Normandy Headland

The forest was a lovely spot to stay in .. quiet, eerie, lots of birdsong, dappled light and then total darkness. In spite of this niether of us could settle... we've been doing quite a few early nights ... once its dark might as well sleep and get up early to make most of the day. The night before we had slept really well and even slept in so the next night we were restless. Decaff tea past midnight... finally sleeping probably about 2.00 ish meaning very late start the following day.

It didn't really matter. Our intention was a meandering drive to a supermarket and then to the highest point in Normandy (not to confused with previous highest point which was ALL of western France) Mount Picon which has a war memorial on top.

It was easy enough to find and a good spot for the night - but the weather is changing... actually rainy rain! Not extreme thunder deluges - just miserable drizzly rain.

There were supposed to be good views from the top but the trees have grown and its very a one direction over the valley view, but its a great spot to have a monument.

Normandy in the rain in mid september doesn't do the place justice. The fields are all bare... the crops harvested leaving acres of barren stubbly nothingness- flat land forever in every direction.

There are some pretty villages along every road and we seem to have definetly taken the back roads - pleasant driving but becoming a bit samey.... and I could sense Dr Fred was starting to find the driving a bit tedious.

With this in mind we decided to check out the most western and northern points of Normandy and then make a vague plan for changing ferry and heading home...

So we aimed for Goury - all the apps said no campers or Vehicles over 2.1 allowed near village but there was a camping car parking nearby so thats where we headed....

With the idea that we might be going home we did another wine sortie... we have now got our allowance and have a very varied selection of spanish, italian, and french wines... from decent to cheapo - but not in a carton cheap🤣🤣. I also bought a supply of mackeral in mustard sauce as I could eat it until I was sick... and I've never seen it in the UK.

We found the camper van parking....Crazy place absolutely packed to the gills with campervans... in all the trip we have never seen anywhere so busy... in the first instance there wasnt room for us but as we were scanning internet for alternative someone moved and we grabbed the spot.

We walked down to the most western point and looked at the lighthouse... wandered around the harbour and looked atcthe local restaurant.. nothing very exciting.

We decided it was hometime. We would stay a second night here so Dr Fred could finish exploring and then wend our way to calais and get next available ferry.

The next day was very wet, still reasonably warm but Dr Fred got throughly soaked on his walk. As he had expected to he ventured out in his scruffiest oldest doesnt matter clothes - he looked like a lost demented garden gnome.🤣🤣

I sat and finally finished the European tour bug sewing project. I'm quite pleased with it for a first attempt but its probably my last attempt as well!! I'm just not patient enough or sufficiently able to pay attention to detail... I found it finicky and hard going... I pulled loads out needing to do it tidier or I'd miscounted.

Autumnal Garden Days

I love these (rare) warm sunny late summer days and there is all sorts of lovely things going on in my garden... I counted 12 red admiral butterflies whizzing around the over grown ivy which I had been about to hack down but then left until the flutterbies have finished with it... The late blooms add a dash of colour and the daisy strewn lawn is littered with autumnal leaves, debris from my brief half an hour of slash and burn and the stone wall is covered in glorious soft moss all shiny and tactile with a few late nasturtiums loitering. I've hacked out the brambles for this year, sadly I missed the fruit as we were away, ditto the strawberries, we never seem to get the fruit before the birds so I've made space and moved the plants that were getting swamped and so not performing to their potential - hopefully next year they will literally blossom now they have light and room to flourish.

Total Eclipse Spain 2026

Eclipse day!!!! Most of the photos on here were taken by friends...my phone died... I dont use names on here but you know who you are thank you.... This will be Dr Freds 8th eclipse and my 6th... I have 100% clear viewing and its continued that way. Our friends have this amazing house tucked away on the side of a hill - fortuitously right on the centre line of the 2026 eclipse. And... to make it even better they have a roof terrace which gave us an almost perfect elevation to see the total eclipse in all its glory. Dr Fred wasnt sure at first - he worried that as totality was so close to sunset we might not be high enough before the sun disappeared under the ridge. So, the evenings leading up to the night of the actual event, required a lot of balancing on the roof with spirit levels at various degrees and exact timings for exact positioning of the sun and considerable maths.... yes it was complicated but it p...

Alesund

Our final destination stop was Alesund. This is a very pretty town in southern Norway built on a peninsula. All the houses are painted pretty colours and a lot of the architecture is all very Art Nouveau based. This is because the town itself was completely burnt to the ground In 1904 by a fire for which they never found the original cause. The whole town had to be rebuilt and this became a huge National Effort and a lot of prominent and up and coming architects flocked to the town to stick there 20 pence in. Consequently the town is very heavily Art Nouveau which was very fashionable at the time. There is this wonderful Museum just off the harbour which is a very beautiful Art Nouveau house. It has amazing panelling, doors, wallpaper, and it's all furnished with beautiful art Nouveau Furniture. It also house a collection of of enameled Art Nouveau Trinkets,boxes, spoons, jewellery, very very beautiful. There is an interesting collection of old books and paintings a...

Planet Ruby Starrs

Search This Blog