There are many reasons to travel; sometimes it is the little things that make one wonder or marvel.
Moving along France’s autoroute, the A4, in particular, we noticed pastel-colored spheres, cubes, and pyramids, as well as flat panels. They appeared at intervals, singular, or in groups, on both sides of the highway, and if there was a pattern, it escaped me. It turns out this is a piece of art by Guy de Rougemont, that serves the dual purpose of keeping drivers focused on a somewhat mundane road.
In the same area outside of Verdun on a state highway, RD1916 (to remember the year), were a series of markers, with the phrase Voie Sacrée, or Sacred Way, to document the path that took troops and supplies to the Verdun battlefield. Notice the WWI helmet atop the stone post.
After visiting the museum in Meaux, France, we used a paper map to try to find important points in the Battle of the Marne. The first one was a house that became the command post of General de Lamaze, commander of the 5th Group of French Reserve Divisions. In the photo there was a horse in the front yard. After some twists and turns, we found the house but no animals. Mike parked and popped out to capture a photo. As he returned to the car, I looked up and there trotted the horse, moving to almost the same position as the photograph.
Walking to the Last Post Ceremony in Ypres, Belgium, we came upon electric banners that weren’t yet lit but were ready to wish everyone a “Happy Halloween.” One that was ready to go was a large black cat. It seems incongruous to me that these pop culture symbols coexist with the medieval and renaissance influence of the reconstructed war-torn buildings.
We stayed one night in the town known as the “Venice of Belgium,” Bruges. I found the area to be unique in its own rights, as a quirky old city with no particular order to their narrow streets. One could spend the time just strolling and enjoying a Belgian Waffle or a piece of candy from one of the many shops selling chocolate.
And finally, when will the U.S. get plastic bottles with caps that remain on the bottle?
