July 3: finally (or "the day when happiness and sorrow blended in one")

I decided to split the story in two parts: the historical part about the sites, and the trip itself, which would include stories about the people I met and things that happened. It's hard to distinguish them but I thought this might be more "user friendly"

Part 1: the history and the sites

Alain offered me some tea and breakfast. They asked if I needed anything more before I hit the road ("...Jack, and don't you come back no more, no more, no more..."). They discussed something among themselves and later told me: "Marie will take you with car, because it's up on the mountain". So I paid my farewell to Alain and we took off with Marie. We drove to Montsec monument - one of the eleven monuments erected by the Americans in Europe in memory of the First World War.

Montesc American monument. Huge. Monumental Classic style "rotund" (I'm there just for scale)

Montesc American Monument. "This is one of eleven monuments erected in Europe by the United states of America to commemorate the services of the American armed forces in World War I. it recalls the achievements of the more than 550,000 American troops who were involves in the Saint Mihiel offensive from September 12-16, 1918. The Saint Mihiel offensive was the first operation in World War I carried out by a complete American army under the independent control of the American Commander-in-Chief.

This hill of Montesc dominates the surrounding territory, which was known during the war as the Saint Mihiel salient. Occupied by the German for over four years, the salient was heavily defended, provided excellent observation behind Allied lines, and was strategically crucial to the entire area. The French had made a number of unsuccessful attacks against this vertible fortress in the preceding years.

The successful attack on this site was carried out by over 550,000 American and 110,000 French soldiers. The air force concentrated for the battle, 1,481 airplanes, was the largest ever brought together at that time and consisted mainly of British and French planes. The Army had about 400 French tanks (144 were manned by Americans), 3,000 pieces of artillery, and over 3,300,000 rounds of ammunition. The opposing force was composed of eight divisions and two brigades in line and five divisions in reserve.

 The overpowering bombardment of hostile positions began at 1 a.m. on September 12. At 5 a.m., the main Infantry attack jumped off in front of here, hidden by a smoke screen places around this hill. The bombardment on the west face of the salient continued until 8 a.m., when the Infantry attack there commenced. Just after 2 a.m. on September 13, patrols from the two axis of advance met just northeast of Vigneulles. More than 15,000 prisoners and 450 cannons were captures as the salient was finally closed.

The site is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, and Agency of the United States Government. Further information may be obtained from the superintendet of the Saint Mihiel American Cemetery, located near Thiaucourt, where more than 4,000 American World War I dead are buried ; including many who perished in this battle."

One the way to the monument there are few plates.

"CE MONUMENT A ĖTĖ ĖPIGĖ

PAR LES ĖTATS UNIS D'AMĖPIQUE

POUR COMMĖMORER LA RĖDUCTION

DU SAILIANT DE ST. MIHIEL PAR LES

TROUPES DE LEUR PREMIĖRE APMĖE

ET RAPPELER LES SERVICES DES

FORCES EXPEDITIONNAIRES AMERICAIN

SUR LES CHAMPS DE BATAILLE

DE CETTE REGION

DE LORRAINE ET D'ALSACE

Xx RESTERA LE SYMBOLE PERPĖTUx?

DE L'AMITIĖxx"

A D 1932

AMERICAN BATTLE

MONUMENTS COMMISSION

EGERTON SWARTWOUT ARCHITEC

And insctiption inside:

"ON THE MORNING OF 2 SEPTEMBER

1944 WHILE PURSUING THE GERMAN

FORCES IN THEIR WITHDRAWAL FROM

NORMANDY BEACHHEADS TOWARD

THE MOSELLE UNIDED STATES TROOPS

FIRED ON AN ENEMY MACHINE GUN

POSITION ESTABLISHED ON THIS HILL

SEVERAL SHELLS STRUCK THE MEMORIAL

AND CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE

REPAIRS WERE MADE IN 1948"

Inside the monument there is a big bronze map of the salient, which didn't which didn't fit in one shot.

                        IMG_0007-0008-0009

Bellow - an inscription:

 "RELIEF MAP OF ST∙MIHIEL SALIENT

THE AMERICAN FIRST ARMY IN ITS OFFENSIVE

OPERATION OF SEPTEMBER 12 - 16, 1918

REDUCED THE STRONGLY FORTIFIED

ST∙MIHIEL SALIENT SHOWN ON THIS MAP

CAPTURING 15 000 PRISONERS 450 CANNON

AND 700 SQUARE KILOMETERS OF TERRITORY"

The movement of troops day by day are visualized on the map together with all those villages that got dragged into the war. (One can see all those people trying to survive with most of their animals taken, houses (or part of them) occupied by soldiers of one side or the other. Then eventually fleeing their homes due to the immense artillery fire. And never returning back. Or returning few years later and not being able to find their houses in all the rubble that is left...)

