The Romance of the Seafront: Part 2

Like Deauville and Trouville, Agatha Christie's English hometown of Torquay offers romantic views along the seafront. My wife and I wandered along the above stretch of seafront on our second day in Torquay. It was pleasant to stroll along, take photographs of the sea, wander through the occasional park, or climb down the stairs to the beaches we passed along the way. It offered us a nice little walk to stretch our legs, before spending the afternoon in the Torre Abbey museum.

With its palm trees, and all the sails out on the water, you might easily believe you were visiting a tropical island. But this is England, and even though it was summer, we saw few bikini-clad ladies lazing on the beaches, or families frolicking in the surf. Still, it was a lovely day, and Torquay offers a nice mix of old and new architectural styles. I especially liked this circular walkway, that corkscrews from the seafront road to the beach.

On our first day in Torquay, we had not yet located an inexpensive place to park. So we stopped in this carpark at the edge of town, and paid for an hour or two. It was such a scenic place that, after eating our lunch, I got out my pencils and started drawing. It was the first time I worked with my Prismacolor pencils, and sadly, it shows. But the main problem was that I simply didn't have time to do the vista justice, not at the parking rates they were charging, and not when there was so much of Torquay we had yet to visit.

One of my goals for the year is not only to do more sketching, but to finish the sketches I've started. Hopefully, I can do this sketch justice, by imbuing it with the sense of romance that tempts us to leave our comfortable homes, and travel great distances to such exotic locales. I loved that little place by the sea, the boat bobbing in the water in front of the island, and the waves wash gently against the rocks. I can imagine Arthur Hastings and Bella Duveen standing there, holding hands while they ponder their future together. I can also see Hercule Poirot standing on the ramp, holding onto the guardrails, and gazing out at the lovely view. How about you?

Dragon Dave

The Romance of the Seafront: Part 1

Is there even one person on this planet who does not find the seafront a romantic locale? After the cataclysmic events of the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode "Murder on the Links," Arthur Hastings finds he cannot yet bear to return to England. So he remains in Deauville, and the place he immediately heads to is the seafront.

One thing he had not reckoned upon was Hercule Poirot's understanding of the human heart. So as Hastings wanders along the seafront, who should pull up, but his friend in a beautiful old car? 

The person who leaves the taxi is not Hercule Poirot, however, but Bella Duveen, the girl Arthur Hastings has fallen in love with. The seafront provides a perfect place for their reunion.

According to one blogger, Joan D., this scene was actually filmed along the old waterfront road in the nearby French town of Trouville. But whether you're looking to fall in love with a beautiful hotel lounge singer, as Captain Arthur Hastings did in "Murder on the Links," or to share a special trip with the person you already love, the two lovely French towns of Deauville and Trouville, with their sweeping views across the English Channel of the white cliffs of Dover (at least, on a cloudless day), seem like the perfect place to spice up your love life.

They seem like wonderful places to take my wife one day. Or, at least, after we've visited all the places we wish to see in England.

Dragon Dave

Internet Links
Joan D's location comments on "Murder on the Links"

Pleasant Recollections: Evil Under The Sun

While adding a reading list for 2016, it occurred to me that I cannot continually add lists in the sidebar. So I decided to go through my list of books from 2011, and share a few recollections about those reading experiences. Then, I'll have to edit the list, or move it elsewhere on the blog.

In 2011, I read two novels by Agatha Christie, both featuring her famous detective Hercule Poirot. While I'm familiar with the story of Evil Under The Sun, having seen the production many times, I cannot honestly recall anything from reading the book five years ago. Perhaps, when I read it again, some memories of that earlier experience will return.

For those not familiar with the story, it occurs on Burgh Island off the south coast of Devon, England. Cut off from the mainland, several murders take place there, and it is up to Hercule Poirot to solve them. Agatha Christie visited the island once, and her visit there inspired her to write the novel. Later, when Agatha Christie's Poirot adapted the novel, the TV production also filmed the story on Burgh Island. I had hoped to visit Burgh Island during our tour of Devon last year, but ultimately had to drop it from my itinerary.

A small, unnamed island off Beacon Cove,
one of Agatha Christie's favorite bathing spots
in her hometown of Torquay, England.

There's lots of little islands off the coast of Cornwall and Devon. Not all of them are large enough to have a hotel or village built on them. Some, such as the island of Lundy, off the west coast of Devon, are wildlife sanctuaries. I seriously considered visiting Lundy, as some key events in Charles Kingsley's novel Westward Ho! take place there. But ultimately, we had to drop that visit from our itinerary as well.

Despite all the places we couldn't visit in the time available, including Burgh and Lundy, and all the other picturesque islands off the coast of Devon, we visited some key Agatha Christie sites, including Dartmoor, Torquay, and Dartmouth. Still, with two full weeks available to us, you would think we could have seen more than a fraction of all the places we wished. After all, England is only an island nation, right?

