In Guernsey I joined an excursion to Castle Cornet. Imagine our guide, David, dressed in Renaissance style clothing, with an authentic British accent, a quirky little man who was also a potter, musician and master storyteller. The most memorable story he told was of 3 female prisoners (a mother and 2 daughters) who were locked in the tower of the Castle for not attending church. After a week, they were escorted through the village and made an example, and then tied to stakes to be burned. One of the women was pregnant the the trauma of the fire induced labor. A guard swopped in to save the baby, and then asked the Prime Minister what he should do with the child, but was told to burn it because it was a child of a heretic. YIKES! Tough times. It made me grateful again for our many freedoms.
In the castle we learned about a plant called yew that was kept in their gardens. Yew is currently used to make tamoxifen, a drug used to treat cancer in chemotherapy. Amazing to see the history of a modern day lifesaver! Love you, Mom.
I jumped at the noonday gun salute, and instead of photographing the firing cannon, missed and got the ground! Afterward, though, the soldiers let me take a picture with them....I saluted to my fellow Rox in honor of the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers :)
The tour concluded with a glass (or two!) of champagne, and hors d’oeuvres of salmon and beef carpaccio. What a treat! On my walk back, I met Ben, a young sailor getting ready for his yacht racing competition later that afternoon.
Lovely travelog, Becky! Yes, history is pretty gory.
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