There is a tribute inscription on top of the memorial for all the troops that fought in the salient.

"ST.MIHIEL SALIENT SEPTEMBER 12-16

 FIRST ARMY∙I CORPS∙IV CORPS∙V CORPS∙II CORPS

 1ST∙2ND∙4TH∙5TH∙26TH∙42ND∙82ND∙89TH∙90TH∙DIVISIONS∙2eD O xxx

 3RD∙35TH∙78TH∙80TH∙91ST∙ DIVISIONS IN xxxx"

"theiR SACRIFICES WILL LIVE FOrever"

This really gives a better perspective of all those people who were brought from "over there" to come and fight on foreign soil and, most probably, die for foreign country because you were told to do so.

114 villages can be seen from here - this is one of the reason this place was chosen for the monument. The beautiful surroundings, the calm and peaceful scenery was overwhelming. And one more time contrasting the history that happened here, covering the bodies that are still there... feeding the crops that gives us bread.

__

Whatever your means for moving around are, when going from one point to the other here, you'll have to pass villages. They look old, with the French countryside architecture. However, all of them are newly build. All.

It's impossible to find a village without a similar memorial with names, each of which carry a personal sufferings, untold worlds and dreams lost in blood.

Inscription on the memorial:

"AUX

 ENFANTS DE

 LOUPMONT

MORTS

POUR la PATRIE

_____

1914 - 1918

_____

AUBERTIN                LAVAUX

BLANCHARD            MAURY

DINEY                        PIERROT

EMOND                      ROUYER. E

GERARD                    ROUYER. L

HEILLIETTE              SIMON

JASPARD. H              TOUSSEUL

JASPARD. x               LEBRUN"

Marie drove me to a small cemetery. There it was - my first encounter with the war. With what war really is. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't my first cemetery or my first military cemetery. But this one felt a bit different. Situated further from the road on a small hill base next to a forest. Despite the heat, I could hear some birds singing.

Marbotte National Cemetery is the resting place of French soldiers who fell on the Hauts-de-Meuse battlefields between 1914 and 1918. Built in 1922, the cemetery was reorganised in 1922, 1934 and 1936 to accommodate the remains of soldiers who had died in this area and whose bodies were exhumed from the military cemeteries of Mecrin, Heudicourt, Saint-Aignant, Sampigny, and from several other cemeteries in Marbotte. In 1962, the cemetery was entirely renovated. The remains of 2,652 French soldiers are buried there, including 388 in the ossuary, together with four Russian soldiers who fell between 1914 and 1918.

    (there is a bunch of information in French here about Marbotte village and Hauts-de-Meuse battles)

The field of double crosses. Each witnessing a dream dead. Writers, painters, sportsmen, farmers, sons, fathers, brothers, uncles, godfathers, cousins. Some of them had white crosses with their names bumping their heads with another one, who had the same cross. Some of them shared a pit with thousands others. Forced anonymity upon them.

Rows of identical crosses with different names on them. Or without a name at all

Facing the entry of the cemetery, right in the middle of it, there is a big cross with all the names of destroyed villages. Erected in the memory of the 30,000 killed in this area, it was inaugurated in 1931 by president Raymond Poincare.

"APREMONT

BOIS JURAT

REDOUTE du BOIS BRULĖ

TETE A VACHE

LA LOUVIERE

LA VAUX FERY

CROIX SIJEAN

MAISON

BLANCHE

BOIS D AILLY

BPASSEITTE

LES KOEURS

At the cemetery, there is also a map of that area. There are trenches mapped (blue - Germans, red - French/Allied forces)

   

" THE AGONY OF THE WOUNDED

From the start of the war, hospitals were filled to overflowing because of the huge numbers of casualties caused by the power of the weaponry used. There were not enough trains or vehicles to carry them all.