Dragon Dave

Hastings in the Houses of Parliament

Recently, I read I Will Repay by Baroness Emma Orczy, the sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Although written second, this eventually became the sixth novel in her series of books about Sir Percy Blakeney, a British nobleman who saves the French aristocracy from the guillotine. I like how Orczy took the time later to illumine earlier periods of Sir Percy's life, and I look forward to reading those prequels. I also like how her novels, or at least the two I've read thus far, illumine the French revolution for me. I don't remember studying this period in any depth in school History classes, whether in elementary, high school, or even in my college years. Any American readers out there feel as though their teachers covered the French Revolution well? Or have I just grown forgetful in my, um, mature years?

While reading I noticed some intriguing similarities between Orczy's second novel and the characters and situations Agatha Christie used in her second novel, The Murder on the Links. As Christie set her novel in France, perhaps this was intentional on her part. Likewise, when I read Orczy's first novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel, I spotted similarities with Christie's debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I wrote about these in a couple posts, perhaps most extensively in "Agatha Christie: Inspiration for Hercule Poirot." (See link below). 

Similarities can always be drawn between stories, especially stories written about a particular country or topic. But one similarity is especially worthy of note. For his early adventures, including The Murder on the Links, Agatha Christie partnered Hercule Poirot with his friend Hastings. Ex-Army officer Captain Arthur Hastings had strong links with the British aristocracy, and worked for a Member of Parliament. Plus, he was an all-around good guy, and fun to have around.

In Baroness Emma Orczy's novels, and especially in I Will Repay, Sir Percy Blakeney helps whisk French nobility from the murderous mobs with stalwart companions who join The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. One prominently mentioned in I Will Repay is Lord Edward Hastings. Although I don't know him so well, I'm sure he's also a really good guy, and equally fun to have around.

Later in her series, John Hastings (Edward's cousin) would also join the League. I look forward to reading about that.

In 2011, on our first visit to London, my wife and I visited the Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister (or P.M.), and the Members of Parliament (or M.P.s), meet in the House of Commons. That's the green upholstered room in the Palace of Westminster, where these elected officials discuss, argue, and vote on governmental issues. By the time we were allowed admittance, the meeting in the House of Commons had adjourned for the night, so we could not see that section of the Palace. But we were allowed admission to the House of Lords. This other wing of the Palace, in which Lords appointed by the monarch, or their successors, meet to discuss the same or similar issues as those of the M.P.s, is upholstered in red. So, in Christie's world, Hastings works for an M.P., elected by the people, who helps run the government of Britain in the green House of Commons. In Orczy's world, Hastings helps run the government in the red House of Lords. Both authors envisioned an important, trustworthy, and fun-loving man named Hastings working in the Palace of Westminster, on the affairs of the nation, on behalf of the British people. An interesting similarity, don't you think?

Of course, as I mentioned in "Agatha Christie's Exclusive Club," Christie and Orczy were both members of The Detection Club, an exclusive writers' club in England. But that would come later for Agatha Christie. When she published The Murder on the Links, she was just an up-and-coming writer, inspired by the efforts of her literary heroes. Might Baroness Emma Orczy have been a hero of Christie's? It'd be nice to pop into Doctor Who's TARDIS, travel back in time, and chat with her about that. After all, it was a Doctor Who TV story, the First Doctor era six-part episode "The Reign of Terror," that got me interested in Baroness Emma Orczy, and reading her books about the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Dragon Dave

Related Poirot Posts:
Agatha Christie: Inspiration for Hercule Poirot
Agatha Christie's Exclusive Club

Agatha Christie's Favorite Bathing Spots

In the Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation of "Murder on the Links," Captain Arthur Hastings goes out one morning to swim, or bathe, in the ocean. There he bumps into Bella Duveen, the glamorous singer who so entranced him in the lobby of the Hotel Du Golf. When she tells him that the water is freezing, he abandons his swimming plans and instead treats her to breakfast in a warm restaurant. 

Later, after Poirot leaves for London, Hastings meets up with her again. As they walk along the seafront, she convinces him to allow her to tag along to the Police evidence room, where she can see all the items catalogued by Inspector Giraud as he investigates the murder of Paul Renault. He thinks it will all be terribly boring for her. She convinces him that, while she's fascinated by murder, she also enjoys his company.

Deauville, a jewel of the northern coast of France, owes much of its heritage to tourism. The city is renowned for its swimming and bathing opportunities. Over 150 years ago, a series of hydrotherapeutic baths were constructed. Today, visitors are still drawn to its famous pompeian baths.

