Sous le ciel de Normandie

Le ciel en Normandie sillonnée de sentiers blancs laissés par des chasseurs pratiquant.

Normandy Light. Dixit Dominus.

Sun piercing the clouds on a Sunday afternoon. Always makes me remember the beautiful music of Dixit Dominus.

Handel's Dixit Dominus —

Granville. Storm Coming.

The beach swiftly emptied as the thunderstorm approached. It was dead calm — and then a violent squall lashed out.

Sky. Normandy in May.

Sun piercing through the clouds. May, Normandy.

A Giant Rainbow.

I was driving near lake Dathée the other day and saw this full giant rainbow. It was so big I couldn't fit it in my camera. And unusually low. 

El Condor Pasa (a Norman Buzzard.)

A lonely buzzard soaring in blue sky. Always makes me hum Simon and Garfunkel's El Condor Pasa/

In this video the inimitable Gigliola Cinquetti cover the song in Italian.

A Flaming Sunset

A flaming sunset in the Orne. Sky fighting Earth.

The Normandy Creation

Beautiful evening sky. Enough to make you think of the Creation.

Here is a clip made to Haydn's oratorio, 'The Creation'.

I Hear Thunder

When you see towering clouds like in this photo, it means a thunderstorm is coming. 

Thunder woke me up early today. If your children are scared of thunder, remember this nursery rhyme sung to the tune of "Frère Jacques," or "Are You Sleeping?":

I hear thunder, I hear thunder, (stomp feet on the floor)
Hark, don't you, hark, don't you? (put hands to your ears)
Pitter-patter raindrops, (wiggle your fingers for raindrops)
Pitter-patter raindrops,
I'm wet through, (shake your body like a wet dog)
So are you! (point at each other, tickle)

Here are the words for 'Are You Sleeping?':

Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
Brother John, Brother John,
Morning bells are ringing, Morning bells are ringing.
Ding, dang, dong, Ding, dang, dong.

And here is the French rhyme:

Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!
Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.

And a video:



It is said that in the background of the Beatles' song Paperback Writer one can hear George Harrison and John Lennon singing Frère Jacques. I can't, but let me know if you've seen or heard a version where it can be heard. Anyway, I put hear the Fab Four singing Rain.

White Christmas in Normandy. Sunset

Sent by Francesca Bostock, South Manche

Harvest moon in Normandy

Harvest moon in Normandy.

Photo by Francesca Bostock.

It is 400 years since the little known English scientist and draftsman Thomas Harriot turned his telescope to the Moon and drew its first maps. Some experts say that it was him, not the Italian Galileo, who was the first to view the Moon through a telescope.
Read BBC story here.