Crossing the Fens by boat there comes the realisation that water not earth or sky is the natural element in this landscape.

Know most of the rooms of thy native country before thou goest over the threshold thereof. Especially seeing England presents thee with so many observables.

He's a frog out of water.

Geologically we have everything that is needed for this site. We have the electricity grid, water for cooling. This entire package was absolutely written for us.

I'm sort of East Coast, so I like the off-white and the navy blues and the low-key preppy kind of thing.

A letter from a French cleric to Nicholas of St. Albans, written c. 1178, rehearsed what was already a familiar perception: Your island is surrounded by water, and not unnaturally its inhabitants are affected by the nature of the element in which they live. Unsubstantial fantasies slide easily into their minds. They think their dreams to be visions, and their visions to be divine. We cannot blame them, for such is the nature of their land. I have often noticed that the English are greater dreams than the French.