Agatha Christie loved vacationing in France. Hence, Hercule Poirot often travels there during his storied career. Still, she never lost her love for Torquay. Her childhood home, locating on a stretch of coastline known as the English Riviera, offers beach lovers many places to enjoy an invigorating swim or a relaxing soak. According to one guidebook, Beacon Cove was one of the places Agatha Christie returned to again and again. With its sparkling azure waters and rugged coastline, its easy to imagine her loving this place.

Perhaps that's what drew me to capture this place in more than a photograph. While my wife wandered along the shore, hunting for interesting rocks and shells, I sat down with my pencils and hurriedly sketched out what I saw. The ocean breeze grew cool and bracing as the afternoon waned, but I didn't mind. For an hour or so, I immersed myself in one of Agatha Christie's favorite bathing spots. 

Afterwards, instead of swimming, my wife took me out to a warm restaurant for dinner. But then, she's occasionally admitted that she's fascinated by my sketching, and that she enjoys my company.

Dragon Dave

Agatha Christie's Boardwalks

Should you ever visit Deauville in France, in which the Agatha Christie's Poirot production of "Murder on the Links" took place, you've got plenty of entertainment options. One place you'll definitely want to check out is the Promenade des Plances, a famous boardwalk along the seafront. If you time your stay appropriately, you can take in the Trophee De Deauville. This bicycle race begins on the scenic promenade.

While the riders cycle through this scenic historic town, you can take time to admire the beach life from the comfort of an ocean front bar or restaurant. Or you can walk along the boardwalk and contemplate Deauville's film history. The names of many of Hollywood's finest actors and directors, such as Glenn Close, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, grace seaside cabins. This is an honor the French have bestowed upon them, in gratitude for their having attended the city's annual film festival. But keep a sharp lookout! 

Mrs. Renault and Gabriel Stonor watch the race on
the Promenade des Planches.

Before long, the racers will return, and you can see which bicyclist crosses the finish line first.

Although Agatha Christie chose to feature neither the boardwalk nor the bicycle race in her novel, visiting seafront boardwalks no doubt formed a regular part of her life. In her hometown of Torquay, a famous boardwalk arcs out from the beach and surrounds the harbor. After strolling through the nearby gardens, shopping at waterfront stores, or eating at a seaside restaurant, what could be nicer than strolling out over the waves, and admiring the boats anchored in the harbor?

The Boardwalk in Agatha Christie's hometown of
Torquay, England.

It's a great place for meeting people, either fellow travelers like yourself, or locals who have also fallen in love with Agatha Christie's Poirot. We found this out, the night we visited Torquay's boardwalk, as I related in A Conversation at the Quay. Having visited several English boardwalks now, I'm curious to visit one in France. The boardwalk in Deauville sounds like a great starting point for an exploration of French boardwalks. Who knows? I might even meet someone famous while walking along that scenic waterfront, such as the sporting Captain Hastings, or the more quiet and retiring Hercule Poirot.

Dragon Dave

French Cuisine & Five-Star Hotels

Should you ever travel to the scenic town of Deauville in France, to visit the sites featured in the Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation of The Murder on the Links, why not stay at the Hotel Du Golf? This is where Captain Arthur Hastings and his friend Hercule Poirot resided when investigating the death of immigrant Paul Renault, a part owner of the hotel and adjacent golf course, who reportedly made his fortune in precious stones in South America.

The Hotel du Golf, or Hotel Normandy,
as featured in the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode
"Murder on the Links."

Also known as the Hotel Normandy, this five star hotel offers cuisine suited to even the most sophisticated palates, as the well-traveled Belgian detective can attest. It also offers the best entertainment, including the attractive singer Miss Bella Duveen. She's someone whose voice, face, and personality will bowl you over, as Captain Arthur Hastings discovered during his stay in Deauville.

When on vacation, my wife and I find ourselves much more interested in the local cuisine than playing golf. While touring places in Devon mentioned in Charles Kingsley's novel Westward Ho!, such as Bideford, Clovelly and Appledore, we often dined out. The place we stayed that week offered us our own kitchen, so we had the option of making our own breakfasts.

When properly trained,
 Daleks make excellent cooks and waiters.

We often prepared these with items from local grocery stores, as well as leftovers from restaurants we visited.

While staying at the White Horse Lodge opposite Churston Train Station, our breakfasts were sumptuous and filling. The staff were friendly, and the dining area filled with homey touches. 

It was the kind of place I'd gladly return to again, should circumstances allow.

Unlike the famous detective Hercule Poirot, I'm not familiar with French cooking. But if my wife and I visited Deauville, I'd be willing to give it a try, especially if I had a sophisticated gastronomist like Hercule Poirot to guide my choices, and a talented singer like Bella Duveen to serenade us while we ate. Now, only one question remains. Could we afford to stay in a five star resort for more than five minutes? Could you?

Who knew sleuthing paid so good? I guess that's part of the genius of Hercule Poirot.

Dragon Dave