One of our last days in Paris, Connor and I were on our own. We started at the seine River, stopping at the green boxes along the Seine River, the bouquinestes of Paris.
Walking away from the river, we came across this Roman Catholic church – Eglise Saint-Sulpice
This Roman Catholic church is the third largest in the city and the current building is the second on this site. The original Romanesque building was constructed in the 13th century.
The 2003 novel The Da Vinci code was an international bestseller that brought large crowds of tourists to Saint-Sulpice. Permission was requested in 2005 to film inside for the film of the same name………the archdiocese of Paris refused.
The church has a longstanding history of talented organists which helped to preserve and maintain to preserve this instrument in its original state.
Outside its doors is the Fontaine Saint-Sulpice constructed between 1843-1848.
It was originally criticized as being too big and hid the entrance to the church. Regardless, it’s a meeting place for those in the surrounding area.
But truly, we had a destination in mind and only stumbled upon Saint-Sulpice. Our goal was Jardin du Luxembourg.
In 1611, Marie de Medici decided to build a palace and park in the style she grew up with in her native Florence.
In 1620 the Medici Fountain was built and was neglected by later monarchs for a period of time. During the reconstruction time of Louis Boneparte in 1865 the fountain was restored and moved to its present location with the long basin added at that time.
But undoubtedly the hive of activity centers around the Grand Bassin.
For a mere 6 euro, the kids have a fun activity, and the parents can watch them.
Leaving the garden, we came upon the Fountain de L’Observatoire. The four women holding the sphere are representative of the four parts of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa and America.
It was nice seeing parts of Paris that had not previously been visited – thanks Connor.
Looking back on vacations, there are many memories that are made. Let me tell you………Darden memories usually center around food. Here are two more restaurants that we visited during our time in Paris.
Cafe Montparnasse
Beautiful Parisian brasserie in the heart of the Montparnasse district. They feature seasonal cuisine and a rigorous curated wine selection.
We had walked past this food stop several times, but one evening it was our destination. We had two appetizers – frites and foie gras. Most of my attention was directed towards the frites.
Our selections were varied: burger & frites (mine!)& vegetable lasagna.
Local seafood & Cesear salad w/ chicken
Aways remember to finish the meal with desserts – usually shared. 🙂
Le Petit Sommelier
Described as a place that is the alliance of a traditional Paris bistro and a restaurant that lives in the zeitgeist. Huh?
Zeitgeist = spirit of the time.
It is a family French bistro with a real sense of hospitality, fast service, table runners and white tablecloths. Their wine list displays 750 labels.
Lots of sharing plates in the beginning: No. 3 oysters, county pate’, eggs mayonnaise and grilled octopus a la plancha.
Oh yea, can’t forget the frog legs fricassea…….
Their specialty was Boeuf Bourguignon which had a strong presence at our table. Marinated 24 hours in red wine, onion and bacon. It was delicious!
And yes……………..we had to finish the meal with desserts.
Except for Eric. He finished his meal with a digestive. The large bottles seemed to be part of the decor so Eric inquired. Nope, it was available. Not my way to end a meal – just saying.
Time to get my remaining posts completed! Okay, so it’s waaaay past time to get them posted. Work just keeps geings in the way. But I digress…………..
The Eiffel Tower
Built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
Two years, two months and five days and the construction was complete – considered a veritable technical and architectural achievement.
As France’s symbol and the showcase of Paris it welcomes almost 7million visitors a year, making it the most visited monument you have to pay for in the world. There were four less visitors to Paris that did not pay, but of course we walked near and around it for a few photos.
Only intended to last 20 years, Eiffel encouraged experiments an example being radio transmissions which was followed by telecommunications.
Yep, we found locks. No longer on the Pont des Art bridge, tourists have found other places and there were plenty of vendors looking to sell people locks. The tradition or ritual goes like this…………….couples inscribe their names or initials on the padlock, lock it on the bridge and throw the keys into the river. The ritual symbolizes love locked forever.
