Tag Archives: France
A Forgotten War?
I remember it as a one liner in history class, probably early in high school. France and Germany fought a war, 1870-71. I don’t remember who won (Germany I presume – that was the Bismarck era) or what the cause was. I think at the end Alsace became German, or returned to being German. As […]
Just A Reminder
I came across this sign at Vimy Ridge in France. It is a beautiful place to visit, but not without its perils. You can walk into the craters if you wish; other than the sign there is really nothing to stop you, except a strand of rope. But you do so at your own peril. […]
Christmas In Colmar – II
Today just some photos from the Christmas market in Colmar, France.
Christmas In Colmar – I
A week or so ago I described the Advent Market we attended in Mullheim, and, if I remember correctly, said it probably didn’t compare to the classic European Christmas markets that I had heard about. I was right. Last Saturday, despite a forecast of rain and no snow on the ground, we made the hour-long […]
Le Grand Charlie
There were a few mentions in the newspaper this past week about it being the 50th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle’s infamous proclamation of “Vive le Quebec libre!” (That’s long live a free Quebec for those of you who don’t speak French.) I didn’t read the articles – I remember 1967 and the furor over […]
Bastille Day
When I was thinking about what to post today, the date struck me. It is Bastille Day, a national holiday in France, commemorating the start of the French Revolution. Since you liked my Eiffel Tower pictures a few days ago, I thought we might as well celebrate the day with a few photos from my […]
Walking Vimy Ridge
Just a photo essay today, a supplement to yesterday’s post. The indoor pictures were taken in the tunnels around Vimy. There are, if my memory is correct, hundreds of kilometres of tunnels in the area as well as a similar number of trenches You really should visit as the pictures really don’t tell the story.
Vimy Ridge Centenary
It was one hundred years ago today that Canada became a nation, or so the social historians like to put it. Nationhood is an elusive idea. Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. We were not completely independent though. It wasn’t until 1931 that our Supreme Court actually became supreme. Before that you could […]
Waiting For A Plane XX – Basel
In 2015 I spent a lot of time in airports. I shared my thoughts on those trips with you in a series of posts. I managed to get through 2016 with my feet firmly planted on the ground, but it looks like I’ll be collecting a few frequent flyer points this year. I think I […]
Vimy Ridge
It was 99 years ago today that Canada became a nation. At least that is one version of the narrative. Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. It severed legal ties, more or less, with the United Kingdom on December 11, 1931 with the passage of the Statute of Westminster. But military independence came […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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