In 2011 I posted my America, Surreal America series, consisting of 16 photo essays, with each one comprised of 20 surreal photographs, some 320 images.  That series was a follow up on the previous twenty-part series, Magi Discovering America - consisting of 722 photographs selected from well over 17,000 edited images taken during my six months exploration of the USA in 2010.  During the 2009 and 2010-11 periods I also posted some 72 photo-essays - surreal and other - about life in Western Australia: just over 1,000 photos in all.

Be that as it may, after America, Surreal America I posted a new series, the recently concluded Surreal America, consisting of 493 photographs.  Simultaneously with this series I posted the six part Forest Hills Cemetery series of 189 images - with the subject matter itself needing no manipulations by me to make it surreal.  When that mini-series ceased, I posted two surreal photo essays, of some 72 photos, depicting an autumn road trip to Canada via New Hampshire and Maine.

I reckon people have seen enough for a while of my take on slivers of living in North America - a total of approximately 1,800 photos to accompany the 1,000 West Aussie images.  So let's take aim with a total of 476 photographs at what it is like to engage in what I've termed the Surreal English & French experience.  It is a surreal look in that every photograph has been altered. This has been mainly accomplished by using Picasa but sometimes by also using Microsoft Paint as well to manipulate the images.  Not a single image is as the eye would ordinarily see it.

Now, let's take each country in turn, beginning with England - and what better way to kick it all off than by looking at going via shanks ponies and train to ... to London, of course, from the burbs, of course.  And let's hope the course doesn't get coarse!  Keeping my hopeless commentary short will help with that. As will me scrupulously citing any references, meticulously following the embalmed encyclicals in the Dead Sea Scrolls Style Manual revelations for struggling scholars.

Image 01

Our home base while in England - the home of Lynn and my brother Hans in Sunningdale, Berkshire, an affluent suburb surrounded by the extensive royal estates.

G'day, Liz!  Put the kettle on and we'll pop around for a chinwag.  G'day, Phil, saddle a couple of bloody nags, mate, and we'll trot around seeing how the other half live.

Image 02

To and from Heathrow Airport we saw this sight a short way from home.  A sign says that across the road is Royal Holloway, University of London.  There is a permanent vacancy for a multi-skilled chimney sweep adept at clearing gutters.

Image 03

This soon became a familiar sight: Bob trudging in the early morning light towards the Sunningdale railway station.  But then wearily walking home in the dark because of the very short days during the autumn-winter darkness that is London.  The anonymous person who took this photograph invariably staggered on blistered and bleeding feet behind her.

Image 04

If only the Beatles had used this as their song title ... this would then not be an area with dark, dense shrubbery for a community of muggers to safely hide in.

Image 05

I can almost hear the ghost of Johnny Cash singing, I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow.

(Source: an anonymous quotation from the Dead Sea Scrolls secret after-life edition of The Encyclopedia of Ghost Singers.)

Image 06

Here on the pedestrian bridge high above the lines one is given stunning views of the storm clouds brewing in the direction of London, our destination today.

Image 07

As the funky train alarmingly squeals to a halt, an English gentlemen reassuringly gropes the thigh of a terrified stranger.  Chivalry is not dead on train stations.

(Source: a security camera image from the Dead Sea Scrolls expose edition of The Gentleman Groper's Handbook.)

Image 08

We ignore the bomb disposal squad checking the approaches to Waterloo Station.  We turn our noses up at second hand chewing gum sold at bargain prices to passengers by the squad.

(Source: an illustrative photograph from the Dead Sea Scrolls travel advice edition of The Bomb Squad and You.)

Image 09

We resist the temptation to feed the inner tourist ... the still  hidden sights of London beckon.

(Source: an advertisement from the Dead Sea Scrolls culinary section of The Bomb Squad Loves You.)

Image 10

As we search for the exit, a sight to behold is this shrine to a once freshly baked Nero Caesar who fiddled black and blue during the great fire of London.

(Source: the Roman  Dead Sea Scrolls special edition of The Classified Untold History of England.)