Soldiers who were wounded or unable to walk waited, beneath the shells, for the strecher-bearers to come and fetch them. Those who could do so, went to the first aid stations on their own. They were given first aid and vaccinated against tetanus. Others, unable to walk, were carried on mules, hung in tent canvas, or simply carried on another man's back. The dying were left to their fate. A chaplain was often there to help them as death approached. There were also soldiers who fell too close to the German trenches. It was very risky to go and fetch them. Usually, those wounded soldiers died, with no-one to help them. Those with only light wounds quickly returned to the Front. The most seriously injured were sent to a military hospital in the rear. They travelled in a slow, uncomfortable train.

A medical science progressed during this war because of the gravity of injuries. Unfortunately, many wounded soldiers died after operations. Some of them were cured and able to return to the fray. Others, blinded, gassed, or mutilated, were sent home.

"The field station was dull. Wounded men were everywhere. The ground was covered with sticky red pieces of clothing. The smell of blood was sickening. Sleeves pushed up, I worked with Vidaillac and Moreau. A stretcher-bearer wrote down the names and injuries. Our poverty-stricken, mud-soaked clientele poured in, crowded around us. There was scarcely room for the stretchers to pass. We trod on a reddish-brown mixture of saliva, water, blood and cotton wool thrown to the ground"

Paul Voivenele, Les Esparges 1915

"I was wounded 24 hours ago when a shell exploded and a large piece of shrapnel hit me on the head. Luckily, I was wearing my helmet; it saved my life. As soon as I was hit, I felt terrible concussion. My hands contracted and I thought I was going to die but I regained consciousness after a few minutes and my friend put me on a dressing from the kit we were given for just such an event".

A soldier from the 65th DR

"Wounded men crowl along, almost all of them without a rifle, their hair sticky, their faces pale and bloodied. They have improvised slings made from checkered handkerchiefs, towels or shirt sleeves. They walk with their heads bowed, pulled to one side by a heavy arm, a smashed shoulder. They limp, they hop, they waver between two sticks, dragging a motionless foot behind them... We see faces with feverish eyes, obliquely applied dressings that let the blood run down the cheek..."

Maurice Genevoix << Ceux de 14 >>

MARBOTTE CHURCH

Before being buried, the bodies of the soldiers who fell in the Apremont Forest were plated in Marbotte Church, a sort of morgue or funeral parlour.

"It was in this church that the bodies of our comrades were laid after being brought back from the lines, until their fraves were ready in the nearby cemeteries. Thousands of bodies have been brought here in their turn. They were laid before the chancel and covered with a tent. A blessing, a prayer, one last visit from comrades in the reserve troops camped beside the lake. The eternal rest in an eternal night. The slabs here are impregnated with blood".

Adjudant Pericard

The church is a moving place of pilgrimage, with a Pieta, commemorative plaques placed by the families of the dead and the High altar dedicated to the 30,000 who fell in the Bois d'Ailly and Apremont Forest.

Magnificient stained-glass windows recall the fighting in this area: one illstrates Commandant d'Andre in the Trench of Thirst and another depicts the Bois Brūlė when Adjudant Pėricard cried "Arise, the Dead!" Yet another recalls Father Marquet, founder of the Qeuvre du Souvenir.

MARBOTTE CEMETERY

2,464 soldiers who fell in this area are buried in the national cemetery in Marbotte. The monument in honour of the 8th Corps was erected in memory of the 30.000 men who died in battle. It was inaugurated in 1931 by Raymond Poincarė.

A viewing table in the cėmetry, which dates from 1952."

Photos: left: The interior of the church in Marbotte on the evening of an attack. Right: Emergency on the Front-line.

There are few discovery paths of Saint Mihiel salient one can choose (this map also gives a good perspective of how wide was the front line):

                                               

After the cemetery, we went to Marbotte. Marbotte was the first village crossed by soldiers returning from the front. There is a small First World War museum there next to St. Gerard church but the arrangements must be made prior the visit. And also, the chapel, that was described in the cemetery board.

St. Gerard Church

Built in 1781, during war it was an infirmary and a morgue. Here, bodies of dead soldiers were laid so tight that the priest needed to step over the benches to, at least, try to avoid stepping on the bodies. The floor soaked in blood so badly, that it changed colour (which is still visible). Today, plates for the fallen soldiers are hanging here. Few stained glasses in the church depicts scenes of the war (e.g. German attack of April 8, 1915; Joan of Arc supporting the French; the dead soldiers of VIII army in this church). (I have a rule not to take pictures in cemeteries and in churches. Although I broke the rule at the French cemetery, I still followed the rule in this first church I visited during this journey, so I have no pictures of the inside of the church). 