Arc de Triomphe
It was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon at the peak of his fortunes and favors Roman structures. Construction was halted and started several times before its completion 30 years later.
The Arc de Triomphe became the rallying point of the French troops after completing successful military campaigns. It was the largest arch until 1922 when another Arch de Triumph was built in North Korea.
The Arc de Triomphe sits at the center of a ‘star’ due to the meeting point of twelve straight streets.
Each pillar represents important French battles and victories. 660 names are inscribed on the Arc de Trioumph.
284 stairs leads you to the top of the Arc and some wonderful views of Paris and yes, another view of the Eiffel Tower.
My attempt at a more ‘artistic’ black & white photo.
The opposite view gives you a view of another monument…….. Grande Arch de la Defense, designed in 1982 and completed in 1989. A much more modern square arch, built as a monument to humanity and humanitarian ideas.
Going up also means you must go down, another 284 steps.
At the bottom lies the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI interred on Armistice Day in 1920. An internal flame burns in front of the tomb to symbolize France’s undying appreciation for him and the French troops that lost their lives. The flame is rekindled daily at 6:30pm.
One last photo before the next Paris icon.
Place de la Concorde
It is one of the major public squares Paris and the largest in the French capital. It was the site of many notable executions. At the center is the Luxur Obelisk, a gift from the Egyptian government in the 19th century.
Turn around 180 degrees and you can see another view of the Arc de Triomphe.
Turn around 180 degrees again and now you’re at the Tuileries Gardin gate.
Jardin des Tuileries
Opened to the public in 1667 it became a public park after the French Revolution. It has been a place where Parisians celebrate, meet, stroll and relax. The gardens were blooming with iris (and other flowers) during our visit.
Water basins and statues add to the charm of the gardens.
Adjacent to Tuileries Garden is the Louvre.
The Louvre
Okay, let’s be honest……………………….this is the closest we got – a photo of the pyramid.
A few quick shots before continuing on our Paris adventures.
Maybe, just maybe some day we will visit the museum.
There’s a few more posts before we leave the European continent that I still need to write. I’ll leave you with a shot that Adrienne captured during one of her early morning runs.
Twelves miles west of Paris, lies one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world with 15M+ visitors annually. In 1623, Louis XIII, King of France, built a hunting lodge on a hill in a favorite hunting ground. His son, Louis XIV transformed and extended the buildings when he installed the Court and Government in 1682. A succession of Kings continued to embellish the Palace up until the French Revolution. Today, the Palace contains over 2300+ rooms. There will be a few more historical nuggets further along in this post, but let’s get there!
It’s not just a stop on the Metro, but requires getting a separate train ticket to the city of Versailles.
Before going inside the Versailles gates, we had one business to attend to – breakfast! Just past the Palace, we found a small bistro that fit our needs, but…………….not before walking past this. Ironically, my photo always catches the back part of an animal.
Regardless, we found our spot and grabbed a variety of breakfast options between all of us. Adrienne loved her salmon salad.
Two statues are at the gates of Versailles, one of which is Louis XIV (on the right).
The gates are golden in honor of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
Connor and I were able to grab a shot while the other two were wandering around.
We eventually all connected up in time for our tour.
Tour? Did I mention we booked a tour? Why, yes. A number of years ago was when we first found out about an English-speaking tour – which allowed you to skip the long line – we jumped at the chance. For an additional 10 euro, after you purchased an entrance ticket, you skipped the (loooooong) entrance line, went through another security checkpoint (BTW – they stopped school groups and let us go first) AND got access to parts of Versailles that was not available, except with a tour guide. Sign us up! Which we did prior to arriving. 🙂
One of the first ‘special’ things we saw was this last remnant of this being a hunting lodge. It’s located within an inner courtyard.
The elegance, the details and the opulence of everything we saw was almost beyond comprehension.
And then you come across a multitude of paintings.
One of the rooms held porcelain pieces from the various centuries and various Kings.
