The Commonwealth Commission on War Graves cares for numerous sites. The Thiepval Memorial remembers over 72,000 soldiers who died, but whose graves are unknown. During the first day of the battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916, more than 57,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing, the worst single day in British military history. …
Continue reading 182. Memorial Day in France: Remembering the Others
Since it is Memorial Day, I want to look back at some of the French memorials that I’ve seen. However, I want to preface my comments about a remembrance tendency. Similar to all empires and countries, France has its shares of monuments to the great general or the great political leader. The “Great Man” theory …
Sunday in Strasbourg. Pentecost Sunday in Strasbourg. I’m off to the Cathedral for the 9:30 AM Mass. The Cathedral is a skyscraper amidst three or four story buildings. With the tallest tower in Europe from 1647-1874, this gothic Cathedral is distinctive. It is certainly not hard to find. Since I’m early, I walk to the …
Continue reading 180. Being Blessed: At Strasbourg on Pentecost Sunday
Patience emerges as a trait worth valuing. “Patience Grasshopper.” I’m not going to get to my night’s lodging quickly. I realize that, at my pace, I’ll be there in four or five hours. If I hurry, who knows what might happen. I might twist an ankle. “Darn, I didn’t see that uneven part of the …
A Sense of Humor Water. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Safety. My desires are pretty consistent. My desires are simple. My desires are expandable. My desires can include a scorecard. “Wow, that baguette sandwich is great.”Hmmm, that dinner is way overpriced (and I haven’t gotten to Switzerland).” Water. I try to keep my water bladder fairly full. …
I enter my room for the night. Some people look at the bed-size. Others look for bathroom towels. I look for electrical sockets. I do this every time I check into a room. Every time. Outlet I have my iPhone, my Iwatch, my iPad, my Garmin, my battery pack, and my Nikon camera battery to …
I just withdrew 300 Euros from an ATM machine. I’m pretty confident that I’ll have enough cash for more than the next week. Given the uncertainty of ATM’s in village France, I want to be prepared. My transaction is cold and efficient. I don’t need the ATM to say “Good evening Monsieur, how can I …
Rest Day in Langres! Whoohoo! What, oh what, should I do? I sleep. Since I went to sleep last night at 7PM, I’m awake and fixing breakfast at 6 AM. I make myself an omelette; I have a cup of local strawberry yogurt; and, of course, a croissant and coffee. Since I’ve been longing for …
I don’t know what day of the week it is; I have no idea of the date of the month. Those are truisms of slow, long-distance walking. I know that time is changing, besides the obvious changes from the sunrise at 6:00AM and sunset at 9:00 PM, there is the obvious temperature changes which lets …
Walking. So many styles. So many purposes. Although during this past month and almost five hundred miles, I have met only four Via Francigena hikers, Ross, Alison, Kim, and Esther, I have seen all sorts of other walkers. I’ve seen several speed walkers. In Reims on the Victory in Europe holiday, they were out in …
