Going Slow
France is our favourite country, so for the next couple of days we are going slowly. This morning we got up late, then spent some time chatting to our Dutch neighbours, Menno and Kirsten, so it was 11.00 before we pulled off our camping pitch.
The morning started cool, but soon warmed up. We drove through small country roads. It is very easy to see how important agriculture is to the French economy. As far as the eye could see there were golden fields of harvested grain.
As it has been such a hot summer, farmers have been able to harvest early and with perfect conditions. France is a large producer of grain. The fifth largest exporter of wheat in the world and a large exporter of cereals. What is good for arable farmers, is not so for dairy or beef farmers, though. The fields are scorched and there is little grass. Already supplementary feed is being given to livestock. Hay and even straw. Having grown up on a farm, I always thought straw was only used as a bedding material on the floor in winter, when cattle are inside. Apparently in France straw can be used during drought conditions or in severe winters when good quality hay and silage are in short supply. It has little goodness, so other supplements are necessary.
Verdun
We decided to stop in Verdun. The city has been the scene of many wars over the years and is heavily fortified. Many different engineers have been involved in the building of the defences. Verdun was the site of one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the First World War, between the French and the German armies. It resulted in roughly 700,000 to 1 million casualties. We stopped just outside Verdun and visited a French grave yard. It was like walking on cinders. The grass was so dry is was crackling beneath our feet.
Stopping in Verdun
We visited the First World War Museum Cafe and had a coffee/hot chocolate, before walking along a mural depicting scenes from the First World War, with copies of letters from soldiers. We couldn’t do a tour of the fortifications. These are organised tours and were sold out for today. Instead we walked around the outside of some of the walls. The entrance to Verdun and the fortifications are lined with statues.
Inside the City
It is a pretty city on a river, so we thought we would find a riverside parking place to have lunch. Sadly parking by the river wasn’t permitted, so we stopped in a town car park. After lunch we carried on through country roads to Fourmies and our campsite. When we arrived at the gate it showed it was a four star site, so we expected it to be expensive. It was EUR14.40. I think the cheapest site we have stayed at.
All was fine until mid evening. In front of our camping spot was a large marquee and a small stage, to which a lady singer arrived. The marquee filled with campers with their drinks and music started. We expected it to stop at 10 pm. Most campsites have a rule where quiet is required after 10 pm. However, it was Saturday evening, and with entertainment, this rule obviously didn’t apply. Dennis was getting quite agitated as he couldn’t sleep and it went on until well after 11pm and then children were still running around making noise. Eventually we nodded off.
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