While I’ve seen this a number of other places, always love the doors that are hidden and part of the wall. We had come through the doorway on the left.
A lot of the furniture and furnishings were auctioned off, destroyed, carted away and no doubt sitting in private homes after the French Revolution. The foundation have actively sought out original furnishings, spending a great deal of euros to bring it back. Below was a desk used by Louis XIV.
One amazing thing we saw was the recently refurbished Opera House. This was definitely one of those ‘wow’ moments when you walked into the room.
Inaugurated in 1770 during the reign of Louis XV, it was at the time the largest concert hall in Europe. It hosted celebrations, shows and parliamentary debates.
It was an amazing room. Although it survived the French Revolutions (however, everything was stripped), it was nearly in ruins at the end of the Second World War.
I tried to get us all in one photo, but alas, it was impossible.
It was at this point we left the tour and joined the masses as they walked through the reminder of Versailles. Our last destination…….the Hall of Mirrors, the most famous room in the Palace.
The length of the Hall of Mirrors pays tribute to the political, economic and artistic success of France. 357 mirrors bedeck the 17 arches opposite the windows, demonstrating the French could rival the Venetian monopoly on mirror manufacturing.
It was here the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 ending the First World. We finished the tour and headed back to Paris.
But wait – what about the gardens and fountains? Here’s a quick photo.
I’ll let you pick the reason we didn’t walk through them.
~we were ready to head back to Paris.
~we had already put in a number of steps and didn’t want more.
~our pre-purchased tickets didn’t include the gardens.
If I’m entirely truthful, it’s a little bit of all of those, but mostly the last one. 😦
There are many neighborhoods of Paris, but our food tour was in Montmartre historically known for its artist conclaves and the white-domed Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur on its summit. Montmartre remained outside of the city limits of Paris until 1860 when it was annexed to the city along with other communities surrounding Paris. At that time, it became part of the 18th arrondissement.
Our tour guide (also chef and restauranteur), PJ, grew up in the neighborhood and now leads small group tours through the local shops and markets of the area, diving into growing, harvesting and market details so afterwards we could all ‘shop like a Parisian’. As you might guess seeing the photo below, he is quite a character and yes, he knows everyone.
We met at the top of the stairs at a specific metro stop and got a short history lesson of the area and where we would be walking. First stop, a boulangerie for a cafe and pastry.
The baker was considered a maitre artisan – or master of her art.
Next stop was cheese or fromage.
Sooooooooooo many to choose from. On the signs listing the price is a picture of the animal from where the cheese originated from. This way no question if it was a goat cheese, sheep or cow milk that made this final product.
What is cheese without wine – a boring meal indeed. Walking across the street was this wine shop.
PJ mentioned there were traditional wines here, but also, the younger generation were not afraid to do things differently when growing their wines or designing their labels.
One of our last stops before heading to PJs restaurant was the boucherie. Eric was in heaven. He could have stayed in the shop 1+ hours salivating over all of the meats presented.
This was another shop where he pointed out specific signage – which is a sign of distinction for this butcher shop.
Another point of conversaiton was the info that is posted within the shop. The French are fanatical about the origin of their products. This info was posted inside the boucherie, basically listing their pedigree. If there are any problems, they can trace exactly where the meat was grown, down to the farmer.
>spoiler alert – Karen, skip past the photo below<
It was obvious that PJ has a sense of pride about his neighborhood. He would stop and point out restaurants or shops along our path and share stories of the family that own those establishments.
Our group trooped into his restaurant (only open evenings) and our food education continued.
There were a few tables and bench seating when you first walked in and some individual tables on the second floor. I was able to grab a quick photo in-between our courses.
Wine and bread was quickly shared before our first course arrived – escargot. Okay I’ll admit, first time I have eaten them – not bad at all. In fact, there have been a few repeats of escargot since this meal. He showed the group how to remove the snails from the shells AND one of the best parts……….dip your bread into the juices left over from the pesto butter.
