tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post1106663451877478123..comments2023-05-02T12:33:58.182+01:00Comments on Perpetually In Transit: Rising from the ashesPerpetuahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-52931690504576417542018-03-11T12:39:57.955+00:002018-03-11T12:39:57.955+00:00Glad to have helped. :) We'll be across for th...Glad to have helped. :) We'll be across for the summer again in June and will pass your new house as we come down from Ouistreham to our house about 7 miles west of Sourdeval. We'll be interested to see the new restaurant and wish you all the best for your renovation and move. Our little cottage still isn't completely finished after almost 15 years!Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-22139861875436481102018-03-10T19:16:09.131+00:002018-03-10T19:16:09.131+00:00Thank you. Been trying to find pics of our new hou...Thank you. Been trying to find pics of our new house in Sourdeval before the war. It is in the bottom right hand corner of the photo which shows some rebuilding. Our house was possibly the only one undamaged during the war and we are privileged to own it and are trying to restore its former state before moving in. The cafe just above on same pic is now Cafe Lys and is becoming a lovely restaurant in April. Thank you again.avonladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16446963039387110591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-36211843809473552832013-08-30T11:29:46.623+01:002013-08-30T11:29:46.623+01:00I think you would love it here too, Debra. The old...I think you would love it here too, Debra. The older history is still there, if somewhat hidden compared to other parts of France, but the more recent history is very evident. One day perhaps.....<br /><br />i too had been wondering where you were, as you're usually such a faithful commenter, but assumed that you'd been caught up in a post-holiday work rush. Nice to see you back. :-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-86567171986338764222013-08-29T20:45:14.435+01:002013-08-29T20:45:14.435+01:00What wonderful photos, Perpetua! I think this part...What wonderful photos, Perpetua! I think this part of France would hold a lot of appeal to me. There is a different level of history there, that to an American, feels hallowed. I think that's true for many English and French, too. I'd like to soak up some the "current" history myself. <br /><br />I've realized today that you've been absent from my Reader. I had missed you, but thought you'd been simply very busy and perhaps just weren't able to post right now. I have some catching up to do! :-) DebraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-71401854825972814522013-08-20T13:18:38.498+01:002013-08-20T13:18:38.498+01:00Thanks, Sian. I think one would have to be very un...Thanks, Sian. I think one would have to be very unobservant and self-absorbed not to have these kinds of thoughts when faced with places of such history and significance, even on the smallest of scales, such as these little communes. <br /><br />How encouraging that there are now celebrations of reconciliation on Guernsey. Such a positive, forward-looking thing to occur. I don't know whether similar events have taken place in mainland France, where the history of hostility and invasion between France and Germany goes back way before the two world wars. Until recently there were certainly many British and American veterans returning regularly to revisit the places where they fought and take part in local ceremonies.<br /><br />As for the human stories - our elderly neighbour was a young teenager during the occupation and liberation and still remembers those events and their effect on the commune very well.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-78611369873152637012013-08-20T12:52:07.059+01:002013-08-20T12:52:07.059+01:00A very thought provoking post. I had similar refl...A very thought provoking post. I had similar reflections on my visit to Guernsey where now as well as celebrations of liberation there are also celebrations of reconciliation, as many of the German soldiers who were part of the occupying forces came back to the islands in peace-time, some staying, some returning annually. When huge battles and wars rage it's easy to forget the individuals on both sides of conflict, and it's the human stories of these and the communities which struggled with courage throughout that hold my respect and admiration as well as interest.Sianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086990153239265950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-71409567011873278872013-08-16T09:23:06.708+01:002013-08-16T09:23:06.708+01:00Hello Linda and welcome to my blog. Yes, parts of ...Hello Linda and welcome to my blog. Yes, parts of Europe saw massive damage in the two world wars and though buildings have been restored or replaced, the memories linger on. It's so important not to forget.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-31061127713315376662013-08-16T00:04:59.359+01:002013-08-16T00:04:59.359+01:00It's sad all the devastation that war causes. ...It's sad all the devastation that war causes. Thank you so much for sharing, amazing photos and fascinating post.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12692170857496442623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-24829813160433047852013-08-13T21:19:05.579+01:002013-08-13T21:19:05.579+01:00The photos are extremely graphic, Janice, and henc...The photos are extremely graphic, Janice, and hence so shocking, as such scenes always are, wherever they have occurred. Like you I'm always impressed by the earnestness with which these commemorative events are observed.