The Great War ... How can any war be "great?"

Friday, June 05, 2015

Bonjour!

To finish up on Thursday, about 7:30 last night we walked across the street to a big Monoprix to pick up water and some cherries for Robert.  We also found the Pizza Hut, which is located very close to the hotel, and while pizza did sound good, we opted for Speed Rabbit Pizza, a couple of blocks further away.  They have a very nice and clean dining room, and it was decorated in a NYC motif; very cute.  I ordered “The Bronx” pizza, which was a deep dish double ham and mushroom pizza, which came with a little bit of salad.  R had his thin crust pizza with mushrooms and onions. 

Cute guy at breakfast!

The only problem was that R did not bring the camera [mea culpa – R], so we were not able to record our meal…it happens occasionally!  Suffice it to say that both pizzas were good, and we were back to the hotel about 9:30 p.m. 

Up this morning at the usual time (6-ish) and our breakfast was delivered promptly at 8 a.m.  Very nice – a good croissant and two hard rolls with cheese, butter, jam, yogurt, cereal, orange juice, hot chocolate (for me),  coffee (for R) and applesauce.  Rather an eclectic mix, I thought, but everything tasted good!  As it was scheduled to be up into the 90’s today, we were both into our shorts and tennis shoes.  Robert worked a bit until about 9 a.m. when we took off for Arras and the Wellington Quarry.

We enjoyed the fun freeway art!

We arrived just on 10 a.m. and were booked into an English tour at 10:30. 

Like the hat?  Required wear ...

I think R looks good in hats!

Simply put, it was an excellent tour of an amazing place.  We had found out just a few years ago that during WWI, tunnels that had been dug into the chalk at Arras were expanded and then used to set up a surprise attack on German forces in April, 1917.  Engineers from New Zealand excavated and all told, dug something like 12 miles of tunnels in and around Arras.  Then, 23,000 – and I mean 23 Thousand! men moved into the caves for eight days, until their early morning surprise attack.  Seriously, however do you hide 23,000 people???  And for eight DAYS?   Fortunately, for once, Robert was allowed to take photographs, and they came out really, really well. 

Sleeping area ... for 23,000?

Hope you can see the girl penciled on the stone

No, not cave painters -- but certainly another mammoth!

Arras sits on the same kind of chalky limestone that is under Reims and Eperney, where all the wine cellars are located.  Initially, from the middle ages through the 19^th century, the limestone had been quarried here for building materials, and then abandoned and totally forgotten – until WWI. 

First tunnels we came to

For signage, they painted on the walls

Cross carved by a soldier for his lost mates

Some old tins found in the tunnels

The Kiwis (or “lemons queezers” as they were called, based on the shape of their hats) used the tunnels that they found but had to find room for 23,000 to sleep, eat and bathe (!) underground – and all without the Germans catching on.  It was really an incredible operation, and the presentation that was provided was fantastic.  There were about 9 people on our tour, and everyone had their own head set.  In addition, every 10 or so feet there were explanations done via film and photographs, including poetry readings and military reports.  Very well done, and extremely poignant.  When the men finally got the order to go “over the top” out they popped from Exit 10 and other places.  (Oh yes – the caves were also used during WWII when the people from Arras were trying to get out of the way of the incoming Germans.)  All of the markings in black were from WWI, and all of the markings in red were from WWII.  We were also shown some very poignant moments – a cross carved into the wall as a memorial to a soldier’s dead comrades; a drawing of a girl done in pencil and now over 100 years old; various cans and jars and bottles left over from the WWI days that the troops spent in the quarry.  What an amazing and incredible story; I was moved to tears.  Something on the order of 4,000 men per day were killed during the battle of Arras … Talk about needless slaughter.

"Shower" area

Exit 10 -- Over the top

From Arras, we decided to head to the main square in town to have lunch.  Looking at the Grand Square now, 100 years later, it’s really hard to imagine that over 80% of the entire city of Arras was destroyed. 

These cobbles are nasty to walk on!

The population decided that they wanted to rebuild the square with all of the same frontal designs as the buildings they had lost, and the city is quite impressive.   

R and his "Leffe" beer

R's sausage with mustard sauce

My Mediterranean salad

We found a brasserie that looked interesting, but honestly, the food wasn’t as good as the menu described!  R had andouille sausage with a fabulous mustard sauce and fries, but it wasn’t spicy enough for him.  He also had a glass of a dark Leffe beer which he enjoyed very much.  I had their new Mediterranean salad – good greens with tomatoes and cheese and what was supposed to be bacon … not sure what it was, but it was terribly fatty, so I basically moved it aside and ate around it.  Out about 1:15 p.m. for a walk around the square.  Very, very hot today; probably in the high 80’s. 

Arras rebuilt town hall

Arras' rebuilt grand place

From Arras, we headed to view the ruins of an abandoned abbey, Mont-St.-Eloi.  As it turns out, this wasn’t destroyed in WWI, because it had already been torn apart during the French Revolution in the 1700’s. 

Long destroyed abbey

It did, however, lose a few more bricks when it was again bombarded so that it could not be used as a German look-out point.

Our last WWI stop today was just a few kilometers away at Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, with the ruins of Notre Dame de Lorette.  The church was actually destroyed by the French to keep it out of the hands of the Germans, and is right in the middle of the town.  The church was later rebuilt as part of the largest WWI French cemetery in the country. 

Devastated Notre Dame de Lorette

Right in the middle of town

It is very sobering to even think about having to fight a war in this beautiful country, let alone have to make decisions to destroy things to keep them out of the hands of the enemy.  All in all, a thoughtful day.

Back into the car and headed to Arras; more than enough to think about for one day, and the weather is looking interesting!  Since we’ve been back in the hotel, we have had thunder and lightning and periods of really wonderful rain!  It’s supposed to continue for most of the evening.  Wonder what we’ll do about dinner?! 

Lots of love; more later!

m

xxx