Verdun

Verdun’s story has been told by many and much more eloquently than I could ever attempt. If you don’t know it then you should find out. If you have the chance to visit then you should.

Unlike most fields of battle the ‘Red Zone’ above the city has not been ploughed up and returned to smooth farmland. Almost one hundred years has passed and although the ground has now been reclaimed by forest and grass, it still clearly shows the utter devastation caused by the millions of wartime shells. The zone includes a number of 'villages detruit' - destroyed villages. They have never been rebuilt except that each now has a church. There are no inhabitants but each village has a mayor.

85% of the city of Verdun was also destroyed but it was meticulously restored over a ten year period after the war.

From the top of the Ossiary at Douamont, Verdun. The remains of over 130 000 unidentified soldiers lie here.

We spent 5 days in Verdun as there was much to see and reflect upon.

Underground at Fort Douamont. The audio worked here.

Fort de Vaux

From the roof of Fort de Vaux- scene of a heroic French defence

Memorial to the last messenger pigeon - Fort de Vaux

We also saw yet another sound and light ‘spectacle’. This one was From Flames to the Light and was held in a quarry a few miles outside Verdun. We had bought our tickets a few days earlier in St Mihiel thinking that there would be some transport from Verdun. There wasn’t. ‘It’s not too far,’ said the lock keeper. It was. ‘You can cycle.’ Not with my knee. Fortunately, we met up with some Brits on another boat who had a car and were also going and very kindly gave us a lift. Even a taxi would have been virtually impossible as there were what seemed like thousands there, all in cars and only one road in and out. We would have got there all right but getting back to the boat after midnight would have been impossible. The show was excellent apart from the audio translators we were given not working (yet again. we don't have much luck with these).

Verdun Port

The port at Verdun is very popular - not least because it is free, is in the centre of the city and doesn't charge for electricity or water. Often it is double banked on both sides of the river and each morning there is musical boats as some people leave and others jostle for the best spots.

Anyone can go cruising! Verdun

One way to move house. This young man is on his way to Lyons with all his possessions

It can be fairly lively here at night as well. We didn't particularly appreciate the Macarena (in French) from 2 til 3am outside a bar on the quayside opposite...