A Day At The Beach July 10, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , add a commentSo yesterday we went to the coast in Normandy and walked along the never ending beach (it’s a depositional beach, so it is forever growing). It was nice to take our shoes off and feel the sand between our toes. The water was beautiful but a bit chilly. We joked about the invasion and how it must’ve been (considering it’s such an ideal beach). Our host has said that if we were to get out the beach early enough that there is a chance that debris from the invasion can be found.
There was a lively crab that we stumbled upon in the shallow parts as we walked. With a bit of trouble (evasive maneuvering on it’s part) and a lot of fumbling, our host finally was holding the crab. Also, there were tons of Hermit crabs that scuttled about as the waves receded.
As we walked we saw the high tide line of shells and bits of other debris. It all seemed fairly the same as what you’d find on any beach, except there were Cuttlefish bones randomly along the beach in the high tide line. I knew they came from the fish and the fish lives in the ocean, but I never thought I’d see the actual bone that you’d find in a bird cage just out in the wild! Wild might be an over statement, but you catch my drift. There was also a unique part to the beach which was that the beach is so long there are various places where water seeps out of the ground from about 100 feet away from the actual water’s edge and it makes a shallow river that flows into the ocean. It’s pretty neat in a sense that it also fills any depressions in the sand, so there are various places where it dips down slightly so there is a foot of water where children were splashing around like it was an overgrown puddle. So after having a lovely walk along the beach, we went to a small village on the coast and had a soda at a local cafe.
We people watched and joked around with our hosts for a while. It was a beautiful, clear day so many people were in the town with their dogs and sun block covered children with long sleeves on (the French are a bit over protective in reguards to their children and the sun). Normandy really is a wonderful place (although the best part about Normandy is still the cheeses). I am not a huge fan of sandy beaches and the whole ocean theme, but I must say that this beach is my new favorite.
Today it was not as hot and so Chris and Carl burned the branches that they removed from the trees along the back of their property. It was amazing how tall the flames were and the heat that came off of it was quite impressive.
Back In Normandy July 8, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , add a commentIt’s been very difficult to find affordable or even cheap lodging and experiences as the summer progresses. We had a Workaway scheduled in Ireland for the time before we meet with my mother but the couple began hosting a person already, so they canceled on us. We continued looking and emailing other prospective hosts, but with no success. So being optimistic, we looked to the hosts we had in Normandy. But they were full too. However they had friends that need some extra help.
We arrived in Caen, France and received a friendly welcome by our new hosts, Carl and Kris. Their home dates back to the 16th Century and are lovely! There are a couple of cherry trees and a ton of wild cherry trees here that are perfectly ripe and ready to be eaten (needless to say, taking a break here is very nice!).
The work is pretty easy, I have been weeding the grounds with the lady of the house while Chris has been trimming the hedges with Carl.
Tomorrow We’re going to the beach with our hosts since it’s been such nice weather. Exciting!
Looking to London May 14, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , 1 comment so farSo sorry for not posting in a while, we’ve been very busy between digging the pond and being social. The neighbors, Jeff and Lin, are currently hosting their first work away (he’s from Australia and this is his first work away job), so they have been coming over for tea or dinner. A nice lady from London, Alice, has joined us in our digging and it is her first work away experience also. So, needless to say there are a lot of laughs and stories of travel.
We’ve been experiencing new things with our hosts. They’ve introduced us to Jeeves And Wooster which is a comical show about a rich clumsy man(Hue Lorey) and his genius butler, Jeeves, who always has to fix the social problems that sprout up whenever Wooster is around (if you like Keeping Up Appearances, then you’ll love it). It’s hysterical! Then, there is a game called Tri-ominoes that we have been playing with Bob and Cory. It’s basically three sided dominoes which makes it a bit trickier. It’s a lot of fun though.
After a week’s work on the pond, we’ve finished digging and put the dam in place. We’ve had a lot of laughs in the pond (either get irritated at the amount of mud you get splashed with or you find some humor in the situation). This morning a duck came to inspect our work; it swam around a bit and left. I hope it tells its friends.
There were other animals we have seen while here, such as the Nutria. Also the dairy cows that make famous Normandy cheese (the main culprit of the pond filling with debris). I’ve been keeping my eye out for the cold-footed chicken and the sleeping sheep combination (let’s face it, they were made for each other), but it is just not happening for me.
We’re leaving on Sunday for London via the ferry and then a bus. The trip in total will be about seven hours and it costs around 100 pounds. Compared to the train (400 pounds), it is a good deal.
I can genuinely say I’m going to miss this place. Friendly people, beautiful scenery, and great food. We’ve been given two jars of Cory’s home made Chili Jam (think Chutney and we love it!), two bottles of pure Lavender oil, an oil burner, and a sachet of Lavender as parting gifts which we are mailing home. Somehow I get the feeling we’ve been spoiled which makes me sad for the next people we work for. I just can’t imagine how the next place could top this one, but we’ll see.
P.S. Happy belated Mother’s Day! And happy birthday to my mother. I hope it’s a good one!
Funny Surprises in Normandy May 8, 2010
Posted by Chris in : Normandy , 2commentsToday we went into town with Cory, our hostess, for some groceries and were told that it is a bank holiday. She gave us a tour of the town and in the middle of the tour we noticed that there was a bunch of young Marines unloading from a bus in the main square. They were in full uniform, including their large guns. It was hilarious because we figured they would march around, twirl their guns, or something, but nothing happened. They got into formation, their uniforms were inspected and adjusted (their leader reminded us of their mother, if their mother was a big well-decorated man), they moved about twenty feet, and stood there for some time until we got bored and went into the grocery store.
So when we got back we headed out to the pond for some digging. Today we made a lot more progress than yesterday, but we also got stuck more too. The most memorable of the times was when Chris got stuck and went sideways into the mud and I went to help him, when my boot sank into the mud. He got out just fine, but I was pretty trapped because I wouldn’t put any weight on my right leg, for it would have sank too. So there I was knee-deep in the pond and Chris came to rescue me now. I grabbed onto his arm and pulled and out came my foot, no boot attached. So we spent about twenty minutes trying to dig my boot out while I did the flamingo in the pond. Then my other boot starts sinking… Needless to say, one of my socks is now very muddy.
For dinner tonight we had Curry Chicken,which was very delicious and after we watched Cricket with Bob. We’re slowly beginning to understand how the game is played. They shared with us how the usual matches last for five days and when one goes to one is it for the social gathering more than the game. However, there is a new version that is much faster to gain the appeal of the younger crowd. Cricket is very complicated; everything about it is very specific down to which side of the ball is shined.Tonight the match was between South Africa and England (England won).
Sorry again about the no pictures in the post. We still haven’t figured out what is wrong; the Flicker button has disappeared.
