Hiatus

Greetings from Paris.

We will be traveling for the next few weeks.  As a result, the blog will be on hiatus.

Please check back here in a few weeks when Year 4, our adventure in Paris, resumes.

In the meantime, we wish everyone health, happiness and safe travels.  

Jean-Claude and Marie-Chantal

Traveling in France #3

We recently traveled south from Paris to Vichy to visit good friends Jean-Charles and Eliane.  They are gracious hosts and we had a wonderful time.

Eliane and Jean-Charles

The time in Vichy was packed with activities and wonderful meals.  Future blog posts will provide an in-depth look.  For now, here is a taste of Vichy.

Vichy is a spa town known for its curative water.  Below is one of the sources where you can drink the water. 

During the mid-1800's, the French Emperor, Napoleon III, visited Vichy and the town experienced a boom.  Vichy's golden age is celebrated annually and we visited Vichy during the celebration. 

The celebration was well-attended, including many people dressed in period clothing.  Plus, we heard wonderful music from the period, mostly Offenbach.

We enjoyed some fantastic food in Vichy.  Our meals were lovingly prepared by Eliane, who is a superb chef.  Here is a sample.

Vichy is also known for something else.  Because Vichy is a spa town, it has many hotels.  So, it was selected as the seat of the French government during the German Occupation, 1940-1944, during WWII.  Below is a building in Vichy that played an important role during WWII.

Can you name the two people who lived there?  (The answer will be shared in a future post.)

Thanks for visiting Vichy with us.  More to come.

Springtime in Paris #10

Springtime in Paris seems as though it will never end, which is fine with us.  The changing array of blossoms and flowers goes on and on.  In other ways, however, it feels like Spring will never begin.  Brrrr. We are still wearing our down jackets, as you've probably noticed in some photos.  It is sunny (often) but blustery.  Here are some more flowers as seen during  our strolls around Paris.  

May 8

Today, May 8, is a national holiday in France.  Do you know why?

It is the Fête de la Victoire de 1945.  In the U.S., the day is known as V-E Day, the day of Germany's surrender in World War.  

When we visited Reims, Greg's cousin Geoff, a serious student of European history, suggested we visit a special museum there.  

During early 1945, Reims was General Eisenhower's headquarters as the Allies completed the Liberation of France and pushed far into Germany.  Following Adolph Hitler's death on April 30, 1945, a delegation of German officers was brought to Reims to discuss surrender.  The Germans agreed to an unconditional surrender and the preliminary act of surrender was signed on May 7, 1945, to be effective May 8.  (A final act of surrender was also signed the next day.)  

Because the room where the surrender was discussed and signed is historically important, the room has been preserved and turned into a museum.  

In addition to the Room of Surrender, the museum has many displays of military uniforms and equipment.  If you are a WWII history buff, the museum is worth visiting.  

Now you know why Reims has an important role in France's national holiday on May 8, the Fête de la Victoire de 1945.  

Thanks for visiting Reims with us.  

Traveling in France #2: Reims

We recently traveled to Reims to meet Greg's cousin Geoff and his wife Yoshiko.  They were finishing a vacation in nearby Germany and stopped over in Reims.  We enjoyed our day together, catching up while touring Reims.  

Geoff, Yoshiko and Greg

Reims is located in the Champagne region of northeast France, not far from Paris.  Reims is known for its beautiful and very large cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims.    

If you think the church looks like Notre-Dame de Paris, you are correct.  An earlier Reims cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1210 and a new cathedral was built in its place in the style of Notre-Dame de Paris.  The new cathedral was completed in 1275 and remains the second largest in France, as measured by interior area.  (The cathedral in Amiens is the largest.)  

Aside from size and beauty, Notre-Dame de Reims is important because it is the church where most French kings were crowned.   You can see the list below.  

A scale model of the cathedral

Below is some history about the current cathedral and the earlier churches on the site.  

The cathedral has lovely stained glass windows--both old and modern.

Some of the windows were designed by artist Marc Chagall.

During the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc played an important in the coronation of King Charles VII at Reims in 1429.  A chapel in the cathedral is dedicated to her.  

The chapel has new stained glass windows.

Reims was the scene of fighting during World War I and the cathedral was damaged as a result.

The cathderal was the site of the 1962 Franco-German reconciliation.

Reims is a relatively small and walkable town.  We enjoyed visiting a main square, with its Subé Fountain and Winged Victory on top.  

Since it was Spring, we enjoyed the town's lovely flowers.

During our stroll, we found a memorial to victims of the German Occupation, 1940-1944.  

We also found a Roman-era monument pictured below.  The triumphal arch dates from the 200's and is known as the Porte de Mars.  Reims became a Roman town during the conquest of Gaul.  

We enjoyed a delicious lunch in Reims at the Brasserie le Boulingrin.  We recommend it.  

Next Up:  Tomorrow, May 8, is a national holiday in France.  Do you know why Reims played a key role in the creation of that holiday?