After, Marie took me to Fort de Liouville (also known as Fort Stengel).

Entrance to the fort

The fort was built as in 1876 - 1878 and reinforced between 1892 and 1910. It was a part of the Sere de Revieres fortification system set around Verdun and also a part of defensive curtain of Hauts de Meuse.

 Plate at the entrance:

"ICI VECU DANS LA SOLITUDE

JACKY BRUNETEAU

DU 20.04.88 A SA MORT 26.04.92

S 'IDENTIFIANT DE TOUT SON Ė TRE

AUX POILUS DE 14 - 18

AFIN DE PERPĖTUER LEUR SOUVENIR

Fort de Liouville le 20 Juin 1993"

We took few steps around the fort, as we weren't able to get inside (again, prior arrangements need to be made). The size of the fort is overwhelming.

 

The fort wall is surrounded by a deep moat

Located on the high ground (380 meters) it provided a great observation position on Woëvre plain as well as Marbotte and Boncourt valleys - the important passages that allow to control communication routes leading to Saint Mihiel.

View on the way to the fort

But even with that elevated ground, it suffered heavy prolonged bombardment from Germans, after which the fort wasn't used as defensive post any more. Since 1916 to 1918 it was an observatory. Germans attacked the fort in order to brake the high Meuse defence line, then encircle and bring down Verdun.

Later, even with only one operational tower with a 155 mm cannon, it supported US troops during the Saint Mihiel salient.

Fort wall

The fort could host 719 army-men (19 officers, 664 soldiers, 36 non-commissioned officers), it also had one infirmary for 40 patients.

Even though we started at about 9 a.m. and didn't spend a lot of time at any of the locations, it was already 1 p.m. when Marie drove me to Saint Mihiel. I didn't realize then how many places (trenches, forts, blockhouses) are here. On our way we passed a road to "Thirst trench" (French occupied German trench that got its name after the French spend days there without food, water and support. Inevitably in these circumstances, German got the trench back).

At the tourist information office, the girls advised me to go to Les Esparges. I was told that there was a path to that place. I was happy to finally find some road that the cars will not drive and the road won't be black as raven's feather.

Les Esparges - 346 meters high - marked the northwest border of Saint Mihiel Salient which formed in 1914. It is also one of the first mine warfare examples. The mines destroyed the ridge and the two crater ends are now marked with a monument. The whole battle of Esparges lasted from February 17, 1915 to April 5, 1915, but it was from this day to April 12th, 1915 the most violent battles since the beginning of the War took place here.

The front was still discontinuous with wide ranges between the shallow trenches. It was here, that the dead French soldiers were laid next to each other in a trench which served them as a grave. It was rainy prior one of the battles. The steep slopes of the ridge became slippery and muddy with numerous springs that formed. The Germans were so keen in protecting this piece of land that they formed a wide defensive line of several trenches each consisting of five tiers, and had sixteen hidden batteries. And all this together with a division of the best troops, five battalions of pioneers, machine guns and bomb-throwers. And still, the French managed to capture Les Esparges after a fierce, bloody (as it was becoming a casual thing) and muddy battle. The soldiers were stuck in the mud up to thighs. Fighting hand-to-hand combat with each other as their rifles where choked with mud. Aiming to kill the man from the other side while simultaneously trying not to fall, because this would mean death by drowning... It was a battle going back and forth: the first day the Germans gained land (as part of their advance towards Paris), then it was the French who pushed the Germans back. And then it was Germans who gained some ground. With both wounded and disappearing men in the mud. Eventually it was the French who gained the ridge but the Germans still had "Point X".

But this was only on the surface... 46 French mines and 32 German ones were detonated at Les Esparges. The mines, first used by the French, exploded over 800 meters front length without any significant gain for either side. The mines were dug towards the other side trying to locate the gallery under trenches so that the explosion would vaporize everyone and tear those, who were further from the epicentre, to body parts.

So this is definitely a place to visit. And not for just five minutes. But I still was in Saint Mihiel...

I walked towards the direction of Verdun/Les Esparges trying to catch all the shades building or trees were casting. Just like any other village, Saint Mihiel had its monument for the dead ones.

"A NOS MORTS
1914 - 1918
1939 - 1945
INDOCHINE     ALGERIE
1945 - 1954        1954-1962

Near to the boarder of the village, there is a cliff. It looked like a perfect position during war. However, I do not know if this cliff was used in any way.

