Wandering through France..............

Greetings dear Reader, the Gap Year Wanderings continue..........since my last post I've spent time enjoying the company of good friends in Spijkenisse, the Netherlands. Then we set off on a road trip to the Dordogne region of France for a visit with other friends.

On our trip through France we visited the historical sights of the WWI Battle of the Somme. First stop was the Historical Museum of the Great War located in Perrone which provides an excellent introduction to the WWI battlefields of the Somme. It allows the visitor to see how the soldiers lived on & behind the front lines. In addition it provides insight into how the civilian population lived in Peronne which was heavily bombarded and almost destroyed between1914 & 1918.

French, Turkish & Australian army uniforms......

Hanging in a local cafe, this is typical of many acknowledgments of Australia's significant contribution to liberating Perrone in 1918..........

Next stop was the National Australian Memorial located at Villers-Bretonneux. This imposing memorial was built in 1938, it's walls bear the names of the 11,000 missing Australian soldiers who died in France. In front of the memorial is a Commonwealth War Cemetery. From the top of the memorial's tower, panoramic views of the Somme countryside that the Australian troops helped to defend can be seen. This memorial is the site of an annual Anzac Day Dawn service organised jointly by the village of Villers-Bretonneux & the Australian Embassy.

From the Somme we continued on to the rural village of Villamblard in the Dordogne region where we are enjoying the hospitality of Sheila & Bryan who retired to this gorgeous part of the world 15 years ago.

The weather's been perfect - sunny & dry, just right for roaming about the village and relaxing by the pool with the occasional dip to cool off!

Out and about in Villamblard.........

The village is busy preparing for the arrival of the Tour de France scheduled to pass through the village on 26 July. Shop windows are being decorated and the town square has been adorned with brightly painted bikes.........

The hairdresser's cheerfully decorated window.......

My time in France is fast coming to an end. I'm at Bergerec airport waiting for a flight to London. Tomorrow I'm off to Wales for a week of glorious weaving..........  Until the next post  ............ Au Revoir, K

More tales of London & the South East............

Greetings dear Readers, Since my last post I've enjoyed a very relaxing visit with my friends Jill & Alan who live near Hastings on the south east coast of England. Of course, Hastings is famous as the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, fought between the Norman French army & an English army under Harold II. This battle is famously depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry these days housed in the town of Bayeux in France. These days Hastings is a relaxing sea side town which attracts many visitors and is still home to a working fishing fleet. Hastings Old town is home to the Hastings net huts. Dating from the mid 1800's these tall wooden sheds were built to store fishing gear, however they are not used these days as modern fishing gear is made from artificial material & can be left in the open.

During my visit I also enjoyed a country walk through the lovely Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve and visited other local picturesque historic villages. I enjoyed a very relaxing few days, nice to get away from London's hustle & bustle! Thanks Jill & Alan for your company & hospitality.

Back in London, I've enjoyed a week exploring the many treasures London has to offer. The high light of the week was a visit to the Tate Britain Museum to see their British Folk Art Exhibition. The exhibition includes an array of folk art genres from the 17th to mid 20th century. It showcases the mysterious, the imaginative & the wacky including ships' figureheads, giant trade signs, elaborate embroideries & quilts, paintings and collages. As well as for their aesthetic qualities these pieces are treasured as an important record of the social history of their time.

A ships' figurehead from the early 1800's, made for the HMS Calcutta.........

A heavily embellished pin cushion made in 1896...........

A bone cockerel from the 1800's made mostly from cast off bone pieces.......

During the week I also found time to sit & enjoy the quiet of Tavistock Square gardens located just across the road from my apartment. Dedicated to world peace the gardens are lush & green and have as their centre piece a memorial to Gandhi.

Must away as I'm off to Brussels early tomorrow on the Eurostar train & having packing to do! From Brussels I'm off to visit friends in Holland & the south of France.

Looking forward to this glorious sunny weather continuing. Hope life is sunny wherever you are!

Until the next post, K ............