Heat waves blurred the dunes around them.
The town stands on a sandy plain, and there are sand dunes within the city limits.
The sun turned the dunes orange red and then quickly sank, leaving them in pre-moon darkness.
The tower of Notre Dame, dating from 1180, is a landmark across the dunes, and the church behind it, although a shell, merits inspection.
There are three natural divisions - foreshore and sand-dunes, inner dunes and the geest grounds, and low fens and clay lands.