Our main course arrived, beef bourguignon and potatoes – so so tender and delicious! Another decadent broth to dip your bread into. 🙂
Our final course was the cheese course from some of the ones we picked up earlier during our walk. Can I say……….that’s one of the things I miss the most, the cheeses.
Afterwards we ambled outside for a little bit of bubbly.
A short walk down the street and we found dessert.
Little puffs of goodness.
Add in the champagne and it was a magical experience.
There was one last shop (sorry no photo) which included your choice of a chocolate (multiple types and ingredients) along with one macaron (again, multiple flavors).
It was a pleasant way to spend a day in Paris, exploring the Montmartre district. After the group dispersed, we stopped back at a number of the locations and picked up items, making our own chacuterie board.
But of course – would anyone expect any less when visiting Paris? Our meals are selected as caefully as the sites we visit and very intentional. A lot of planning and on-line research is done before we got on the airplane for the flight overseas. For this visit, one location was planned, the other was not. But let me stop the talking and get to the experiences.
Always listen to your AirBNB host! We have never gone wrong when we ask our host to recommend a local restaurant nearby and this recommendation did not disappoint. After checking into our rental, first order of business was dinner at……………………..
le Relais de l’Entrecote
The menu was created in 1959 in a brasserie and was a single course menu. What? Let’s just say it is so popular, there are three locations in Paris and two in Switzerland. Our host suggested we get there early, otherwise there could be a long wait. We were lucky the evening we visited.
Think about it. Do one thing and do it well. Ordering is easy. You’re asked for your beverage of choice and how you would like your meat cooked.
Bread and salad arrived promptly. Walnuts are part of their salad and add a nice crunch.
And then the main course arrives……………….tender sirloin steak with its ‘famous’ sauce and frites.
While theirs’s no recipe for their sauce, searching the internet, I came up with these ingredients: cream, tarragon, Dijon mustard and lots of butter. Yep, that nailed it.
What else is important? More is brought to the table when your plate is empty- without asking. The meat already arrived, and our waitress was dropping off more frites – delicious.
There was one major decision that evening – dessert! We each ordered something different and had the opportunity to try a variety of things – YUM.
Add in an Irish coffee and cordial and dinner was complete.
This was definitely a nice way to start our time in Paris.
Our planned meal with reservations made before leaving the states was at……..
le Train Bleu
This was to be our anniversary (29 years!) meal since our date was during this trip, actually on May 14. We (Eric and I) had eaten here before and it’s not only about the food but the experience.
The location shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s in one of the train stations, steeped in history and has a distinctive and unique atmosphere. Gare = French for train and the blue line goes to Lyon. There you have it. 🙂
It has old world elegance. I found this photo on their website. Mine had a hundred people in it.
It offers travelers and Parisians a moment frozen in time, an experience that feels like the beginning of a fabulous journey of discovery. Each room is themed to represent cities and regions of France. At one end of the location is a bar for those needing a quicker meal.
Enough about the restaurant, let’s talk about the food and wine. Before our selecitons arrived, an amuse bouche was set in front of us. Not exactly sure what it was, but it tasted ‘green’ – if green had a flavor.
Appetizers were pate de campagna, foie gras and langoustine carpaccio.
Connor ordered beef tartare.
It was one of two items ordered that was prepared table-side. I was able to get a video of most of the preparation.
I had the a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e best rabbit ballentine with a mustard cream sauce:
Adrienne totally enjoyed her sesame encrusted salmon sashimi:
Eric ordered roast leg of lamb, carved table-side.
There were several accompaniments to our meals.
But then came desserts……………………Eric choose a hazelnut souffle with lemon ice cream and I had a citrus & melon delight.
Connor had been enjoying coffee gourmand which had a number of mini-desserts accompanying a cup of coffee.
Adrienne ordered the rhum baba. It looks innocent enough until the rhum is poured and poured.
We all enjoyed our selections, the meal, the ambience and the company.
While this may not be a stop for every trip, it is definitely a special place for a special French meal.
