s basically a bully — imposing yet somehow bland.

Cane had a chance to play college football in Miami, but his father undercut his confidence; he is still waiting for it to return.

“I’m really good at almost,” he tells high school girlfriend Jenna (Humberly González), whose unexpected return to town has him emotionally unsettled, in spite of having a perfectly lovely wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell), and a young daughter. “Almost good enough. Almost a good guy. I’m almost a good husband, father, son. Just not quite, you know.” (Jenna is nominally a journalist, working in Atlanta. “I read some of your articles online,” says Cade. “You’re a good writer!”)

Maria Bello stars as Belle Buckley in “The Waterfront.” (Dana Hawley/Netflix)

Holt McCallany plays patriarch Harlan Buckley. (Dana Hawley/Netflix)

The remaining Buckley, younger sister Bree (Melissa Benoist), is not currently doing any crimes, though she earlier burned her family’s house down and is now permitted to see her sulky teenage son, Diller (Brady Hepner), only in the presence of a court-appointed chaperon. Not that Diller wants to see her at all; she did burn his house down. (“No one was hurt,” Bree points out. “Physically,” Diller replies.) But manners are manners, whatever your mother’s done, and she was an addict, after all. Now she’s out of rehab, going to meetings and working in the family restaurant, though asking to get back into the front office. Perhaps she has an ulterior motive; so many of these characters do.

Also in the intertwined mix: Gerardo Celasco as too-buff-by-half Drug Enforcement Administration agent Marcus Sanchez; Michael Gaston as dangerous Sheriff Clyde Porter, an old frenemy of Harlan, seething with class resentment; and Rafael L. Silva as Shawn, the new bartender at the Buckleys’ restaurant, whose poor knowledge of mixology raises alarms. Topher Grace is on the cast list for a future appearance.

Given that Williamson grew up where the series is set and is the son of a fisherman, one might have hoped for more local color and a little insight into the fishing business, rather than concentrating on the criminal shenanigans and sexy stuff that could happen anywhere and does. (Yes, I have odd hopes.)

Instead, everything’s a little fuzzy, lacking in detail. Characters put on attitudes and get in and out of trouble — there are shootings and scrapes, surprising reveals and shocking events — but few are, or seem about to develop into, interesting people. (Only three episodes of eight were out for review, so something might well pop; still, that’s three hours of television down.) They’re a little bland, even, and what happens to any of them, though of idle interest, is never really a compelling question. Belle stands out by virtue of being played by Bello and given at least one scene in which she seems like a regular, empathetic person, and Bree can be sympathetic, given how much her son hates her. I would counsel Peyton, one of the few without an agenda — so far, anyway — to take her daughter and leave town, but I’m guessing that won’t happen.

If in some ways “The Waterfront” feels assembled off the shelf, there’s enough activity that some viewers, possibly a lot of them, will dig in just to see how this thing caroms into that. That’s the engine that runs no small amount of television. It’s easy enough to watch. And sometimes “just OK” equals “good enough.”

Emmerdale star Eden is up for two awards at the British Soap Awards this month for her portrayal of domestic abuse victim Belle Dingle, while the hard-hitting storyline is also up for a prize

She’s been a staple in the Dales since the late 1990’s but now, Belle Dingle is set to leave the nest in upcoming scenes.

After a dramatic year at the heart of Emmerdale’s domestic abuse storyline, actress Eden Taylor-Draper is bound to become the belle of the British Soap Awards.

The actress, who will celebrate 20 years of playing Belle Dingle this autumn, is nominated for Best Dramatic Performance and Best Leading Performer while the plot is up for Best Storyline.

On top of that her soap family, the Dingles, are nominated in the Best Family category and Emmerdale is facing off against Hollyoaks, Coronation Street and EastEnders for Best Soap.

“I’m thrilled,” grins Eden, 27. “It’s a little bit scary but it’s been amazing. It’s so hard to put into words, but it’s been the most challenging and exciting year I’ve ever had at Emmerdale.”

The soap announced plans for a domestic abuse storyline centered around Belle Dingle and Tom King back in 2023, and the twisting, slowburn scenario has kept fans hooked.

With fight scenes, confessional scenes, unique perspectives and even alternative outcomes being filmed, the work has been challenging and fulfilling in equal measures for Eden.

“The episode with Belle’s imagination of the different outcomes was challenging because it was like playing many storylines at once and there were some very intense, violent scenes, which were intense to play,” says Eden. “It was a challenge but I also loved it and it’s one of my favourite episodes I’ve ever done.”

