Monty's revenge

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At the American cemetary at Omaha Beach, the magnificent carillion plays "from the halls of montezuma", the marching song of the US Marine Corps. It's an odd note to strike, if you will pardon the pun.

If only because the Marines didn't have a unit there - at least according to a retired marine officer we spoke to that evening at our hotel in Bayeux. Also, because its a raucous old tune, which is kind of at odds with the serenity of the place.

Since then, Monty and I have had a number of close calls. In fact, there have overall been too many co-incidences for my liking.

In the Loire, I bought General Bernard Montgomery's memoirs from an bookshop (the only one of about 6 english language books for sale,; the only one not a romance fiction.) Then, the desert war surrounded me for a few days - I'd recorded the 1966 movie Tobruk (starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard - yes the one from the A-Team) to my laptop before leaving the UK. We watched it this week. Also, the desert episode of the World At War. And, From Russia with Love.

The house we are staying at has a few English magazines, and in an old Tatler, as "babe of the month" I found Lady Lucy Alexander, daughter of General the Lord Alexander, Monty's old boss in the desert campaign. A copy is attached, for your assessment.






Also, the view from our place of the old town of Carcassonne.

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