“I like this place, and could willingly waste my time in it.” Shakespeare, As You Like It
Dear Mink,
I actually had to look through my calendar to see what has happened since I last wrote to you. That’s shameful. I can’t believe it’s been a whole month, I’m sorry for being so out of touch!
We had the summer concert with the choir I sing with at the end of June which was lovely. We’re now on a summer break which is a bit of a shame because I was enjoying it but hey ho. We start back in September to learn the Armed Man which we’ll sing on Armistice day.
My housemate and I also discovered that we can go sea swimming very easily from where we live. There’s a huge beach at Crosby (where the Iron Men are, if you know them – another one of Anthony Gormley’s, he of the Angel of the North) which is only 2 stops from us on the train, so we went. It was kind of amazing. It was pretty overcast, but warm, and we were pretty much the only ones there because we went after work at about 7ish. We’re definitely going to go again. I love being in the sea, but I hate beaches – sand gets everywhere and there are always too many people. But this was gorgeous. We got stuck in a mud flat on our way back from the beach and ended up absolutely filthy, but it was fun.
The main event was the holiday I’ve just been to Normandy with my family. Well, most of them, my younger brother has just been promoted and can’t get the time of work because he’s an AssMan now. Tsk all these teenagers having real impressive jobs. So my parents, older brother and I went away together and it was really lovely. We stayed just out of a village called Lison near Isigny-sur-mer in a static caravan at the bottom of our lovely host’s garden. They kept horses and had two gorgeous dogs and I was in heaven.
My parents and brother flew over and hired a car, and I got the ferry down from Portsmouth and joined them there. The ferry over was amazing! It took 7 hours but there was a sundeck at the back and I sat outside in the sun the whole time, reading, napping or listening to Hozier’s new album (I’m obsessed, it’s phenomenal) and it was a pretty great start to the week. I am finally reading Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy having had the books for over a year at least by now. I started the first on the way down and finished it on the way back. Can’t wait to start volume 2!
Once I’d met up with the family in Ouistreham where my ferry put in we went to find some food in Isigny-sur-mer, but we stopped on the way at a German war cemetery. I’d never been to a war cemetery before but had seen many images of them. Even so it’s very different actually visiting one. We went to a British one later in the week and I found it quite overwhelming. It’s a very moving place to be.
Our first full day we spent in Bayeux. I was excited for this because of course it is the home of the Tapestry. Again, I’ve seen many images but seeing the real thing is always so much more – I was awed by the fact that it is almost 1000 years old! 1000! That’s crazy. The sheer scope of it is stunning; it’s 70m long and all of it drawn and stitched by hands hundreds of years ago. I would love to see it again. We also saw the cathedral which a really gorgeous building and some of her gargoyles are wonderful. Then we had a look around the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy. I really loved Bayeux and thought I could probably very happily live there. I could very happily live in Normandy. Best improve my French then…
On our second day we went to Mont St Michel. I already know you’ve been, and that it’s one of your favourite places and I can see why. It feels like a very Toby place with it’s Templar Knights association and rich medieval history. The little village on the way to the Abbey church is so gorgeous with its winding streets and oddly angled rooftops. The only thing was that it was incredibly crowded, but then we did visit on one of the hottest days in July.
The following day was the Utah Beach museum. My brother had given us many facts and figures about the D-Day landings – I knew a bit but not as much as I should, and the museum was very informative. I find it very hard to process the magnitude of the war and everything that goes with it. The cruelty, the desperation, the bravery, the sacrifice. I can only take so much at a time. I feel as though I have a kind of duty to learn about it as a kind of memorial – a gratitude, a way of honoring and remembering. But it’s hard. I am really glad I have been to the beaches and seen the places where the fighting took place; I’m glad I know more now than I did about what happened and how people were affected and how incredible heroic the fighting forces were to liberated France and end the war. I went off by myself for a swim, a moment alone that I really needed, and it was a different perspective being in the water and looking forward onto the beach, the way the army landed 75 years ago. My imagination is very vivid and standing there by the dunes I could see it all happening. I think the theme of the week was my being overwhelmed.
Caen. We spent another day there seeing the castle and the Abbey churches of L’Abbaye Aux Hommes where William the Conquerer is buried and L’Abbaye aux Dames where lies Queen Mathilde. This was a hot day. The wind was hot. but we sheltered in the churches and it was lovely to be in the cool of the stone. They were both stunning buildings with very different feels to them. They were founded by William and Matilda as requested by the Pope as an exchange – he was going to excommunicate them for being cousins and having married anyway. They were both quite remarkable people and I really enjoyed learning about them and that part of history between the Duchy of Normandy as it was then and the throne of England.
My last day (I had to catch another ferry the day before the others) was spent in Arromanches, a small coastal town by Gold beach where the British made a harbour by floating huge concrete floats across the channel and sinking them to make a harbour wall. They were called Mulberries. It rained a bit that day, which was welcome. Then we stopped at Bayeux again for a meal.
One of the dogs we were staying with was an 11 month old Bernese called Ollie, and I completely fell in love with her. I almost stole her.
Now I’m back for a week before escaping again up to Edinburgh for a week at the fringe. I am so excited. Best month of the year. Of course, I will be stopping in Glasgow on the way…….can’t wait to see you 🙂
SOON.
Polecat x
Letters to a Ferret 