Darrick wood and France


Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 05 April 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous)

Sometimes when I meander in the woods and meadows, I become lost for words and the little voice in my brain starts to become softer. It is at times like this that glimmers of visual thoughts begin to take over. I think of my wife who I can picture easily. Thinking of my wife makes me think of her beloved France.

I have always admired France because it introduced the world to modern political thinking along with the USA. The French revolution went badly wrong and the political masters became tyrants. However, the concept of liberty took hold and later the concepts of brotherhood and legality, too.
The seeds of modern democracy were sown here, but they did not bear full fruit in France until women were finally given the vote in 1945. This is shocking and was a complete injustice. It took two world wars and the institution of three French republics before women achieve full equality with men.

Despite all this I still love France for its culture, its art, its food and its wine. I also love the scenery. I was proud to become a French citizen by marriage. Now I can be proud of two countries and a citizen of both. There is no conflict in my mind about this because France is Britain’s closest ally. The ties between the two countries are much stronger than the ties of either country with the US. Even though France is a republic the British queen is referred to as “The Queen” unlike a reference to “the Queen of Holland” or “the King of Sweden”.

Much of coastal Brittany reminds me of coastal Pembrokeshire. Neolithic settlers were well established in both regions and left their footprints. Both nations have a long shared history.





Pensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 05 avril 2020

Parfois, quand je serpente dans les bois et les prairies, je me perds pour les mots et la petite voix dans mon cerveau commence à s’adoucir. C’est dans des moments comme celui-ci que des lueurs de pensées visuelles commencent à prendre le dessus. Je pense à ma femme que je peux facilement imaginer. Penser à ma femme me fait penser à sa France bien-aimée.

J’ai toujours admiré la France parce qu’elle a introduit le monde à la pensée politique moderne avec les Etats-Unis. La révolution française a mal tourné et les maîtres politiques sont devenus des tyrans. Cependant, le concept de liberté a pris racine et plus tard les concepts de fraternité et de légalité, aussi.

Les semences de la démocratie moderne ont été semées ici, mais elles n’ont pas porté pleinement leurs fruits en France jusqu’à ce que les femmes aient finalement obtenu le droit de vote en 1945. C’est choquant et c’était une injustice totale. Il a fallu deux guerres mondiales et l’institution de trois républiques françaises avant que les femmes atteignent la pleine égalité avec les hommes.

Malgré tout cela, j'aime toujours la France pour sa culture, son art, sa gastronomie et son vin. J'adore aussi le paysage. J'étais fier de devenir citoyen français par mariage. Maintenant, je peux être fier de deux pays et citoyen des deux. Il n'y a aucun conflit dans mon esprit à ce sujet, car la France est le plus proche allié de la Grande-Bretagne. Les liens entre les deux pays sont beaucoup plus forts que les liens des deux pays avec les États-Unis. Même si la France est une république, la reine britannique est appelée « La Reine » contrairement à une référence à « la reine de Hollande » ou « le roi de Suède ».

Une grande partie de la Bretagne côtière me rappelle la côte du Pembrokeshire. Les colons néolithiques étaient bien établis dans les deux régions et ont laissé leurs empreintes.
Les deux nations ont une longue histoire commune.



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