Just outside, Saint Mihiel, there is this:

"Necropole Nationale
VAUX-RACINE
A SAINT-MIHIEL"

Another home for numerous French soldiers, 3417 of them.

 

For those who understand French

I was trying to get to Les Esparges but I ended up in Verdun (the explanation how that happened - in part 2).

Verdun. Germans didn't take it. They never went into town and it was not even their primary objective.

Verdun. The fortress. The most decorated town in France. Born on Saint-Vanne Mountain, the city became famous for sugared almond since 1200. For me, Verdun grew to be the heart of France (although it became a part of it only in 1552 with the official annexation in 1648). It was then that fortification of Verdun begun with rebuilding of medieval fortifications based on bastioned architecture (the birth of the citadel).

Verdun. It is truly a big stronghold. Entering the city, a big wall with openings for shooting, welcomes one and the city itself fells like the inner yard of a castle. A big gate, leading to the city or in the city itself, just strengthens the notion.

Chatel Gate - the only remaining part of the medieval city walls. Just passed the bridge over Muse. The tourism office is on the opposite riverside of the gate

Traffic is forbidden but people can walk through the gate freely

I cannot help but imagine attacking solders trying to rush inside Verdun through here. And then this wooden gate is haphazardly closed. Falling from the uplifted position on the rushing soldiers. The spikes penetrating their bodies and pressing them to the ground. I am sure that this had happened some time during the long history...

And the town itself have some smaller gate. If they had any practical application or if they were built later as a monument to the history - I do not know.

Inscription:
""VERDUNAssiege Detruit ou Endommage En450 - 415 - 514 -584 - 1048 - 18481338 - 1568 -1792 - 1870A ETE DETRUIT EN DIX MOISFevrier-Decembre 1916ET REBATI EN DIX ANS1919 - 1989
Le 23 Juni 1929M. Gaston DOUMERGUEPresident De La RepubliqueAccompagne DeM. Raymond POINCARE President Du conselM. Andre MAGINOT Ministre Des ColoniesM. Le Marechal PETAINCitains De VERDUNM. PAINLEVE Ministre De La GuerreM. FORGEOT Ministre Des Trayaol PublicsEt Regions LibereesM. LOUCHEUR Ministre Du TravailA Preside A L Achevlement De la ReconstructionM.V.SCHLEITER Depote et Cokieller GeneralEtant Maire<<can't read the rest>>"

The mechanism for lifting and lowering the gate

There are a lot of plates on this gate:

"Ce nom de VERDUN auquel l'allemagne.

Dans l'intensite de son reve avait

Donne une signification symbolique

Et qui devait grovait-elle evo quer

Bientot devant l'imagination des

Hommes, une defaite eclatante de

Notre armee. Le decouragement ir-

remediable de notres pays et l'accep-

tation passive de la paix allemande,

Ce nom reprėsente dėsormais , chez

Les neutres comme chez nos alliės

Ce q'uil y a de plus beau de plus

Pur et de meilleur dans l'ame fran-

Caise. Il est devenu comme un syno-

nyme synthėtique de patriotisme

de bravoure t de gėnėrositė

Raymond POINCARĖ

Prėsident de la Rėpublique

Citadelle de VERDUN

14 Septembre 1916."

"VERDUN renaitra de ses cendres,

Les villages detruits et dėsertės

Sf. Relėveront de leurs ruines les

Habitants , trop longtemps exiles,

Reviendront a leurs foyers res-

taurės , ce pays ravagė retrouvera ,

A l'abri d'une paix victorieuse , sa

Physionomie riante des jours heu-

reux , et pendant des siėcles sur

Tous les ponts du globe . le nom

De VERDUN continuera de reten-

tir comme une clameur de victoire

Et comme un cri de joie poussė

Par l'humanitė dėlivrėe .

Raymond POINCARE

Prėsident de la Rėpublique

Citadele de VERDUN

14 Septembre 1916"

Bridge over Muse. On the right - a park (and the monument for children of Verdun, which is out of the shot), on the left - the city

I walked to the tourist information office from there (across Verdun). There I met some Canadians who were doing a car tour from Verdun to Ypres visiting the World War I sites. We talked about the war a bit. "Why didn't the German invade France through Switzerland?", they assked. Well, in many cases, this wouldn't have made any sense. It's about 470 km to Paris from Switzerland-Germany boarder (at that time). While it's 370 km from Liege, Belgium. So the 100 km distance would give French more time to prepare and stop the German advance. Also, I think that it would have been much easier and faster to mobilize French troops at the Swiss end, because the French-German frontier already had some soldiers standing on guard. So Schlieffen plan was pretty good idea only executed badly (we can start brainstorming about what the world would be like if Germans had succeeded in taking Paris and the Great War would have stopped without, sort of, starting...)

