Since Christmas is a time for families, and since my sister and my niece were not with us this year, my mother and I made a slightly late-in-the day, slightly haphazard and snap decision to go to Paris for 5 days, setting off the morning after Stephen’s Day. I am not going to pretend it… Read More We’ll always have Paris.
Last post we looked at the political and religious background to the Ulster Rebellion of 1641, how the remaining Catholic Ulster elite, alarmed by the ever growing Plantations, vexed by the loss of their religious and civil liberties, and constantly frustrated by the bad faith and double dealing of Charles I, tried to orchestrate a show of force… Read More Post 5- Confederates and Cromwell.
Look at this. What do you see? Above is a picture of an English soldier about to coldly run a sword through the throat of an Irish woman, as she, desperately, tries to protect her children. Look at his feet, you’ll see he also tramples on the body of an innocent civillian, already dead, while… Read More St Patrick’s 4- Jones, Rebels, Confederates, Cromwell 17th century horror in Ireland.
Ecce Maud. Spanish churches, ancient Rome Soon they’ll be her second home. Cos’ to all the world, to be explored Know now, she’s coming… Her name: be Maud. So let’s tell those Norwegian hordes, to tidy up the lovely fiords. and the folks of Mexico City, they’d better make it nice and… Read More to my niece, on the occasion of her very first birthday: Ecce Maud.
I bid adieu, or rather au revoir to White Morning, our home these last eight days. It’s a windy grey morning near the harbour. The France and Breton flag snap and flap madly in the wind. To say goodbye to Concarneau, our base the last 4 days, I pay a quick farewell visit to this… Read More Goodbye to Concarneau, hello Nantes and home.
The day after Carnac, Mike and I drop Lindsey off at the train station to make her way home. It’s a sad moment, the Fellowship of the Mast is coming to an end. Later the same afternoon Mike and I take our rental car to visit Pont Aven. This pretty little town was made… Read More Pont Aven Washout & the Cathedral and the Bridges of Quimper.
We pay a trip to the extraordinary site of Carnac. The fields for miles around are dotted with Neolithic stones, placed in mysterious alignments of up to 1.3 kilometers (roughly a mile). Constructed 3,500-4,5000 BC, some 6 thousand years ago, they are an amazing sight. There are also dolmens like this one. The cap stone weighs 30-40 tonnes.… Read More Carnac and around
Another days sailing done. Having survived a mix of weathers, a run-in with a spiteful tug boat and long day’s sail, we find ourselves coming into view of our next stop: Concarneau. Passing the first harbor walls, it is a beautiful evening. Even from sea, the place looks amazing. In fact, arriving by sea is… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Audierne to Concarneau.
a- Getting there. Dave, alas, has departed back home, to England, and work. Our crew is a man down. But we few remaining sailors, just three now, must press on, to our next destination. That destination, our new target, is Audierne. A new chapter awaits. We sail out fairly early to catch the tide, passing… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Cameret to Audierne.
Having survived the beautiful weather; low winds; our horsing around at sea and- for me personally- about two hours in the sea, acting as dummy in the safety drill for Mike’s new Man-over-Board procedure, (and deservedly winning my two Oscars in the process) we finally arrive at Cameret-sur-Mer. It has been a good day’s sailing. The… Read More Sailing Brittany VI: the Fellowship of the White Mast.
Arran Q Henderson 