Image 11

We must have taken a wrong turning on this sprawling station that is the Waterloo terminus and somehow stumbled onto where Cinderellas come for magic pumpkins.

(Source: a faked image from the Fantasia Dead Sea Scrolls unabridged fairytale edition of How to Defy Stepmothers and Three Ugly Sisters.)

Image 12

A railway bathroom for gentleman which, unfortunately, has neither a shower nor bath but does have Olde World graffiti daubed on the wall tiles.  However, it seems prudent not to go inside, for the floor appears to be soaked in blood.  Chivalry does not extend to public bathrooms for gentlemen.

(Source: a candid camera photograph image from the Dead Sea Scrolls unedited draft of The handbook for gentleman gropers.)

Image 13

Eureka!  The ciggy smoke clouds did not lead us astray - we have discovered the main portal to Waterloo Station. 

Image 14

Here we see none other than Waterloo Bridge.  A romantic movie of precisely that name, subsequently remade twice, was voted at the Colosseum Academy Awards as being of no less than 10 boxes of tissues in value at the original screening.  All repeat screenings of this tear jerker were judged to be worth five boxes of tissues.

(Source: the Italian Dead Sea Scrolls revised edition of The Classified Untold History of the Coliseum's Gladiator Academy Awards.)

Image 15

Here we see the bloodshot Eye that ceaselessly searches for the Precious - a one-way, first class air to anywhere in Australia.

(Source: a reconstructed drawing from the Dead Sea Scrolls warning edition of The Vegemite Ring of Power.)

Image 16

Bob thanks Paul, a thorough gentleman we met on the train and who rescued us when we misread directions of the ciggy smoke signals on Waterloo Station; and who then escorted us to here where we simply could not get lost ... though we later tried.

Image 17

Thank you very much, Paul!  Both Bob and I hope that our paths will cross again some day.

Image 18

Bob and the contents of her pocket book are hidden in shadow and away from the Eye searching the other way.

Image 19

We who are about to die salute you ...

Oh, you brave fools, you brave fools!

(Source: the Roman Dead Sea Scrolls truncated Spartacus edition of The Roman Army Needs You.)

Image 20

Like a moth to the flame, Bob seems to be drawn to the Eye, no matter how far away it is.  Don't go that way, Bob.  It wants the Precious!

(Source: a secret photograph from the Dead Sea Scrolls Orbiting Satellite Camera  feel-good edition of The Optometrist is Precious.)

Image 21

We really do have to stop meeting like this!

Image 22

This ecstatic, public adoration of technology is totally shameless.  Can texting become even more absurd?

(Source: an anonymous image from the Dead Sea Scrolls blatant after life edition of To Hell With Road Rules, The Dark Side is With You.)

Image 23

The Big Issue: To walk or not to walk.

Oh, run you fool, to the safety of Dr Who's phone box, disguised in red.

Image 24

Their turn to sit in the sun and take time out for a puff of a ciggy.

(Source: the Roman-Italian Dead Sea Scrolls pizza edition of The Spaghetti Western Standing Orders for Sitting Without Macaroni.)

Image 25

There ain't no sunshine sitting outside Dalys Wine Bar where it is so damned cold.

Image 26

Reading all about irate taxpayers and the damned homeless.

(Source: a drive-by image from the Dead Sea Scrolls unedited draft of The Taxpayer and Retired Gentlemen.)

Image 27

This must be where they made the movie, Bus Stop and where the Hollies sang the song of the same name.  But where's the bloody bus?

(Source: a security camera photograph from the Dead Sea Scrolls bus stop aversion therapy sealed section of The Sphinx and Mummy Want to Meet You - discrete brown paper bag edition.)

Image 28

With darkness falling, it's time to catch the train home.

Image 29

A painter's life is not an easy one - it can be hard on the bum sitting all day in a railway station.

Image 30

The end of the line or a new beginning starts here.  And always, it starts now.

(Source: the Roman Dead Sea Scrolls Abridged edition of The Roman Army's Standing Orders for Camel and Other Trains.)

