For Francine...

In honor of keeping Francine informed of my work schedule, I just wanted to note that I have this weekend a four day weekend because I am currently living in a formerly German area of France... something about religion not existing in France (right, remind to blog about that later...) and it being persistent in Germany... or whatever... But because of this marvelous four-day weekend, I now don't work again until next Thursday.

How on earth am I suppose to move back to a country with a Puritan work ethic and a minimum 40 work week?


(I'll let you know after I've considered it during my trips around Eastern Europe... :D )

à propos...

Well not really, but I felt a need to share more of the Kate-Francine conversations.

PintSzGrad: i heard it was spring here, but it got cancelled

Hence, I think I'm really enjoying being in Europe at the moment! Yay for spring!

The one photo I remembered to get of the mutilated landscape in this area. This is from on top of Fort de Vaux. Even in the forests that have grown up on the land around there isn't a bit of level ground.  

The remains of one of the small trenches between the two main trenches on this hillside. Later we saw some better preserved trenches. I wish I had gotten a photo with one of the kids in it so you could better see the proportions of it.  

The Ossuary and the cementaries. Our goal at the end of 5 km. Taken at Fort de Vaux. 

The sleeping quarters for some of the French troops. The French would sleep two men to each bed, I suppose the double bed racks saved space. When the Germans took over the place they had so many troops to get inside that they dismantled the beds and put down straw for all the soldiers to sleep on.  

The washroom for all of the troops inside Fort de Douanemont. The lines that come down off the ceiling are mini stalagtites from all the dripping condensation inside - it's like this inside all the forts and citadels.