Paris Silmo fair trip in J on SQ, with extended travel after.

[Tassieoptom]

More zoo and wandering including Ruben’s house

 

[Tassieoptom]

Today was a drive from Antwerp to Versailles throughout the various cemeteries of the Somme region, we shed tears today as the young Australians shed blood all those years ago. These pictures were from a small Australian field Hospital cemetery outside Pozieres. It was tiny, beautiful and perfectly tended, in the middle of tended fields.

A special note the following pictures may include names/graves of relatives of yours, we found no relatives today. Rest assured, all due respects were paid and the graves are in impeccable condition, no mater the size of the cemeteries.

 

[Tassieoptom]

We also visited several other cemeteries and memorials, both Australian and British. My ignorance was surprised by the number of Canadian grave stones. We even met a Canadian historical film maker, in full historic uniform, riding a pony through the war memorials in the Somme, it was surreal. It was at the Pozieres memorial.

A special note the following pictures may include names/graves of relatives of yours, we found no relatives today. Rest assured, all due respects were paid and the graves are in impeccable condition, no mater the size of the cemeteries.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Villers-Bretonneux Australian Cemetery and new Sir John Monash centre behind. This was an immense space with intense emotion. The new centre feels out of place, not sure I approve of the way it has been done. But every one who can should stop here. In some ways the tiny field hospital cemetery was more emotional, but this cemetery was for us the last we could emotionally visit. The day has drained us more than I can say.

We found none of our relatives, but if you see your relatives here, or if you lost family in France please be aware that the graves are being lovingly tended and cared for.

 

[Major]

If you are looking for a relative you could look at Search - The War Graves Photographic Project

 

[OZDUCK]

[QUOTE="Tassieoptom, post: 1849756, if you see your relatives here, or if you lost family in France please be aware that the graves are being lovingly tended and cared for.[/QUOTE]

I agree. We visited my 19 yr old Great Uncle's grave in a small cemetery a few miles north of Villers-Bretonneux. His grave was beatifully kept, as was the whole cemetery.

Keep up the good report.

 

[drron]

I visited the small cemetery just outside Fleurs where a great uncle lies at peace.Very small cemetery but beautifully preserved and presented.

 

[OATEK]

View attachment 139810 View attachment 139811 View attachment 139812 View attachment 139813 View attachment 139814 View attachment 139815 View attachment 139816 View attachment 139817 View attachment 139818 View attachment 139819 Villers-Bretonneux Australian Cemetery and new Sir John Monash centre behind. This was an immense space with intense emotion. The new centre feels out of place, not sure I approve of the way it has been done. But every one who can should stop here. In some ways the tiny field hospital cemetery was more emotional, but this cemetery was for us the last we could emotionally visit. The day has drained us more than I can say.

We found none of our relatives, but if you see your relatives here, or if you lost family in France please be aware that the graves are being lovingly tended and cared for.

We had the privilege of attending the Dawn Service at VB in 2017, and it looks very different in your photos without the seating and equipment. It looks clean, peaceful and I hope to get back again on a similar day next year.

 

[VPS]

Excellent and some quirky photo compositions. Thanks for the memories. I followed my great uncles footsteps around the Somme. Born in rural SA and died aged 21 and they never found his body.

 

[OZDUCK]

Excellent and some quirky photo compositions. Thanks for the memories. I followed my great uncles footsteps around the Somme. Born in rural SA and died aged 21 and they never found his body.

Some of the stories you read/hear are so sad. It took nearly 20 years for my relatives body to be found and luckily his tags were still readable. He survived Gallipoli, to be killed early on in the "Big Push" of 1916.

 

[VPS]

The same with my great uncle. Survived Gallipoli and died in November 1916 on the Somme

 

[Tassieoptom]

After we finished up at the Somme, we continued south to Versailles for two nights. We arrived late in the day about 5.30pm and walked to the palace which was still open, but decided not to go in as we thought we had the whole next day to do so. ( bad choice as it turned out ) Instead we explored the town, which we had not been able to do in the past.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Excellent and some quirky photo compositions. Thanks for the memories. I followed my great uncles footsteps around the Somme. Born in rural SA and died aged 21 and they never found his body.

Thank you for the kind words, I am a painter in my near nonexistent spare time, so try to take photographs that I would like to paint. So perhaps that gives me a different perspective. The Canadian chap we met said his Great grandfather fought in the area so hence his pilgrimage. Was surreal to see a soldier in uniform on horseback with two rifles at Pozieres. After meeting him I took more notice of how many Maple leaf tombstones there were.

 

[Tassieoptom]

The following day we went to the gates before opening time and there was a sign saying the Palace and grounds were closed today. Striking workers apparently. So no visit for us this trip, we flew home the next morning. Made us think strike and the history of the palace were inexorably linked, so thought we would go ‘eat cake’. Then we found a crepe bistro that had as it’s motto ‘crepes are love’ so we had crepes and rosé for a long lunch. Then wandered around more of the township. Will include a couple of posts with the photos. We took a lot considering. Most of these were before the delayed 10.30am opening we were informed of at the gate.

 

[Tassieoptom]

So we went back at 10.30am, there were a lot of buses and a lot of people. And the word was 11.00 to open, so we went to get crepes. Overheard at crepe bistro, was it was to be 12pm, so we made a decision to have a longer lunch, have more courses etc. eventually we wandered back towards the palace gates. Still shut.

 

[Tassieoptom]

So we explored some more.

 

[Tassieoptom]

And more

 

[Tassieoptom]

Then it was time for more drinks and food.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Then the CDG-SIN flight SQ J A380 seats 96 row in the centre. ( best seats in the plane I feel, more private than a traditional bulkhead)

 

[Tassieoptom]

More from the A380