(I got some more information and maps of Verdun and went to visit the historical sites in the city.)

Right next to the tourist office, on the other side of the street, there is a monument for the dead.

The monument to the children of Verdun who died for France (Claude Grange, who made this monument, fought in the th Colonial Infantry Regiment of Lyon. In collaboration with architect Mathieu Forest, who lost his leg at Verdun, he also made memorials for his home town and the monument of the Basques at Chemin des Dames)

The monument pays tribute for all five soldier types.

 From left to right: cavalryman with his sword, helmet and cape (characteristic to former image of army); territorial (with a tent to protect him from the elements, prepared to dig trenches), infantry man (wearing the 1916 uniform with fists clenched, ammunition on him and determination in his face), colonial (the distinctive moustache) and artilleryman

Next to the monument, there is a bus stop. Here one can catch buses, taking visitors to the battlefield.

Notre-Dame de Verdun cathedral is probably another well known landmark of Verdun. What struck me, is that the cathedral doesn't have the frontal side as it is in a building complex with Episcopal Palace (partly occupied by World Peace Centre).

Notre-Dame de Verdun. The right side of the building (if standing from the back). The tower holds church bells that call every hour and half hour. It starts to ring at about 6 a.m. and stops at midnight (if I remember correctly)

The main side entrance

                       

Walking further down the same street, one encounters a partly collapsed wall:

 It might have been a former defensive wall, which is now transformed into apartment building

If walking further, one can find the subterranean citadel. The entrance to the citadel is on the other side. The citadel is surrounded by a big wide wall, that is overgrown with vegetation now and a deep ditch

Right - the wall, centre - the ditch, left - the citadel

The citadel wall (not the outer wall) is so high, that I had difficulties capturing it

The red line indicates the end of the wall

Left - the citadel, the thing above - the footbridge connecting the outer wall (right) with the citadel

Gaston Gras, a sergeant of Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco, described the citadel as "the switchyard between War and Peace". Constructed over 12 years (1624 - 1636), now a part of it is a museum (the other part is still a military zone). During the Napoleonic War, it used to hold British prisoners-of-war. The citadel suffered greatly during the wars with Prussia (1792 - 1871) losing its barracks and part of the abbey. When Alsace-Moselle was taken by Prussia, Verdun became a border town. Because of that, additional 19 forts were built around Verdun and 4 kilometres of subterranean tunnels were dug underneath the citadel (1886 - 1893) so that in case of emergency, men and material could take cover there. During "the war to end all wars", citadel was turned into a small city. It even had its own bakery, which produced 41 000 rations per day (other facilities were also included. It even had electricity lighting its spaces). Never reached by the bombardments, the citadel became a symbol of national resistance.

Part 2: the trip and the people (or 'things that didn't fit in the first part)

I woke up with sounds of birds surrounding me. I do not know what it was, but it seemed that it was the best night sleep so far. Maybe the nice (and warm) dinner had to do something with that, maybe the shower, maybe the amazing beautiful people I met. Or maybe the thought that I will finally stop cheating and will start to walk - I was itching for that (or, at least, until I hit the pitch black road and the sun melted everything...)

After visiting all the sites I mentioned above, Marie dropped me next to tourism information center in Saint Mihiel. We paid our goodbyes and I went to get some information. I spend about an hour there getting maps, information and advices for the places to visit and roads to walk. I got there the map (in French) I mostly used for my trip.

In the tourist office (the girls there are very nice, helpful and fun), I was told that the temperature was about 40^oC, which means it was 22 degrees way above the manageable temperature.

Keeping my cap and my t-shirt wet was one way to keep the heat out for some time. The plan was to reach Verdun today while visiting Les Esparges (41 km in total).

Saint Mihiel was a nice village with lovely streets and architecture, although the buildings were a bit bigger than in the smaller villagers.

Some brick magic

This reminded me of the famous Fuller building in New York. The size of this building proportional to the size of the village

When I found the the military cemetery, just outside Saint-Mihiel, I saw a civil one next to it. I refilled my bottle there, moistened my T-shirt and the souvenir cap Alain and Marie gave me, and got back on the road.

