Guernsey!

We arrived last night on Guernsey, a charming destination with a long quirky history. Because of my association with the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in St Helena, I have been affiliated with the Victor Hugo in Guernsey Society and the folks there have welcomed us to their world, which is fascinating. Roy Bisson, who leads this organization, was kind enough to show us highlights of Guernsey and took us to lunch in a local pub before sightseeing with a focus on Victor Hugo sites. Hugo, an exile from France, lived for 15 years on Guernsey where he wrote most of his famous works, including Les Miserables and Toilers of the Sea. Tomorrow, we visit his home, Hauteville House, which is now a museum, before heading over to Jersey for a brief overnight visit.

I've enjoyed the fairly recent "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" which provides great background on the German occupation of Guernsey during WWII. Trauffaut's amazing "Adele H." recounts the true story of Hugo's insane daughter, Adele, as she stalked a would-be boyfriend by following him to Nova Scotia despite his rebuffs. She was eventually placed in a French insane assylum for the last 40 years of her life. Both films are highly recommended, as are Victor Hugo's writings.Leggi altro