<br /><br />What you say about the impact of the war in your area is very interesting. It must have been a very different but nevertheless equally difficult situation for those living under the Vichy regime, rather than under occupation. There were resistance workers here too and one of the annual local commemorations is of the execution of a group of these in a quarry not very far south of us here at the end of July 1944.<br /><br />I'm glad your area escaped the physical damage. We need to conserve as many of our ancient places as we can.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-71837630161354395432013-08-13T16:22:03.521+01:002013-08-13T16:22:03.521+01:00The before and after 10 august photos leave little...The before and after 10 august photos leave little to the imagination, what incredible devastation. I think French communities are very good at ensuring people remember what has happened. I know in our part of France, which of course was part of the Vichy regime, there are many anniversaries that are still remembered with great solemnity. There are various memorials in Carcassonne itself ( not the old city) reminding residents of the cruelty undertaken by the Vichy government, in collaboration with the Nazis. Les maquis, and the resistance movement is very much celebrated in Caunes and the surrounding Black Mountain areas.<br />However, whatever happened in our part of France, the physical devastation did not occur, and that must provide constant reminders for the now ageing population who can recall those days. <br />A really interesting post Perpetua. JxJanicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05449652020751269674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-25042107209808868322013-08-13T10:13:58.436+01:002013-08-13T10:13:58.436+01:00Not my postcards, sadly, but found on a website. K...Not my postcards, sadly, but found on a website. Knowing of your childhood holidays in Normandy, I thought you would have personal memories of the immense destruction along the coast. But your memories of the wartime years are new to me and must indeed have been terrifying to a small girl.<br /><br />Of course I've seen photos of people walking along the Champs Elysees after the liberation, but to have actually been there must be truly unforgettable. I'm sorry your father was so badly injured. That must have changed your life as a family very much. You have so many personal memories of this time, as well as remembering what your mother told you. A post by you on the subject would be truly fascinating. Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-44748852191881293532013-08-13T10:04:55.381+01:002013-08-13T10:04:55.381+01:00Amen to that, Friko. I can never forget the remini...Amen to that, Friko. I can never forget the reminiscences of an elderly woman in the care home where I worked in Hamburg as a student. She and her family were very lucky to escape with their lives during the firestorms and her home district of Rothenburgsort near the docks was totally obliterated.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-80004562200766673212013-08-13T09:56:43.894+01:002013-08-13T09:56:43.894+01:00Val, the photos aren't of our village, But I u...Val, the photos aren't of our village, But I understand that the damage here was also very bad. In fact our house was damaged by a shell, so all the interior woodwork is post-war. I found the photos very moving and thought they deserved a wider audience.<br /><br />The commemorations are carried out very solemnly and the war memorials are beautifully cared for. Memories are long and the history of those times is being handed down to later generations.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-23369398590831213542013-08-13T03:35:03.425+01:002013-08-13T03:35:03.425+01:00I enjoyed looking at your old postcards – I have s...I enjoyed looking at your old postcards – I have several like that too and also of World War One. Of course I am old enough to remember the war- not completely but I do remember having to go down to our Paris cellar in the middle of the night and heard the planes going over us. I also remember the Liberation of Paris and walking on the Champs Elysees with mom (my father was handicapped so he could not walk well.) <br /><br />When I was maybe 6 or so (1946) my father and mother drove to Normandie and I remember all the pretty houses along the beach being totally destroyed. Then when we went back several times I would play on the cliffs in the bunkers left by the Germans. Of course, my father had been badly injured in the war and was left a cripple (and also had the stress disorder but we did not know it then.) I also remember the Gestapo coming to our flat in Paris – I must have been 4 years old, but I remember them, they made me very scared. And I remember my mom hiding her Jewish friend in the room upstairs. I’ll have to write a post on it someday. My mother also wrote in her memoirs how she worked with the Resistance several times and could have been shot (her cousins were also in the Resistance.) My father did save the life of a British pilot, he hid him somehow, but I don’t remember the story well.Vagabondehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774109692564954568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-7709764930887583372013-08-12T23:01:35.599+01:002013-08-12T23:01:35.599+01:00And in 2013, Coventry Cathedral is still a very im...And in 2013, Coventry Cathedral is still a very impressive place. <br />:-)sansserifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16445280597626572292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-77940900602077548182013-08-12T22:10:57.227+01:002013-08-12T22:10:57.227+01:00Those were awful days; civilian populations suffer...Those were awful days; civilian populations suffered untold disasters. May it never happen again.Frikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04277167831642088694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-11437929364185109142013-08-12T21:47:03.720+01:002013-08-12T21:47:03.720+01:00Such sadness during the awful war. Your poor littl...Such sadness during the awful war. Your poor little village must have been totally distroyed,as some of the photos show.