Peronne

An earlier start this morning. Needed to get to a supermarket before we went very far. 

Shopping for groceries in a foreign country is interesting. At times you are not quite sure what things are so we tend to stick with a smaller range of options like Lidl. The Auchan supermarket we went to a few days ago has so many different options that it becomes a much more difficult task. 

The Lidl store in Albert must be one of their new design stores. It has many features that we haven't  found in other Lidl stores. The outside look is one of clean lines and the entrance area is so much different than  normal. The layout is much the same but it is far more spacious. 

 

The new Lidl store in Albert. Escargot aux raisins today's taste test!

The town of Albert was another of the Somme towns that has had to be totally rebuilt after the destruction due to war. We decided to move on to Peronne. Throughout the drive we passed numerous military cemeteries - most no doubt with the remains of the very young just on the verge of becoming young men. All very sad. 

 

The statue of  a Scottish soldier and bagpipe player in the village of Albert. 

Horse and cart collecting the garbage in Albert. 

 

We had visited Peronne a few years ago but it is worth another visit. The day was warming up so we looked for a shady parking area - and found it. Parked near the lake in a cool place before we walked into town. 

 

The ruins of the 13th century castle now forms the basis of the Musée de la Grande Guerre (Museum of the Great War).

 It is interesting to see the references to Australia around the town and on the plaques.  A street, Avenue des Australiens,  has been named in memory of the efforts in liberating the village in 1918. In this avenue is the memorial of the battle of Mont Saint Quinton. 

 

The Aussie digger at Peronne. 

The day was not getting any cooler so late in the afternoon we wandered back to the van and the shade. 

 

Up front and central - the Dog's Saloon. 

 

A colourful tea set!

Le Pub - new French word.  

The car dominated central square in Peronne. 

Doullens

On the move again today- but not too far! The scenic route between Saint-Riquier and Doullens is quite stunning agricultural land. The patchwork across the landscape was even more prominent once we climbed the small hill around Bernaville creating a view down across the valley. 

 

Potatoes, wheat, beet, rapeseed, corn and beans crops across the landscape. 

 

A blue hew across a crop puzzled us for a while. Later we found that it was the linseed crop - for oil and linen making. Many farmers had planted this as a crop. 

Our destination, Doullens, is a busy town with interesting links across history. In the Middle Ages Doullens was unfortunately a border town between the powers of the day: French King, the Spanish-Netherlands and the Duke of Burgundy. After having been sacked, burnt and changed hands on many occasions - bits and pieces have remained. To more modern history it has seen dramatic meetings of the powers during the WWI and then controlled by the Nazis during WWII. 

We took a wander around the town where we found a number of interesting features. 

 

The Citadel is perhaps the most famous feature: built in the 16th century to defend this border town, but in fact it never saw a siege! It is the largest citadel in France. 

 

At some stage there was an Australian connection to the Citadel - this printout of graffiti at the citadel was presented to us in the Tourist Information Office with the French folk asking did we know what the lettering around the rising sun meant. We didn't know - do you?

 

The Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) where in 1918 it was agreed upon that the French General, Foch, become the overall commander of the Anglo-French forces to counter the Germany Spring Offensive. The decision was decisive in the outcome of the war. 

 

Delightful walks around the parks and river. 

 

The Belfry- built in 1363 with exterior of brick and stone - called "rusticaton". 

 

In the Church of Notre Dame was this National Treasure - the carving The Sepulcre. Looking closely it is said that, being a border town, the Spainish influence is pronounced - the elaborate clothing, the faces etc. 

 

And this old Citroen beautifully restored. 

Day 2: Saint-Riquier

A much cooler day today but still relatively pleasant. 

Such an interesting village so we decided to stay another day. Went for another walk around the village this morning. It was the first time we needed warm tops on for a long time - not accustomed to that! 

 

Hard up for photos today! Cooking dinner last evening. 

