druidic.org

Coutances - August 1999

manda.jpg (52015 bytes)

the wonderful Manda, whose house (or rather garden) in Ouville is where we pitched our tent

location.jpg (100214 bytes)

that isn't her house alas, but it not only locates the area quite well but shows you what it looks like round there...

vieux-poirier.jpg (91763 bytes)

this is a house up the lane, with a wonderful Old Pear Tree growing up it - I WANT.

the-guard-sheep.jpg (97172 bytes)

the Ouville area seems to have a penchant for having fierce Guard Sheep, rather than dogs...

ben-at-the-fete.jpg (57042 bytes)

Ben queens it at a french country fete - most convincing I'm sure you agree...

hawker-at-the-fete.jpg (55736 bytes)

a falconer with one of his enormous and rather dangerous looking birds - striking though...

children-at-the-fete.jpg (103927 bytes)

le tout village donned medieval costume - local toddler jongleurs looking awfully "cute"

forgive-me-father-for-i-have-sinned.jpg (60971 bytes)

Mark confesses that he is mocking one of the principal rituals of the Catholic Church...

 

ben-au-pulpite.jpg (98017 bytes)

...while Ben indulges his persistent "looking vague in a pulpit" fetish yet again... 

coutances-glass.jpg (104832 bytes)

some very fine early stained glass from Coutances Cathedral - featuring several persons in hell!

mark-au-pierre.jpg (69326 bytes)

a fortuitously placed Stone, visited after scaring away the great sun-eating eclipse-dragon

toftwall.jpg (184930 bytes)

the countryside is littered with cramped graveyards - here is a rather gothic detail of Vauville's

ben-writes-in-the-fire.jpg (74112 bytes)

the hand of the young druid writes in the flames!... well, he was rather drunk at the time and later threw up ;)

louvre-caesar.jpg (50371 bytes)

Maximus Bigbonce (Gaius Julius Caesar - as seen by Louis VIV's garden sculptors at Marly) 

coutances-roof.jpg (90786 bytes)

the tower roof of a late-romanesque church in Coutances - almost abstract in it's effect.

louvre-sceptre.jpg (80152 bytes)

the head of a wonderful Sceptre in the Louvre...

louvre-sceptre2.jpg (45683 bytes)

...and the back of said sceptre head...

louvre-sceptre3.jpg (50120 bytes)

... and a bit more - it is only about 3.5 inches high...

| | | | | ©2009 Mark Ynys-Mon