The Sainte Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style within the medieval Palace de le Cite, the residence of the Kings until the 14th century, on the River Seine. It is one of the very visible remains of the oldest palace of the Kings of France. No, that is not my photo above. I took a shot of an informational sign, describing ongoing refurbishment. The remaining shots are my photos.
The chapel was built between 1242 – 1248 to house the relics of the Passion of Christ purchased by Louis IX. The most notable being Christ’s Crown Of Thorns – one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom. It was later moved to Notre Dame until the 2019 fire, which it survived.
The 30 odd relics purchased by Louis IX increased the prestige of France and Paris in the eyes of medieval Europe. It also has one of the most extensive 13th century-stained glass collections than anywhere in the world. More on that later.
There are two sanctuaries, one on top of another. The upper level, where the relics were kept, was reserved exclusively for the royal family and their guests. The lower level was for courtiers, servants and soldiers of the palace. The lower chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and her sculpture is at the portal.
The original stained glass in the lower chapel was destroyed by a flood in 1690 and replaced by colorless glass. The present glass was part of the 19th century restoration and has scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The statue in the lower chapel…..Louie IX.
There was a small rosette in the back of the lower chapel.
The upper chapel is reached by narrow stairwells in the corner towers. Below gives you an example of the details along the walls – still in the lower chapel – as you go up the staircase.
There is no other word but W.O.W. This was literally my first step inside the upper chapel from the stairwell. It takes your breath away.
1113 scenes are depicted in 15 stained glass windows, telling the story of mankind, Genesis through Christ’s resurrection.
The alcove below would have housed the reliquary. Sainte-Chapelle, both as a symbol of religion and royalty was a prime target for vandalism during the French Revolution. The vessels holding the relics were taken apart and melted down for their jewels and precious metals. Sculptures and royal emblems on the outside were smashed. The spire was pulled down. Some of the stained-glass windows were broken or dispersed, but nearly 2/3 of the glass today is original.
There are 16 statues of the apostles which date about to 1240.
The rose window at the back of the chapel was made in the late 15th century in the ‘flamboyant’ gothic style. It is composed of 89 separate panels representing the scenes of the Apocalypse.
Even the paintings along the wall had been restored for the most part, going back to royal books in the library to check for style, remaining faithful to the colors and techniques of the 13th century.
So many people are looking up, most don’t even notice the stone floor and its design.
Before leaving, was able to catch a shot of the four of us in the upper chapel – without all the others in the room, not an easy feat. 🙂
Now, I’ve got to be honest……………we headed down these stairs and I was expecting to see more.
What? Yep, I was expecting more and for a while was disappointed in our visit. We had been to soooooooo many French cathedrals (Reims, Amiens, Bayeux and Notre Dame to name a few) that after going down, I thought we would be seeing the ‘rest’ of the cathedral. Obviously, I had not done my homework prior to our visit, it was after all a ‘chapel’.
Searching the internet before writing this post definitely gave me a different perspective. Next time…….note to self…….need to do my research beforehand.
This was a most amazing spot to visit within the city of Paris.
Along a quiet unassuming street this doorway marks the entrance of one of Paris’ largest private cemeteries. There are not a lot of visitors and truthfully it was only Eric’s interest that sparked this quest. But because so few visitors know about it, we had the place all to ourselves.
It is a family cemetery for members of the highest French aristocracy of which everyone is interrelated.
For a modest fee, entrance is gained and the first thing seen is The Chapel of Our Lady of Peace.
The walls inside are inscribed with those that are buried on this land.
Past the chapel is an alley of trees, leading to the cemetery.
During the Revolutionary Tribunal a quick but relatively anonymous way to dispose of the bodies was needed. This spot was a five-minute walk from the guillotine set-up. The individuals beheaded were brought to this area under cover of night. Bodies and heads were thrown in after their clothes removed – the clothes being the compensation of the workmen. Two of the three fosse (pit or trench) were filled before the reign of terror was finally stopped. Fosse No1 is further back.