<br />Its uplifting to know that the people remember and celebrate this day.<br />Some families will have lots to tell about that time.<br />A very touching post Perpetua. Thank you for sharing those great old photos.<br />xxx valvalerietilsten59.blogspot.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05617190196811279000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-6766595820575504272013-08-12T21:08:53.653+01:002013-08-12T21:08:53.653+01:00Annie, the only photographs I can find of the effe...Annie, the only photographs I can find of the effect on our own village are in the post I linked to, but I imagine it must have looked much like Gathemo in the postcards above when the tide of battle finally receded. All these tiny ironstone and granite villages resemble each other and most suffered badly. Wherever we go in the area the effects of war can still be traced and yet the beauty of the countryside isn't dimmed and life here is real and strong.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-17275178805240891052013-08-12T20:45:46.037+01:002013-08-12T20:45:46.037+01:00I'm glad you appreciated them so much, Dee. Th...I'm glad you appreciated them so much, Dee. They certainly illustrate more poignantly than a thousand words just how devastating was the fierce fighting in this area. For me it was particularly moving to find such photographs of places I now know well after several summers here. We have accumulated several books and pamphlets about the war in this area after D-Day and they make fascinating if deeply sobering reading. It would be wonderful if we had finally learned enough not to let it happen again.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-42324062358780984232013-08-12T18:57:54.417+01:002013-08-12T18:57:54.417+01:00Perpetua, your own little village may well have be...Perpetua, your own little village may well have been wiped out so drastically almost 70 years ago, but so much of Normandy preserves the memories of this time. It's something I have always felt when visiting this part of France. That and people like you for whom it will always be too important to forget. Thank you for sharing these photos and for your poignant and powerful words. <br />AxxArtyZenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12628693178003940118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-22123771106222601342013-08-12T18:25:28.443+01:002013-08-12T18:25:28.443+01:00Dear Perpetua, I've read a number of books on ...Dear Perpetua, I've read a number of books on D-Day and its aftermath, but I've never really seen photographs that illuminate what I'm reading with regard to the villages in the path of the Allies advance. Thank you for sharing these photographs. Your words capture the tragedy that seems to visit every country sometime in its history. Unfortunately for France and other European countries there have been so many wars. So many feet have marched across the land. So many hands have held guns and manned cannons. And yet the people go on and the soil survives and the wild flowers grow. Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-75968679817401010632013-08-12T17:21:46.633+01:002013-08-12T17:21:46.633+01:00The photos really have an impact, doesn't they...The photos really have an impact, doesn't they? I always think that when I look at the before and after photos of our little local church in the post I link to and realise what the villagers lost. The northern half of France very much took the brunt in both world wars, but it's good that so much history survives elsewhere. Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-42022730478755806702013-08-12T15:24:04.739+01:002013-08-12T15:24:04.739+01:00What interesting photos seeing the before and afte...What interesting photos seeing the before and after. The north suffered so much. In the south we still have so many intact medieval villages, we're very lucky they were spared.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195684182481935384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-72655699393600377912013-08-12T10:30:31.846+01:002013-08-12T10:30:31.846+01:00Apart from a brief stopover in Cologne, my only ex...Apart from a brief stopover in Cologne, my only experience of the destruction caused by war to German towns and cities is confined to Hamburg and Lubeck. I spent over 6 months in Hamburg in the early and mid 60s, first on school exchange visits and then working there as a student of German and was deeply impressed by the wartime memories of those I met and worked among: http://perpetually-in-transit.blogspot.fr/2011/05/lessons-for-life.html<br /><br />We must hope that what was endured by all sides will help to ensure that such things won't be repeated.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-3685418098395152712013-08-12T10:21:18.510+01:002013-08-12T10:21:18.510+01:00PS I forgot to say that apart from the childhood m...PS I forgot to say that apart from the childhood memory of empty bombsites in Manchester and Liverpool, my first more adult awareness of the devastation of war was a school trip to the newly-consecrated Coventry Cathedral in 1962, which deeply impressed me.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.com