This morning we ate breakfast and prepared for our trip to Martinpuich (a small village near Amiens). Overnight, winter had descended on Verdun and as we travelled, after copious amounts af warm water all around the frost on the car, we discovered most of northern France as well. 
All day the country was covered in frosty fog. The landscape as a result was clothed in a white frost. There was reformed ice crystals on the car after our first stop and ice crystals still on our car side mirrors at our arrivals after travelling about 3 hours. Temperature we believe did not rise too much above 0 degrees.
All day the country was covered in frosty fog. The landscape as a result was clothed in a white frost. There was reformed ice crystals on the car after our first stop and ice crystals still on our car side mirrors at our arrivals after travelling about 3 hours. Temperature we believe did not rise too much above 0 degrees.
On the way out of Verdun, we visited Douaumont Ossuary just outside of town. 
The Douaumont Ossuary https://www.verdun-douaumont.com/en/ has interned some 18 000 War dead. France is currently undergoing a nationwide strike over pension changes, as a result we couldn’t enter Ossuary but could visit the war graves. We both found the visit as confronting. It was sobering and emotional to see all these lives lost, now resting in this one field. After being a place of horrific battles what a beautiful serene resting place it is now. Considering there is 70+ memorials and cemeteries around Verdun, the mind boggles at the stupidity of war. How many potential Da Vinci’s or Wright brothers were lost to the world?
The Douaumont Ossuary https://www.verdun-douaumont.com/en/ has interned some 18 000 War dead. France is currently undergoing a nationwide strike over pension changes, as a result we couldn’t enter Ossuary but could visit the war graves. We both found the visit as confronting. It was sobering and emotional to see all these lives lost, now resting in this one field. After being a place of horrific battles what a beautiful serene resting place it is now. Considering there is 70+ memorials and cemeteries around Verdun, the mind boggles at the stupidity of war. How many potential Da Vinci’s or Wright brothers were lost to the world?
We saw today, the fields and forests most beautiful and almost fairytale like until you really look, then you see bunkers, shell craters, and trenches still visible on the land. What must it have been like 100 years ago? How could anyone survive intact the savagery of 1st world war combat.
Douaumont Ossuary was also the site in the early 1980s when France’s President and Germany’s Chancellor agreed to put their respective countries’ past behind them. This signalled the shift in European relations critical to the later formation of the European Union.
Douaumont Ossuary was also the only place where we saw blue skies all day.
Originally we planned to visit the American cemetery at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery but Cos missed the turn, so instead we proceeded the 278km across France to the ‘Silent Picket’ located at 10 Grande Rue, 62450 Martinpuich. Amiens is the major town nearby, as Martinpuich is a sleepy French village in the Somme area. Our GPS or Cos’ driving led us through the back way to Martinpuich. As an unintentioned result we saw four cemeteries and passed through several small villages. 
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We got to experience first hand the infamous Somme mud. The mud is extremely sticky and unpleasant, so it is hard to believe people lived four years in trenches cohabiting with this vile stuff.
We got to experience first hand the infamous Somme mud. The mud is extremely sticky and unpleasant, so it is hard to believe people lived four years in trenches cohabiting with this vile stuff.
“The silent picket” B&B https://www.silentpicket.com/ is operated by a friendly and knowledgeable British couple in the village of Martinpuich. They specialise in World War One tours on the Somme which we plan to take on Saturday. Their lovely home is very welcoming to the traveller far from home. They have wonderful library of books and World War One artifacts that surpasses what we saw Verdun Citadel yesterday. We opted for a meal, which turned out to a very enjoyable feast. Very pleasant!
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