The hard-hitting scenes saw Belle bravely confide in her cousin Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, who has been a rock during filming for Eden, alongside James Chase who starred as Belle’s evil but believable abuser Tom King. “Emma’s one of my best friends,” says Eden. “It was just so special that we got to have that moment together.”

During the character’s many years on the soap, Belle has faced serious mental health battles with both schizophrenia and psychosis, she was jailed as a teenager for the manslaughter of her best friend Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota) and she has been kidnapped by her serial killer boyfriend Lachlan White, played by Tom Atkinson.

Despite being trusted with some of Emmerdale’s biggest plot points, Eden reveals she has never had any formal acting training. “No, I’ve never done anything.

I’ve just been at Emmerdale and that’s been it since the beginning,” says Eden. “One of the things about growing up on the show is that everyone that I work with has been a part of who I am today in both how I act and how I am as a person.”

Growing up on set meant Eden felt like she had four parents – her real mum and dad and also Jane Cox, who played her soap mum Lisa Dingle and the late actor Steve Halliwell, who played her dad Zak Dingle. She also cites Charity actress Emma and Cain Dingle actor Jeff Hordley as acting influences.

“I have so much credit to give to Jane and Steve who played Belle’s mum and dad because they were just brilliant and helped me in that environment,” says Eden.

“I’m surrounded by such talented people and it’s such an honour to be able to work with them. I’m always trying to learn, I’m always trying to better myself and be, you know, very natural and also be so in it.

The people around me help because everyone is so dedicated and so good at their craft. It definitely helps learning on the job from such a young age and getting to work with these people daily. It inspires you to keep pushing and keep growing every day.”

The domestic abuse storyline might be over now that Tom is serving three years behind bars, but the reaction from fans will never leave Eden.

“I’d never experienced anything like it with people reaching out and feeling they can share their stories,” says Eden. “The amount of messages I’ve had off people who have followed the story and said, ‘Watching this unfold, I’ve got myself out of that situation,’ or, ‘I’ve spoken to the police,’ or, ‘I’m now in a women’s refuge.’

It just blows my mind. That is the power of soap. To even help one person, it would be incredible, so the fact that multiple people have said we’ve helped them… I couldn’t ask for more.”

In real life, Eden has a very supportive boyfriend in Ed Lewis, her high-school sweetheart. Ed will be accompanying her to the British Soap Awards and regularly helps her learn her lines.

“He is great,” says Eden. “We were friends before we got together so he’s always known what I’ve done and he’s amazing. He’ll stay up with me, running lines, until God knows what hour. He’s very supportive.”

With so many nominations, Eden is sure to get a lot of screen time when the British Soap Awards is broadcast on ITV1 on Thursday 5 June. Naturally, Eden is looking forward to casting off Belle’s practical padded jackets and jeans for a glamorous ball gown.

“On a night out my favourite bit sometimes is just doing my hair and make-up and listening to music,” says Eden. “I do enjoy that bit. I’m not sorted, I don’t have a dress. It’s all going to be very last-minute, but it will be nice to get dressed up.”

Many Emmerdale faces are up for awards including Eden’s co-star Beth Cordingly who is also nominated in the Best Leading Performer category for her role as Ruby Fox-Milligan alongside EastEnders legends Lacey Turner and Kellie Bright.

No matter who takes the coveted gongs home, Eden knows she and Beth will paint the town red. “I feel like whenever I’ve been at awards with Beth, she is up for a good time!” laughs Eden.

“There’s a good gang of us and I think everyone’s in high spirits. I think that will just be a lovely party… Hopefully I won’t be hungover, but I would love maybe a little dance.”

When she’s not working on a big storyline, Eden loves to travel with Ed. Later this year they’re going to Bali in Indonesia for the first time and they dream of travelling to Japan one day.

“I do love travelling,” says Eden. “I love a little break, I love a big break and I’ve got family in Australia so that’s really cool to get to go to the other side of the world and see them.

Last year I didn’t really travel that much because I was so busy, so this year I’m trying to cram as much travelling in as possible. Japan is on our bucket list and we’re actually heading to Bali at the end of the year and that’s my first time going there, so that should be really nice.”

However, home is where the heart is and having grown up on Emmerdale Belle never wants to leave. “I love it,” she says. “I’m so happy. I guess it’s not fully up to me, it’s up to the producers, but I am very happy there and I’d love to stay around.”

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