2geonomads

Thursday 29th October 2015

Plan to drive into Reims again but first we decide to visit the Chateau on the hill above Dormans . This contains a very impressive memorial to the Battles of the Marne and we learn from the information boards that 80 per cent of the town was destroyed during the Second Battle. The Memorial itself is set in beautiful parklands but once again the Scourge of the Scaffold hits the Irelands and it’s closed for refurbishment.

Back in Reims we head for the Palais du Tau but it’s closed between 12.30 and 2.00 pm( I thought ‘siesta ‘was a Spanish word!) so we try to check out the shops for some gifts but all to no avail. Return to our favourite delicatessen Au Bon Manger to buy some terrine and ham for the evening. Eric, the owner tries to help us in our quest for gifts by suggesting a nearby gift/antiques store but again no success.

Walk to Porte Mars, the only remaining monumental gate built in the first part of the 3rd Century and giving access to the Roman city of Dorocortorum. This is apparently one of the ‘ must see’ sights but sadly it is shrouded in a cloth while it is being cleaned and renovated. For some reason a local with whom I have a quick chat doesn’t believe that I have come all the way from Australia just to see Porte Mars.

We next visit a small museum created in 2005 on a site which was the headquarters of General Eisenhower. It was here on 7th may 1945 at 2.41 that General Alfred Jodi, Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht,signed the surrender of the armed forces of the Third Reich. The text of the document had been hastily drawn up by members of Eisenhower’s staff to bring an immediate end to the conflict but it was then ratified the next day in Berlin by the heads of the Allied Forces.

Head back to the main thoroughfare ,Place Drouet d’Erlon, but our only purchases are takeaway quiches which we eat standing on a street corner. For some reason this brings back to Gail her mother always reminding her that one should never eat food when in school uniform. I’m still trying to work out which particular item of our nomadic clothing bore even a passing resemblance to the Perth College uniform especially in my case!

Finally get back to Palais du Tau, where from the 9th century until the coronation of Charles X in 1825 all the Kings of France were crowned.

The Palace is now the museum of the architectural construction of the adjacent Cathedral and after the ravages of World War One both the Cathedral and the Palace are on the Unesco World Heritage List.

With very overcast skies and in the gathering gloom we decide to take a short drive to the northwest of Reims, through Trigny and the many other picturesque villages on the route back to Dormans. Another reminder of the natural beauty and the glorious autumn colours of the region.

Finish off our last day in Dormans by tucking into a lovely platter bought from Au Bon Manger, all washed down by a complimentary bottle of champagne from Isabelle’s son’s vignoble.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret