Paved Paradise

"and put up a parking lot" as the Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" song goes.

One of my favorite roads runs along the coast, southward from the busy port of Sete in the south of France. The road runs literally alongside the Mediterranean for about 10 miles until it reaches the resort village of Marseillan Plage, when the coast turns out towards the headland of Cap D'Age

For the last 30 years, since I first visited the area, there have been no parking restrictions. and outside the August peak holiday time, it was wonderful to drive along this often deserted road, with just a few yards of sand between you and the sea. All credit to the local authorities who have managed to hold back the creeping developments at each end of this unique stretch of coast.

Sadly in their efforts to prevent development, they have decided to move the road away from the sea and create - well a giant car park

They paved paradise And put up a parking lot

With a pink hotel, a boutique And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got Till it's gone

They paved paradise And put up a parking lot