Culture

Poisson d’avril

I have been back home for 15 days now (and have a lot of work to complete before I return back for the last term of Uni, garrrrgh) Home is pretty grand. I have been enjoying the company of my family, friends… and books. Todays heralds the beginning of a new month – the first of April, that day of the year where you have to look for joke articles in the newspapers, take bad news with a pinch of salt and let all the Easter chocolate slowly slink down your throat to your thighs. March is over, spring has supposedly sprung, although I think the whole of the United Kingdom begs to differ, and creme eggs are passé (it’s ok, I prefer Kinder Surprise anyway).

Yesterday was Easter Sunday – I’m 22, my brother is 15, we’re old and yet we still searched for eggs in the garden. Last year I was in Germany and had to make do with coloured boiled eggs placed on the shelves in my flat rather than an Easter Egg hunt in the garden – so it was nice to revive a tradition of old.

I tried and failed to get a sweet Easter style picture of Chino. Turns out rabbits won’t pose adorably with chocolate eggs. They will try and eat the eggs because, surprise, bunnies love chocolate. The eggs, however, escaped unscathed and poor Chino was placed behind bars.

He is ridiculously cute, I know, I know, and please rest assured, he did not remain under capture for long. In the late afternoon, I went to my aunt’s, as it was her birthday – she’s a cake baker extraordinaire, as I mentioned in my first ever post, and on this occasion she’d made a particularly wondrous cake, which was Easter themed, as you can see below.

Tonight I’m going out for a German meal – I’m looking forward in particular to the dessert on the menu (because I obviously have not had enough chocolate or cake over the weekend)
The dessert is described ainsi –

“Poor Knights ( German Version of French Toast ) “Easter Style “ with Cinammon Sugar and Vanilla Ice Cream
Arme Ritter “Auf Oster Art “ mit Zimt Zucker und Vanille Eis”

When I lived in Konstanz, my friend Flo used to make French toast for Anne Ce and I all the time – I’d go so far as to say that it became a staple part of Anne Ce’s diet. And ice cream was a part of mine…. Konstanz has great ice cream parlours! In any case I am really looking forward to trying the version that will be served up tonight – and savouring a little bit of the past! (how very Proustian).

Besides spending time thinking about food… and chocolate, I have been enjoying BBC iplayer – in particular “In the Flesh”, a three part mini series about Zombies (or sufferers of PDS – Partially Deceased Syndrome) and the return of “Doctor Who”. Luke Newberry was outstanding in his role as tormented Kieran Walker – the last episode of the series was emotionally charged, with an important message about mental health issues. If you’re into the supernatural and psychology, then I would definitely give it a watch.

Well, on that note, I’m off to prepare my face for the German meal…. here’s hoping the French toast lives up to my expectations!

Growing up Guernsey

‘Sarnia Cherie. Gem of the sea.
Home of my childhood, my heart longs for thee.
Thy voice calls me ever, forget thee I’ll never,
Island of beauty. Sarnia Cherie.’

As a little girl, growing up in the Channel Islands, I always used to gaze out to sea and daydream of places that I had visited and other lands yet to be discovered. I caught the travel bug at a young age – having family that lived abroad meant that my first ever flight was at the age of three months old, and now at the age of 22, I find comfort in travelling – comfort in the routine of waiting in airport departure lounges and harbours and in the thrill of embarking on a new journey.

My late grandfather was an aircraft engineer, who lived a stone’s throw away from the airfield in Guernsey, and I remember always feeling secure in the knowledge that I would be able to catch a glimpse of my grandparents waving ‘goodbye’ (or ‘hello’ on the return voyage) when I was in a tiny tin can of an airplane. Voyaging is something I savour. I am always going to want to travel, yet I also love the feeling of ‘coming home’. Gliding over the sea in a plane and having the whole of Guernsey suddenly come into sight is always something that makes me catch my breath.

At 16, I started working a weekend job in the tourism industry as a museum assistant – this became a summer job and is something that was a part of my life for six years. Through this student job, I met many tourists from different corners of the world and it led me to appreciate the island from a touristic point of view. For those curious as to what Island living is like, I will include a selection of photos that I took during the past summer in Guernsey in my next post… for now, here is a taster – a photo of Fermain Bay.

‘Les Mis’ with a Guernsey Miss

For those of you that don’t know, I am a BIG FAN of Victor Hugo, a French author who penned many novels and poems, the most famous works being “Notre Dame de Paris” (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and “Les Misérables”. Hugo lived in exile on Guernsey, my home island, from 1855-1870 and it was during this time in Guernsey that ‘Les Misérables’ was published – a book that would later become a renowned musical, often referred to by theatregoers as “Les Mis”.

Below, is a picture of one of the many beautiful views that Guernsey has to offer…

Smoke from the Red Arrows appearing as the French flag

It will probably not have escaped your attention that this musical has recently adapted into a film, starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, amongst other big names. It was with unbridled excitement that I scampered off to the ODEON at the Metro centre this weekend, to watch the must see film of the year… in IMAX, no less.

During my time at school in Guernsey, I did a lot of musical theatre and also sang in several school choirs – now I can’t recall the exact amount of times I was forced to sing songs from “Les Mis”, but let’s just say that when I was sat in my plush seat at the ODEON this weekend watching the plot of the film unravel, I was lip syncing along. Yeah, that’s right, growing up in Guernsey means that you have quite an intimate relationship with this particular work, whether you like it or not… Luckily, I love everything to do with Victor Hugo, and this film adaptation was no different!

If I had to sum up the film in one word, I would have to simply say… GLORIOUS.

It really was.

I didn’t notice the time passing. Hugh Jackman was awesome and Anne Hathaway was haunting in the role of Fantine (finally managing to convince critics that she is ‘Mia Thermapolis’ no more*) I particularly adored Isabelle Allen in the role of ‘Cosette’ (you can see from the above poster just how ethereal, vulnerable and credible she looks in the role). The whole film was a sumptuous feast for the eyes and for the senses – at the end I heard the men around me sniffling as they clapped when the credits started to roll. If you enjoyed the film ‘Warhorse’ and the emotions that it stirred up inside you, then please go see ‘Les Mis’… and bring an industrial size box of tissues. At the end, I had to be walked around the Metro centre a few times and shown happy sparkly things until I managed to perk up.

Would I go see it again?

YES, in a heartbeat.

I’m sure that Victor Hugo would have loved to see his novel make it to Hollywood. If you enjoyed the film and ever find yourself in Guernsey, then make sure that you visit Hugo’s old residence, Hauteville House, which has been kept as a monument to him by the City of Paris. if you’re interested in literature, stunning views or wacky interior design, his house really is a must see.

Knock on the door, make an appointment to visit, and you will find yourself stepping out of the hustle and bustle of St Peter Port into a sombre French hallway. You will be led on a visit into Hugo’s world by a guide who will explain how the objects in the house are not what they seem… Mirrors, ornate carvings and the repeated initials V and H alongside other symbols and motifs will reveal themselves to you and remain in your mind long after your visit. The stunning view of the Archipelago of the Channel Islands from the top of the house is worth the trip alone!

*Although, in my opinion, ‘The Princess Diaries’ is a great film and I will hear no bad word of it!!!

PS. For those interested in reading ‘Les Misérables’, it is available for free on Kindle in both English and French – below is the link for the English version