A young commoner followed the cart filled with bodies to know the location where her father and brother were buried and was thus able to help others. The aristocrats formed a group to secretly buy the land, create a memorial and the final resting place for their loved ones – which is managed by a nunnery. The cemetery is walled off and near where the pits were dug.
Descendents of the 1306 victims are eligible to be buried here. We found a headstone dated 2022.
Lafayette is considered a national hero in both the U.S. and France. Lafayette died in 1834 from pneumonia. His wife’ sister, mother and grandmother were beheaded and therefore they were eligible to be included. In the corner of the cemetery is Lafayette’s tomb. It is visited regularly by Americans. When the Germans occupied Paris in WWII, they never entered and an American flag continued to be flown over his grave. The flag is renewed yearly on July 4th.
The soil surrounding his grave is from the Battle of Bunker Hill, therefore he is buried in American soil. Lafayette was a key figure in US history and Geroge Washington treated him like a son. There is so much more to that story that everyone should google and read.
At the back of the lot was how the cart came to drop off the bodies, here is one of the portals that was kept.
I mentioned this is a working nunnery. There are some chickens running around, roses have been planted throughout the property and in one corner I found some beehives. The brown chicken was expecting me to feed her and kept following me around.
Inside the walls the chirping birds blocked out all of the daily work noise surrounding this area. There was a peaceful calm about the place that was needed after the atrocities that occured in the past.
Ginny
I took waaaaaay to many photos of the roses, but they were blooming spectacularly.
After spending time along the northern French coast, we headed south to Paris – turned in the rental car and got a taxi to our AirBNB. It is in the Montparnasse district, which has been part of Paris since 1669 and is split between the 6th, 14th and 15th arrondissements of the city.
Our AirBNB was located on the fifth floor………and had an elevator, thank goodness. It had a teeny tiny balcony, just deep enough for a chair and a few plants.
A bedroom for each of us, two bathrooms, a sitting area, dining area and kitchen. Check, check and check.
Walking through neighborhoods we discovered more of the green cast-iron water fountains donated by Englishman Sir Richard Wallace. He loved Paris and in 1872 used his own money to provide the people of Paris with drinking water. Hard to capture the water dripping from my photo – but it is there.
Walking the streets, you never know when youre going to come across a street market like this one. LOVE the fresh produce, fresh seafood and fresh flowers.
Imagine………one stall dedicated to cheese (1st row, middle photo), a stall dedicated to potatoes (second row 1st photo), a stall dedicated to mushrooms (second row, middle photo), stalls dedicated to seafood (bottom row, BTW super fresh!) and of course my favorite, stalls dedicated to flowers.
During our visit, my favorite flower was in bloom – peonies – and available for purchase in the markets.
Getting our metro pass gave us a wider range of neighborhoods. Sometimes it takes more than one set of eyes to figure out the purchase………………….
Walking along the Seine is a favorite pastime, while also giving me a chance for a bit of shopping in the bouquinistes – which you can just barely see the green boxes ahead of them. Yep, they have no idea a photo was taken.
The bouquinistes, or used booksellers was a part of the second-hand book tradition begun around the 16th century. Now declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, over 240 bouquinistes make use of 900 of these green boxes to house some 300,000 old books and a number of other paper items. Rules and a waiting list (as long as 8 years) dictates minimums days of operation (4) and upkeep. Couldn’t resist this snapshot. And yes, the items are kept inside the boxes and secured overnight. Hence, most items are wrapped individually in plastic.
Artwork abounds along most of our walks, usually unnoticed by most. Captured a few things that caught my eye.
Always loved fountains and found this park during one of our walks.
I got the group to walk through the nearby park and guess what? Found another fountain 🙂
Cute sign………………..unfortunately always needed as a reminder.
While my ‘insect house’ is much, much smaller………….one day I’m going to have something similar to this. Eric?
More to come. Up next, our visits to the traditional Paris ‘tourist’ sites.
