Happy 4th of July!

To all our friends and family back in the USA we wish you a great holiday today!

For us we began our day at Compiegne contemplating the meaning of freedom and the sacrifice that is sometimes needed to ensure it. It seemed appropriate to spend at least some time today at the location where the "Great War" ended in 1918 but also where freedom was trampled by tyranny in 1940.

(above) JCW MCS at the World War I Armistice Memorial at Compiegne

At the Compiegne Forest, World War I came to an end when Germany signed the armistice inside a railway car that was then located on the memorial site. The future seemed to be much brighter. However, in 1940 a new world war saw the same parties in reversed roles with France capitulating to Germany in exactly the same location with the Nazi dictator present and enjoying the irony of the moment. After World War II the site was restored and today it remains a quiet and contemplative place. I recently heard William L. Shirer's 1940 live on-location CBS Radio broadcast to the USA that covered the events here after reading the book "World War II On the Air: Edward R. Murrow and the Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation" by Bernstein, Lubertozzi, and Rather. It really made the detour to Compiegne worthwhile.

(above) Contemplating the location where one World War ended and where the French nation was plunged into darkness during the Second World War

360 degree panorama of the Compiegne Armistice Site

Reims

Our afternoon was spent in the city of Reims at the Great Cathedral. A shining example of gothic architecture, the Cathedral was the site of virtually every royal coronation ceremony. Reims is also in the heart of the Champagne region of France. We drove by famous Champagne producers; the most notable being Veuve Clicquot.

JCW MCS parked at the rear of the Great Cathedral of Reims

The front facade of the Cathedral

Jennifer lighting a candle inside the Cathedral