Ypres and Messines Ridge: 8 June 2015

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We spent the day in the Ypres and Messines Ridge area with a local battlefield expert; one of the best investments I have ever made. Based on the only detailed report of his burial (copy below) and trench maps, the guide identified the location of his burial. It is now a field with grazing cattle (top right photo), possibly appropriate for a farm boy. It is a very tranquil scene close to the 'Farm House' crater; 1 of 19 mines exploded on the morning of 7 June 1917 as dramatised in the Australian movie, "Hill 60".

Daphne had prepared a beautiful hand made wreath which we laid at the nightly 'Last Post' ceremony at Menin Gate, Ypres. It attracted some comment for its unique design, and although one of four laid tonight, it was the only individual wreath!

It was a very moving ceremony with well over a thousand present. We hope we can get the photos from the official photographer to add to our collection.

The WW1 Casualty Form for Wentworth Lincoln East.

The brass relief in the photo shows the 2 craters at Factory Farm. The line of square dots position the German front line before the attack.

The northern crater pictured (top right) is today a tranquil scene and a water hole for sheep.

The southern crater is the one that Wentworth died adjacent to, probably having just advanced past it. I was not able to enter that field due to electric fences and the presence of a herd of cattle. We estimated that Wentworth was buried in line with the large tree (bottom right), and closer to camera than the current fence line.

The scene at 'Factory Farm' shortly after 7 June 1917, and a part of the trench maps that we used to locate the site.

My photographs above showing the identified location of Wenty's burial where taken from close to the location of 'Factory Farm' on the first Ultra Trench line.

 

 

Paris to Giverny, Compeigne and Coucy le Château

Copyright © noel.moore@gmail.com All comments and questions are welcome.

First things first. We picked up our car from near Gare de Montpanasse, and check out of the Luxemburg Gardens apartment. On the road again in France!

Tourists still flock to Monet's House and Garden and we had a brilliant day to view; so much better than the rainy day we had 5 years ago.

For me the Lilly ponds remain the highlight! As you wander around the garden you often have to wait your turn to take a photograph.

The House and Garden are owned by a Foundation and with the Euro 10 entrance fee plus shop sales, they must have a very substantial income!

Compeigne was new for us. Just to the north of Paris, it was in centuries past the site of Royal Lodges. It is also known as the place where Joan of Arch was captured. It has a striking Hotel de Ville, and a relaxed 'Centre de Ville'; we stopped for a coffee.

The Ville de l'Armistice is 6kM from the centre and located, as it was in 1918, in a forest. A stature of Marshall Foch, the French commander for the last couple of months of the War and leader of negotiations overlooks the clearing in the forest.

I reflected upon how victors write the history of events!

On the 8th November 1918 two trains entered the clearing in the forest; a place that had been built for use by large, train mounted artillery pieces. It was selected as the site for negotiations as it was secluded.

Two days of negotiations led to an agreement. The Germans had little choice; years of Naval blockades lead to civilians starving and solders poorly fed, the German spring push using the troops released from the Russian front had stalled and was being pushed back, and over a year after formally entering the war, the Amercian troops were now operational.

Citizens in Berlin were rioting and the Government was not functioning.

(Left). The table at which the Armistice was negotiated and signed.

The second part of the story is WW2. Hitler chose the same location and rail car to negotiate France's surrender. He sat in the same seat as Marshall Foch had in 1918, and after the signing the Germans destroyed the site, took the rail car on a propaganda tour and then burnt it. The rail car on site today is an identical sister car.

For Hitler it was personal! He had to humiliate others and re-write history.

Paris again: part 3

Copyright © noel.moore@gmail.com All comments and questions are welcome.

Having spent considerable time in the Louvre last year (see Blog Winter 2014), we decided not to revisit. We did however escorted our companions to the location. For the first time we entered from the Palais Royal Musee du Louvre Metro station; a relatively new station. To the west of the glass pyramid and underground There is now a large premium shopping complex. This provides additional entry capacity especially for groups, just as the addition of the pyramid expanded capacity, to meet today's tourism with many 2 hour visits rather than the day long visits that predominated 50 years ago.

We then proceeded to Saint Denis which I had briefly visited after work some years ago, and wished to share with Lenore.

The 3 things that we wished to see were the royal tombs and gothic architectural splendour of the basilica, and the hugh cultural change that has over taken the area with new waves of immigrants.

There are now large street markets in the area, with every variety of street vendor. Prices are low!

We stopped to have lunch in a busy eatery that I would categorise as "Islamic". The key lady at the cash register could not have been more helpful. The Décor was plan, serviceable tables and chairs with a large flat screen on the end wall playing a video loop of pilgrims in Mecca. A shared main, 2 milk coffees, and 2 small deserts cost Euro 7.80!

Paris again: part 2

The Basilica of the Sacré Cœur was built on Montmartre from 1876 to 1919 by public subscription. Its white dome is a highly visible landmark in the city.

We travelled to S C using Paris's excellent public transport; firstly by RER from Luxemburg near our apartment, transferImg to Metro and then a short walk to the Funicular and up to S C (rather then walk up the flights of steps - a concession to our age!)

