This morning we begin to get organized to pack and move on. Carolyn fixes breakfast, the last of the tuna sandwiches for a picnic and does one last load of wash...she has finally mastered the strange little washer. Dick stars gathering up all the electronics and camera stuff and putting it in the bags.
About 11 we head to Verdun to get a neat little souvenir we saw at Fort Doumont the other day. On the way we spend time checking out a couple of the small villages within a couple of KM from the cottage. The cottage is actually on the outskirts of Boureuilles so that is our first stop. Each village has its own little church and the Marie, the home of the city hall and the primary school. These building are usually very attractive. We fine them most interesting. Our own little cottage is just down this tree lines road that runs in front of the church and Marie.The house is at the dip in the distance.
We more on to another near by village....for some more pictures of the attractive architecture. We have fallen in love with this countryside.
One of the buildings we love are the little switch handlers’ homes. When we came to France with our daughter in 1987, these homes were where the person lived who lowered and raised the RR crossing guards for the passing trains...yes you read that right! Now there are signs just before the track crossing saying automatic signal, but the little houses are still lived in. There are some other interesting signs and road markers we try to get pictures of also.
It is a pleasant 30 minute drive over to the fort and we get our items. Then we stop at the museum
and head for a picnic area we saw on the way in. We have our sandwiches...think we will give tuna salad a long rest now! The picnic grounds is in an area of trenches, so Dick takes off to explore them.
He meets a English couple picnicking out of their motorhome who insist we stop for at least a cup of tea and a visit. After a delightful hour we say good bye and head to Verdun to see if we can check out the Cathedral. We are in luck and find a parking spot right by thr entrance. It is built in the 10th to 12th century Romanesque style andis on top of a small hill. It has had a hard life with all the wars found around it.
Back at the cottage, we have a champagne tasting party out on the patio. Carolyn fixes a plate of the various cheeses we have left and we start with the first of the three bottles we bought yesterday. The first bottle, LeMesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, is really nice and definitely tastes like more. So Dick opens the second bottle, Pol Roger Reserve. We both agree it is wonderful and Dick doesn’t even like champagne. We have a lot of fun trying the champagne and get way over served. After dinner of a salad, a side of pasta and grilled steak kebabs, we put packing off until in the morning and head to bed.
The last nine days in our little corner of France have been delightful. This is our second time to spend a week or more in a rural part of Europe and it was just as nice as the first time. We will definitely do this again...maybe Germany next.
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