Should I ever go back to Normandy

Honfleur is where you'll find me.

Walking the cobblestone streets of the town

Dining on mussels at an outdoor cafe.

Lying on the banks of the Seine

Honfleur is an ancient seaport

With narrow high houses with

Blue/gray slate covered exteriors.

Along Sainte Catherine's Quay

One can sip a glass of wine

And be mesmerized by the reflections

Across the Vieux Bassin.

Honfleur has a very interesting history. Viking pirates in their terrifying longships devastated the region in the 10th century.  In 911, a treaty was signed between Charles the Simple, King of France and Rollo, the leader of the Vikings, giving Normandy to Rollo n exchange for the promise that the Vikings would no longer pillage the area.  A century later, the dukedom of Normandy was created.

By the 12th century, the Normans built imposing ramparts as fortifications to protect the Seine from enemy invasions:

"The port and all the boats were themselves integrated within these protective fortifications which opened onto the ocean by way of a series of locks. These locks were used to maintain the water level but also to fight any silting up, which was such a crucial problem for the inhabitants that they had built a church entirely dedicated to this scourge, "Notre Dame de l'envasement" (Notre Dame of Silting Up). Two gates opened onto what was called "the Inside Haven". One (no longer existing) was located at the south end in the direction of Rouen, while the other one, the Porte de Caen, was at the northwest corner. Much more than just a gate, it was a real little fortified castle equipped with a drawbridge. The only, but nonetheless substantial, remains of this structure that can still be admired today at the tip of the "Vieux Bassin" (Old Basin) are called "la Lieutenance". In the 16th century, the life of the city was centered on this building, topped by a belfry inside of which a bell would sound wildly at the slightest alert. It was used as a residence by the king's lieutenant up until the French Revolution."  (Honfleur Travel Guide)

The many faces of la Lieutenance.

The tall steeple in the next photo is St. Catherine's Church.  It is rather unique in that it has two naves, two altars, two apses and two buildings.

"Honfleur was an important shipbuilding city, and the navy carpenters were also very competent builders. However, their skills were severely put to the test in 1460 when, finally rid of the British enemy, it became time to give the Ste Catherine neighborhood a new church. Despite the lack of resources and knowledge of religious architecture, the inhabitants got down to the job with great passion. When it came time to build the bell tower, they were afraid it would collapse should they make an error in their calculations, so they agreed to simply erect it right next to the church. The church itself quickly became too small and had to be enlarged. Then, feeling that the church looked more like a market hall than a place of worship, two side aisles were added. Finally, in the 18th century, when it was decided to add great organs, the walls were taken down to lengthen the structure. Today, the Ste Catherine church is the largest wooden church in France." (Honfleur Travel Guide)

St. Etienne's

Over the years, many artists, including William Turner, Johan Bartold Jongkind, Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Charles Baudelaire, and Erik Satie have found Honfleur's light to be captivating.  Birth place of the painter Eugène Boudin, Honfleur is recognised as one of the cradles of Impressionism.  One can certainly understand why.

I fell in love with the old world charm of Honfleur.  I loved exploring along the cobblestone streets peppered with ancient buildings and exploring the small shops along the quay....but most especially I loved the French mussels at our seaside cafe.

Statue to Mussel Pickers in Honfleur Town Square

Should you ever find yourself in Normandy, make room for a day or two in Honfleur.

"A man may stand there and put all America behind him." Henry David Thoreau

The great Outer Beach described by Thoreau in the 1800s is protected within Cape Cod National Seashore. Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s past and continuing ways of life.

It was a balmy day yesterday.  Temperatures soared to the high 50's and the poet thought we should take advantage of the warm weather and ride to the Cape.  He wanted to explore the area around Fort Hill in Eastham as well as drive over to Wellfleet, where four days ago, seven dolphins had been stranded.

I relished the idea of going to the Cape for the day.  Perfect weather for hiking and exploring. Besides, for the group Don't Forget Your Camera, the challenge for this month was "landscape images".  Last week, when the temperatures were in the single digits, we had traveled to Barnstable on Cape Cod for that very reason but my fingers froze every time I got out of the car to take pictures.

