Adventures With Harvey

Older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids of Egypt Yessir we’re talking about some very old rocks indeed – and I thought they only existed in Asterix comics!   The Alignements mégalithiques de Carnac consist of around 4000 menhirs and dolmens erected and arranged in lines or fan shapes.   Archaeologically dated from between 5000-3500BC they are some of the oldest man-made structures known.   We did the open-topped bus tour which also took in the local seaside village. Some friends had suggested we stop by Quiberon which is out on a peninsula nearby.   It reminded us of Whangaparoa or perhaps Devonport with one busy roadway in and out (& with very busy holiday weekend traffic when we visited).   Such a beautiful spot with charming waterfront and white sandy beaches and, again like Devonport, a few pillboxes and other fortifications to explore. Keeping with the theme of recommendations, one of our Airbnb hosts had suggested we stop by the town of Rochefort...

Medieval Meanderings Spoiler alert.   This is a war-history-free-edition.   Your faithful correspondent is aware that recent postings may, possibly, have been a little heavy on the aforementioned topic.   So, in the interests of balance, nothing of the sort will be found in the following tome. However, there is plenty to report – the last few days have had several pretty spectacular highlights so here goes… We had heard quite a lot about the Bayeux Tapestry before arriving in Normandy and were eagerly awaiting our visit.   And it most certainly did not disappoint!   No-one knows exactly when it was made or by whom, however this tapestry was created sometime in the decade or 2 following the Battle of Hastings in 1066.   It is almost 70m long by half a metre tall and tells the story (in an almost cartoon-like fashion) of the lead up to and enactment of the clash between the armies of William and Harold for the throne of England.   Which, as history...

Normandy In the last couple of days this author has realised a life-long dream to visit the D-Day landing sites in Normandy.   But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we ought to keep things in some sort of order as it’s been a little while since the last proper update.   Buckle up, there’s a fair bit to report! About the only good thing to come out of Rouen (and it was a VERY good thing) was finding the resting place of Anita’s Great-Great Uncle, Henry Gwilliam.   Having first served at Gallipoli, he died fighting on the western front in 1916  at the age of 25  and rests at Cimetière St Sever in Rouen.   The cemetery itself was massive, both civilian and military and is one of the largest in France.   Aside from paying our respects at Uncle Henry’s grave it was interesting to see how the French commemorate their deceased differently from us.   Typically in NZ there is a headstone ranging from simple to ornate and that’s about it however there w...