1066 and all that...

After arriving in Methersham Oast yesterday (a drive down country roads to a lane, to a private road, to a track which ended at a charming converted barn), we set out this morning for Battle to the site where William the Conqueror defeated King Harold of England in 1066.

A view towards Battle Abbey over the battlefield

It's humbling to walk these grounds, seeded with daffodils, and bluebells, and think about the savagery of a battle where the fate of a country changed course.  Today, there is a ruined Abbey, and fields dotted with lambs and spring flowers - so hard to reconcile the gentle landscape with the butchery that occurred.  Today, this is the site of a private school - imagine going to school in a place where some of the buildings date from 1070...and the town of Battle is quaint, and prosperous looking.

Lane in Rye

Methersham Oast Barn

Then. a stroll through Rye, one of the cinque ports, where the buildings are crooked, and ancient.  Then back to our 21st century converted barn, where the knives are sharp, and there are Bengal cats named Twinkle and Alfie who drop by for a visit.   There are ducks and geese in the backyard pond.  Meg is amazed at the age of everything - imagine walking up a 1000 year old staircase.  Or seeing a building that was rebuilt in 1420!  We are sorry to have left London, but every new place that we visit is the best place yet.  It seems that spring may finally have arrived - the British are cautiously optimistic about the break in the weather after a harrowing winter - there are still signs - flooding and very high water levels in some areas.  We are so lucky - we have missed a bad winter at home, and a bad winter here.  

Tomorrow is off to Dover Castle and then back to France for a night before we head to Italy for a week.  Then we will meet up with our other half and spend the last month in Mauvezin.  We're all ready to sit still for a bit and reflect on the amazing things that we've seen and done - Morocco, Paris, Stonehenge, London.  We're also all ready for some alone time.  As Eva points out, it's not normal for teenagers to spend 24 hours a day with their parents...or for parents to spend 24 hours a day with their teenagers...that being said, I am grateful for the gift of time that we have been given.