The pitch black road. No could in the sky, no whiff of a wind, and very rare shades from the trees. "It's 40^oC degrees here." - the words of the tourist office girl echoed in my mind. It wasn't that hard to walk while my cap and T-shirt was wet. But it didn't last. After about minutes the cap was dry as an open water bottle in the desert and my back was the only originally wet place, since the backpack protected it from the evaporation. Muse river on my left was looking extremely inviting. Too bad that most of the French riversides I've seen aren't "user friendly"... So I continued to walk on the road.

My poles were sinking in the asphalt and at each steps, my boots were sticking to the road. I started taking brakes every few hundred meters. Uphill, open space, clear sky, sun biting the skin as a hive of hornets. I was thirsty but drinking wasn't an option - too much kilometres ahead with no guarantee for a refill ahead. Left. Right. Left. Right. One leg at a time. With cars passing by walking again felt meaningless. The heat made me angry and frustrated. I managed to do five kilometres in probably one hour and a half, maybe two hours. It was already something past 4 p.m. and the best scenario I needed to reach Les Esparges by 6 p.m. to have a shot in reaching Verdun today (40 km a day - I needed to keep this plan no matter how unrealistically it now sounded).

To see passing cars was depressing. I lost the track of what was worse: the heat coming from above or from bellow. The sticking boots and sinking poles got their share of annoyance too. And I was not very comfortable with the high traffic - I needed to step on the side to let the car pass or hope that it will not hit me. There was no tree as far as I could see so no cover from the sun was possible. I lost it. After five kilometres I lost my walking spirit and gave in to the temptation to hitchhike.

I don't know how much time I was standing. I had enough time to try and scrub the asphalt from the sticks and dance a little on the grass. Until an old Renault Clio stopped. Windows wide open and two guys inside. They said that they were going just few kilometres and it was more than fine by me - a lift to Lacroix-sur-Meuse would be perfect as the road towards Les Esparges seemed not so much car-crowded and I assume it wouldn't be that black.

It was a father-son duo - Marcel and Jimmy. Jimmy spoke a little English, Marcel - none. It was one of the funniest and joyful rides. Jimmy put on some French rap music and asked if I was fine with the open windows. After all that hot stillness, having an air tunnel in my face was more than a pleasant sensation. Few minutes and we at Lacroix. They asked me where I was going and when I said Les Esparges and later Verdun. They didn't like Les Esparges and decided to take me to Verdun. So there I was, having extreme fun with the people I just met but bypassing one of the icons of the war and a place, carrying a "first"...

On our way to Verdun, we passed another French necropolis (military cemetery). They drove me around Verdun showing where what was and shouting from their hearts through the windows to everyone that I am here ("Raimond is here!!!! Yeah!!!! Raimond!!!! Voop-voop!!!!!"). They dropped me of at the train station telling me to be careful: "People here aren't that nice as in small villages." It was such a fun ride, that for a moment my guilt went quiet and enjoyed it as well.

I walked around the city a bit trying to get it all in as fast as possible - I will not pass the same place the second time after all. I sat on a bench looking at a relatively large field of grass. The tower of Notre Dame cathedral was peeking from the rooftops. The sun was setting. I felt the evening penetrating my skin. The Subterranean Citadel was just behind me. I knew that the war didn't reach this place. That all the bombing and explosions were happening kilometres from where I was sitting. There. Pieces of Earth rising to the air and heavily dropping back, scattering along the way and never returning to where it was originally. Where it laid probably for years. With its own small community. Bert - the Cellulomonas uda and his cousin Ralf - the Cellulomonas fumi. Most likely, that because both Bert and Ralf are bacteria, there were a bunch of Berts and Ralfs in that small piece that got ripped off. Where they lost? Were there any Berts and Ralfs left in the soil that was still in its original place?

I decided to settle in as the plan was to wake up early and start going before all hell will get loose (i.e. until it becomes hothothot). I picked a sport for the night - the wall of the citadel. But it was hard to find a place for my tent there - the vegetation was spread and not very friendly - blackberries was everywhere one decided to set his foot. I used my pocket saw to clean the area for the tent. The place was right next to a park where a lot of people came to play and enjoy themselves, but due to the same vegetation I cursed so much, I was invisible. The moment I decided to sleep, someone started a party in the park. Good thing I was too tired to hear them...

This was one of the hottest nights throughout the whole trip...