“Half memoir, half travel, A Yank Back to England...is an absolutely wonderful book, not only about going home again but also about love and family and tradition and the passage of the years.”
—Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic (Washington
Post)
To see the entire quote, click here.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Beware the Ides of Deal

As we ambled back across the wide promenade, Kate ran ahead to look at the sea. Frances found a plaque marking the spot where Julius Caesar first came ashore fifty odd years before the birth of Christ.
“At least he landed in a better part of Deal than we did.” I sounded sour, unconcerned with historical significance. We had been promised a coastguard’s cottage, and a coastguard might have lived in our cottage at one time, but there were no nautical knickknacks or seafaring foolery at our end of town.
“Oh, please, cheer up.” Frances was delighted to find the plaque. Caesar and Rome had supplanted Merlin and Camelot in her literary interests, a case of might over magic.
“Only kidding. Only kidding.” I shrugged and looked up at the sky.
Frances shot me a glance with the hint of a smile. “And don’t make it rain!”
“Who, me?” I smiled back. “Wouldn’t dream of it!”

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting, never realised there was such a plaque. I used to live within metres (about 10) from where Simon Bolivar landed to liberate Peru on Playa El Chaco. That was a little more recently than ceasar's landing.

AV

The Prodigal Tourist said...

How fabulous--is there a place or marker there? It's so exciting to walk where the greats have walked, imagine their presence, isn't it? Of course, the big difference between Bolivar and Cesear is that the latter had no intention of freeing anybody!

Tess Kincaid said...

I would be exactly like Frances, absorbing all the historical vibes!!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful! Its amazing to think of someone so eminent as Julius Caesar walking in the same place as you are, centuries beforehand...Kind of makes ya think how much has changed.

Anonymous said...

Not at the actual site, but on the dunes behind the township there is a large monument. I'll track down a photo at home and post it on Tomus Arcanum. Take a couple of days, I am restricted to using the net at work at the moment.

AV
http://tomusarcanum.blogspot.com/