(Magi all bundled up on January 18th in Barnstable.)

In Eastham, we took the road up to Fort Hill.  I was able to get some interesting land and water shots.  We could see Coastguard Lighthouse across the bay.

Next stop was the Cape Cod National Seashore Center.  I love the view of the Salt Pond in front of the Center.

There's a hiking trail from the Center that curves around the Salt Pond, across a boardwalk to Coastguard Lighthouse.

Surfers were testing their metal out in the frigid waters.

Leaving Coastguard Beach, we headed north passing Nauset Light before getting back on Route #6 and making our way to Wellfleet.  All was calm in the harbor as well as along the Herring River estuary, where only a few days before over 80 dolphins were stranded.

After a tour of the small village, I brought Mag down to Commercial Street so we could get a view of the town.  The lighting was perfect and we were able to capture some beautiful reflections before heading home.  It was a perfect winter's day on Cape Cod.

I recently concluded my America, Surreal America series, consisting of 16 episodes, with each essay comprised of 20 surreal photographs.  That series was a follow up on the previous twenty-part series, Magi Discovering America - consisting of 722 photographs selected from well over 17,000 edited images taken during my six months exploration of the USA last year.

This new series, Surreal America, is surreal in that every photograph has been altered. This has been mainly accomplished by using Picasa but sometimes by also using Microsoft Paint as well to manipulate the images.  Not a single image is as the eye would ordinarily see it.  I utilize a surreal perspective for a fun documentation of my encounters with everyday America ... mostly as experienced in Massachusetts, unless otherwise indicated.

Chronicled in my first photo-essay was an outing to the funky little townships of Marion and Mattapoissett. Our second excursion was to prestigious Wellesley College.  It was the locale for the 2003 movie, Mona Lisa Smile, set in the 1950s and starring  Julia Roberts as an art professor.  Unfortunately, we neither saw Mona Lisa smiling nor heard Moaning Lisa whining.

So it was that we left Massachusetts, over white knuckle bridges, and headed southwards to Rhode Island, the Ocean State - which isn't actually an island.  But despite that, it has a little bazaar of milk and honey tucked away in the hamlet of Tiverton.  Here can be found none other than the cheese of all cheeses - Leyden cheese.   We duly acquired a goodly supply of this blessed product which so impressed the Pilgrims that they named the first main street in the USA after it.  Yes, that's right, Leyden Street in Plymouth!

Alas, although Plymouth does not sell this miraculous Dutch cheese it is so enlightened that it boasts a little cafe that actually bakes bread free of sugar and molasses - which are additives found in processed bread sold just about everywhere in the USA.  Furthermore, in Plymouth, modern day pilgrims can also buy the fish of all fishes: barramundi.   If I wasn't so busy touring around with a loaded camera I'd take  baskets of Plymouth's divine bread and baskets of barramundi to all States of the Union - thereby fostering economic growth and strengthening homeland security.

I almost did so on our outing to Ogunquit in Maine.  Alas,  I got too heavily involved with devouring my yummy Leyden cheese sandwiches.  And I didn't do so during our ferry excursion along Boston Harbor; nor on the route march to the 30th King Richard's Faire, held in the township of Carver.   Let me tell you that Big Dick's annual event is not for the faint hearted!  Nor was casually cruising down Cape Cod in pursuit of culture and cuisine where, by pure chance, we replenish my diminished supply of  Dutch salted licorice.  Alas, every last black delight was consumed on the way home.

Yet on the following excursion, we turned our backs on Leyden cheese, bread free of sugar and molasses, barramundi, Dutch salted licorice. Instead of such New England hedonism, we accompanied Bob in her quest to discover the meaning of life.  From research in the field we observed that after trudging on a hot day, a two-scoop chocolate ice cream was right up there in the meaning of life stakes ... as was relaxing on a dock after a refreshing swim in Cooper's Pond.

