From Gothic to WWI in Picardie

[Jody]

- I know WWII and Normandy get all the attention but to me WWI sites and history are much more interesting.

We both totally agree with this. The WWII places all seem to us to be about the power of nations whereas the WWI battlefields and memorials seemto be of a more personal individual nature. We have had some amazing expeienc.es on several trips. One in particular place we felt so moved by was the Devon Trench in Northern France. You climb up a hill in the middle of a wheat(?)field and come upon a very small cemetary All the graves have the same date and a Memorial in front reads The Devons held this trench, THe Devons hold it still.

Let me know when you go to Meaux and I'll tell you where the entance is so you won't have to walk a few extra miles findin it!! The signage leaves a lot to be desired on how to get into the place!!

[sunshine817]

Unless they've moved it since opening day, you go in the big gates between the building and the parking lot, and veer just to the left -- it's at about 10h30 as you face the building.

[Happygoin]

Wow...what a travelogue. I'm glad I stopped to read it through. That was really wonderfully well-done. I always think it funny what people here in the US think is old. Some of those places are *really* old! Very cool.

I have to say here (just so Sunshine knows I was paying attention) that the lovely yellow rapeseed is what's known in the US as canola. In one or two of the photos it looked almost like it was a drawing or a painting...so vivid!

Beautiful. Thank you for posting this.

[Jody]

That'd=s right Sunshine. The bus from the train station leaves you off further up the hill, right at the walkway up to the hige statue. And that appears to be the entrance however it isn't! The entrance is near the flag plaza and qt the parking lot. David complained about the signage and the offical agreed with him and said they planned on fixing it SOMETIME!!

[Happygoin]

Jody, I think that was French-Bureaucrat-speak for, "It's been that way for a thousand years, and it's probably going to stay that way for another thousand years".

[sunshine817]

Ah, it was "from the bus stop" that I was missing.

It's a wonderful museum -- pity it's not easy to get to without a car.