RER and Metro are linked so one ticket per trip and then a second ticket for the Funicular. The 10 ticket purchase system (a Carnet for Euro14 today) is nearly as old as me; I recall a primary teacher telling me about the Carnet when I was in grade 2, showing how forward thinking they were in the 1950s.

 

Tourists have always flocked to Sacré Cœur. The 3 in the top pix are busy doing their own thing, unaware that the white statue next to them is moving.

 

 

 

Not all tourist come to S C to take pictures. Some come to have wedding photographs taken, like these two Japanese brides. I wondered if these are real grooms or just hired for the 'shoot'.

Artists still set up their easels each day amidst the tables and colourful umbrellas of Place du Tertre. When we first visited S C, they filled the whole Place. Now most of the square is taken for large tourist group lunches, with a few artists scattered around the edge. I'd say economics have changed and the return per square metre is better for 'mass meals'.

In the back streets you can find touchs of the authentic Parisian charm made famous in the 1950 and 1960 movies, but like the famous Le Chat Noir sign, today it is rather faded.

Lenore and I find it easier to find the wonderful charm of Paris around lesser known suburban Metro stations with their cafes, bistros, shops et al, or in their grand gardens.

 

 

Paris once more: part 1.

 

 

 

We are back in our favourite city once again; fourth time in five years as tourists, plus I spent a couple of weeks here for work. Visiting with my sister and brother in law has given the opportunity to revisit some of Paris's iconic sites, and reflect on the changes and similarities noticed over the years.

For the first time we are staying in an apartment rather than a hotel. The view from our apartment balcony over the southern tip of the Luxenburg Gardens is a plus, and the Petit dejeuner prepared in our own kitchen can be scheduled to my rising from sleep! All Lenore has to do is pop out to the local boulangerie each morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Paris icon is the Eiffle Tower, which was named after the engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

We had not travelled to the summit of the tower since 1981 when I had a 2 year old child on my back. The flow of visitors has been progressively improved to cater for volume tourism, and everyday people are willing to stand in line for hours to gain access. We bought tickets online as soon as they became available; 3 months out I think!

Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticised by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design. Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years; it was to be dismantled in 1909.

In spite its controversial beginnings, the tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010.

About 5 years ago we went to the top of the Montpanasse Tower (the dark hi rise in the photo above). It provides a similar panorama at lower cost, less waiting, and smaller crowds. However there is something about climbing (mechanical power only in our case) up through the metal lattice work; a definite adrenaline rush!

When we were finally able to visit Saint Chapelle in 2014 after a large restoration project, we were absolutely blown away. An early "must do" for this years trip was to attend a concert.

It is a magnificent structure. The 13th century royal chapel was built to house holy relics bought from the Ottoman Empire who had collected them in the Holy Land! The metal frames to support the stain glass, was ground breaking technology in their time, just as the Eiffle Tower was many centuries later.

In August 2014 after attending an organ music concert in Riga Cathedral I commented that "the soloist (soprano) even sang my favourite sacred aria; "Bist du bei Mir". It could only have possibly been better if sung by a contralto. But now I'm getting picky!"

I could not credit my luck when the opening item at the Saint Chapelle concert that we attended (4 June 2015) was "Bist du bei Mir" sung by an excellent contralto! The first violin was impressive and the sound was brilliant.

 

India Day 1: 28 February 2015

New Delhi

Government building in New Delhi, date from the British Raj when New Delhi was created as the national capital. There are also many blocks of old apartments for public servants, that we would call "medium density".

The new suburbs are on the periphery, and include many high rise shells.  There appears to be skill shortages in fitout, plumbing, electricals etc.








This is a large Sikh temple in New Delhi. (Punjab is the birthplace of Sikhism).

Transport and Utilities: India: a postscript

The maximum use is made of all transport modes. Trains, busses, trucks, tuk tuks are always loaded to the max!

Inefficiencies in the transport system are clearly not related to use of available load capacity. Candidates for improvement would include the many trucks sitting on verges awaiting loading/unloading, and their high loads must inflicts significant damage to roads, and cause delays for other users.

In many towns we saw overpasses being built to ease congestion. Progress was always at a slow pace but no doubt the low tech approach created local employment. We also saw examples of the work disrupting drainage leading to local flooding.

The invitation to honk is always taken.

Carrying 'kids'! Baby Goats not old enough to walk get a ride on camels during the annual migration.

 

Rural transport!

 

We saw little evidence of major accidents, but we did see the results of a number of significant mechanical failures.

This Tata truck was carrying a load of bricks, and the front suspension collapsed. Many police and on lookers stood by while an old man unloaded bricks by hand onto a tractor drawn trailer. One lane closed for the day!

 

In this case the truck load of bricks had tipped over; load shift?

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are some very high voltage and high capacity major power feeds. We did experience power outages at a number of urban and rural locations. People talk of routine power outages each day. [This photo was at the southern approaches to New Delhi.]

 

Ad hoc modifications to the distribution network are often visible, and many installations would not comply with Australian Standards.