Alas, the visiting Oracle of London enigmatically noted that the meaning of life had to be applicable to all seasons; and that history pointed directly at what life is all about.   So it was that, armed only with chocolate ice creams and cameras, we ventured forth to Plymouth - to look about, peering through the sunglasses of history.  But that simply wasn't enough.  So we took our ice creams and cameras and hit the road to wherever fate seems to be leading us ... and we found a sort of stoned enlightenment about life's meaning.  We even found pirates.  But there are those who would scoff at that.  As did we, and thus we ran away to sea on a foggy day as far as Martha's Vineyard, where we trudged and tramped but were none the wiser.  And then we trudged but also climbed steps at  Gloucester's Hammond Castle to look at another lifestyle that requires lots of money ... which we don't have and probably will never acquire.

Today in our very last excursion in this series of adventures, we'll try a venue utterly different from all the rest - going to where there actually just might be an insight or three as to the meaning of life.

Image 01

I bet this somewhat strange looking personage could tell us a tale or two about the Story Chapel across the road, here in Mount Auburn Cemetery. 

Image 02

Could No Parking be the meaning of life?  Surely not!

Image 03

Good heavens, there it is again: No Parking.  Perhaps there's more to this than meets the eye.

Image 04

Oh, how impersonal!  Is there a message in this for us?

Image 05

No doubt about it!  Here indeed is a message - a couple, even.  And these contain enlightening truth and perhaps a dash of wisdom.  But does it give answer to life's meaning?

Image 06

Hmmm .... is this a cryptic message that we need to pray like hell?

Image 07

I don't know what message this gives except perhaps to surround oneself with an army of iron spears.

Image 08

Oh, over there is a little colorless figure wandering all alone among autumn leaves.  Could that be the meaning of life?

Image 09

Perhaps our lives are little, with our years like falling autumn leaves.

Image 10

Good grief!  A lonesome witch's hat!  Are we under a spell?

Image 11

Here we have it in black and white that without colour our world is black and white.

Image 12

Can the meaning of life be colorless and enigmatic like a sphinx?

Image 13

Hmmm .... meanings standing on pedestals?

Image 14

Ah, of course!  Whatever the meaning of life might be, it's best to sleep peacefully under an umbrella.

Image 15

Gulp!

Image 16

No, Bob, I don't know what that snake swallowing its own tale means, either.  But its got something to do with an egg timer.

Image 17

I don't know the deeper meaning of Woof, woof! but it sound great!

Image 18

Do red roses signify the Holy Grail?

Image 19

Colonel, can leading the regiment into battle be the meaning of life ... or is that merely death?

Image 20

Indeed so .... but each of us in our own ways.

Image 21

Can there be colour in a Sleepy Hollow?

Image 22

How lonely seems a fallen leaf, there near the scythed wheat in these sparse woods.  What does it mean?

Image 23

The eternal story .... with eternal meaning?

Image 24

What on earth?

Image 25

Circle time ... for telling it how it is.

Image 26

Be still.

Image 27

Life casts a long shadow, even over the grave.

Image 28

Faithful even beyond death .... hmmm, there is meaning in that!

Image 29

Gardeners to colour my world.  Now that could be significant.

Image 30

The hills are alive with the sound of sepia enigmas.

Image 31

Ah, the quietness of The Dell signifies something or other.

Image 32

There is Bob bravely investigating for us.

Image 33

The colour before, the black and white behind.

Image 34

And just a touch of delicate colour on the side.

Image 35

Perhaps the answer to the meaning life can be found inside the  Story Chapel.

Image 36

You need do nothing.  Be still!  You will hear My Voice and Know that I am God.

See also:

Surreal America

001 Marion & Mattapoissett

002 Wellesley College

003 Rhode Island: Providence& Tiverton

004 Ogunquit, Maine

005 Boston Harbor

006 King Richard's Faire

007 Cape Cod

008 Massachusetts Bobbing

009 Plymouth Forefathers

010 Massachusetts Stoned Enlightening

011 Rockport There Be Pirates

012 Martha's Vineyard

013 Gloucester's Hammond Castle