Often when we have traveled in Europe we lose contact with radio news. So far this trip we have been able to pick up BBC Radio 4 on the van radio - at this stage we have become experts on the British elections! The analysis has gone on all day for the past three days. It was interesting to hear that the French had a low turnout of voters but the new centrist party of Macron has swamped the other parties. 

Spent time catching up on some reading and just sitting around this afternoon - very pleasant too. 

 

The twelve apostles carved expertly above the main entrance to the Abbey. 

 

 Love this advert for a beer on a wall in the village. . 

Saint-Riquier

What a quiet spot to stay overnight. Even the Abbey bells rung out at a reasonable hour. With no plans to move on today we settled in for a leisurely breakfast before going for a long walk around the Abbey and the town. 

 

The facade of this great Abbey church in Saint-Riquier as it looked on our walk around the village. . 

Someone couldn't go past the boulangerie and just happened to be tempted! A mille-feuille - always an impossible temptation to overcome. 

 

Didn't last long!

The day was so pleasantly warm that we chilled for most of the morning. Later in the afternoon we went for a tour through the Abbey. To think that there has been an Abbey here since the 7th century AD! The present Abbey was built in the 12th century and is often thought to be one of the best example of its gothic style in France. 

 

The intricate carvings on the front facade - exquisite!

 

Inside the Abbey church. 

 

Views around the Abbey grounds. 

The ancient barn in the Abbey grounds. 

 

Espaliered apple trees throughout the grounds forming hedges a youngie and an oldie!

Another Election Day! This time it is the French elections for their parliament. A slow trickle of voters filing though the booth that is opposite us. Voters seemed to be relaxed going into to vote, but police security was noticed around the booth. 

 

These election advertising boards were the only indication of the election - nothing at all around the village or countryside. 

Such a lovely village and a great stopover,  we might consider a further night here ! Or maybe not - wherever the wind blows us!

 

Waking up to the view of the Abbey is rather pleasant. 

 

The bakers at The Barne. 

Abbeville -Saint Riquier

Well at last, on the move today. Awake early and away at a reasonable hour. Leaving Pas de Calais Department and entering the Somme Department. Again, passed through some very impressive agricultural regions. The crops ranged from wheat/barley to potatoes, beans, peas, maze and rape seed - all looking very healthy. 

We made our way down to Abbeville. Called into Lidl to replenish our supplies before heading into the centre of Abbeville. 

We wandered around Abbeville taking in some of the offerings of the city. The two old structures that stand above their surroundings are the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Belfry. Both buildings have suffered over the centuries from conflicts and have had much reconstruction done over time. 

 

The main square in the city with cafe and bars dotted around its perimeter. 

 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre built shortly after the 100 Years War (1337-1453) - built on marshlands with great problems of the building sinking, as can be seen by the build at the right rear. 

 

Elaborated  and interesting stonework decorating the portals of the church. 

 

The Belfty built 1209 is one of the most ancient belfries in France. elaborated stone work around the doors. 

It was here in September 1944 that Helene's father was part of the 1st Polish Armoured Division that liberated the city. In the process Marian's tank was destroyed and he had to wait for a replacement to arrive. This was the second of his tanks destroyed in two months. 

 

 Marian September 1944. 

We stopped for the day beside the Somme River. Being a warmer day we appreciated the cooling breeze from the river. 

On our walk around we came across some other interesting features around Abbeville. 

 

Eclectic items around the shops. 

 

Some art in a gallery. 

 

And of course the interior of the Holy Sepulchre. 

Late in the afternoon we drove a short distance to the town of Saint Riquier. The Abbey at Saint Riquier was one of the major centres of learning in Medieval Europe. The great library held here encouraged scholars from all over Europe. In fact, the first French text was written here in 842 AD. 

 

The Abbey of Saint Riquier, thought to be still one of France's most beautiful buildings. 

This is a great village to spent the night - even the next couple of nights - a lot to see tomorrow.