Ginny
P.S. – got to throw in a few flowers I found in this park.
Our godson Connor was interested in WWI so we easily included a number of stops as we explored the northern coast of France. I was not as familiar with some of the details I’ve described in my previous posts (along with this post) concerning WWI but I’m glad we made all of these stops. I’m by no means an expert, but the sacrifices made for WWI were great and we were able to honor those during our visit.
Thiepval Memorial
This is a war memorial to the 72,337 missing British and South African servicemen who died in the Battle of the Somme in the first WW between 1915 – 1918 with no known grave. It has been described as “the greatest executed British work of monumental architecture of the 20th century”.
It dominates the rural scene and has 16 laurel wreaths inscribed with the names of the sub-battles that made up the Battle of the Somme and subsequent actions.
It is the largest of the Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing in the world. As seen in several of my photos, it is in a rural area, overlooking a valley. Parking is below and there is a wooded, peaceful walk to the memorial, not truly seen in it’s splendor until the trees part. This memorial is huge and awe inspiring.
Just reading about the architecture and the symbolism was amazing to me. Way more information that I could include. Check it out!
An Anglo-French cemetery containing 300 British Commonwealth and 300 French graves lies at the foot of the memorial – most are unknown.
The Cross of Sacrifice bears an inscription.
Oise-Aisne American Cemetery
This is the second of eight WWI military cemeteries on foreign soil and actually was the second visit for Eric and me. We happened upon it a number of years ago as we were driving through the countryside heading towards Paris.
It contains the graves of 6012 American soldiers who died while fighting in this vicinity, of which approx. 10% were not identified. Interestingly enough, we talked with the serviceman in charge and remains in the area were found recently and identified. Arrangements are being organized for a full military burial later this year into this cemetery.
At either end of the brick memorial are small rooms containing a chapel and museum. All 48 states (at the time) and the District of Columbia are represented here on the crosses. Here are a few shots from inside the chapel room.
Again, a lot of symbolism. The 10 double columns along the back of the center brick monument are inscribed with the Division numbers who fought in this sector. The sides are engraved with images of contemporary images such as gas masks and artillery shells. Inscribed on the center block of the monument:
Searching for info to include in the post, I came across something that is not generally talked: Plot E. This is a graveyard for dishonorably discharged and executed sesrvicean for crimes committed during WWII. One American soldier was executed for desertion during WWII and was buried there until 1987. Plot E is separate from the main cemetery, secluded by hedges and only accessible through a door from the superintendent’s office.
Aisne-Marne American Cemetery
The US entered WWI in April 1017. The Allies and Germans doubted the fighting capability of this young nation. The Germans sought to win the war in the Spring of 1918, before US units became operational. Germans fought through the French line, reaching the Marne River. US forces were requested and blocked the Germans on the North bank of the Marne. In June the Marines led a charge to clear out the German units, with the battle lasting 20 days. Another attempt by the Germans Mid-July was blocked by the Marines. These actions solidified the fighting capability of the US.
Within this cemetery, there are 2289 graves plus 1060 commemorated.
The cemetery itself is laid out in the form of a capital T, with the memorial chapel crowning the T shape. The memorial chapel is built over the site of the front-line battle trenches.
There are so many details in all of these chapels. There’s no way to see everything on one visit.
Chateau-Thierry American Monument
This monument is situated on a hillside and commands a wide view of the valley of the River Marne. It commemorates the achievements of the United States Forces that fought in the region during WWI.
This is the only place I can say it was more of a ‘drive-by’. Only two of us got out of the car and this is my only photo. The two sculptured figures seen above represent the United States and France. The inscription reads:
This monument has been erected by the United States of America to commemorate the services of her troops and those of France who fought in the region during the World War. It stands as a lasting symbol of the friendship and cooperations between the French and American Armies.
It wasn’t until I started listing all of the places we visited I truly realized we accomplished a lot in our short time. Without Connor, I’m not sure we would have seen these places – and I thank him for that.
Darden Travels 