The Journey -
'Rosy' Soldiers On!

At this rather sombre time, perhaps the following is appropriate ... 

Us Brits, on our cosy little island, have escaped many of the worst ravages of recent wars.  In France it is a bit different.  The two world wars were fought (partly) between the protagonists on their soil, so that memorials seem (to me) to be that much more poignant. 

As in the UK, each village has its war memorial, mainly erected after WW1, and a few names added as a consequence of WW2. 

I've seen a few that start with the 1870/71 Franco-German war, which commemorates about the same numbers of people as the 1914-18 war.  And I've seen one that starts with these two, continues with WW2, and then goes on to commemorate Indo-China (Vietnam) and North Africa (Algeria). 

The wording on the memorials is subtly different to that found on British memorials.  Invariably, the British memorial wording is merely 'Their name liveth for evermore'.  A fine ideal, but an ideal, I suggest, that though said with the best of intentions at the time, is patently impossible.  Who will recall the fallen of these wars in, say, 5001?  Indeed, some of those who fell in WW1 are already nearly forgotten by their families. 

I find the French wording on these village memorials very much more moving. 

The commonest wording seems to be 'Nos enfants, mort pour la France' (Our children, [who] died for France), though a frequent alternative is 'Aux enfants de (name of village), mort pour la France' (To the children of ...). 

Some of the memorials list the fallen alphabetically, by the year in which they fell - some deaths being recorded in 1919.  And then, after the 1919 list, extra names being added for the previous years.  Several, also, have separate list headed 'Disparu' (lost/missing person). 

I saw one memorial which described WW1 as a 'Barbarous Invasion'. 

Then there are the chilling memorials to the Resistance.  They often list those who died under the headings 'Shot, imprisoned, deported'.

I was cycling through Vitry le Francois, and stopped at 'T'-junction, when I saw a plaque on a house.  'In this house on (date and time) was arrested (name) leader of the local resistance.  He was taken to (the local prison) and (not seen again)'. 

And again 'Near this spot (list of 4 or 5 names) were shot by the barbarous nazis'. 

It all makes my blood run cold. 

Right.  What next? 

Ah!!  French bread. 

French bread is one of those things that we are meant to swoon over, and say "Ah!!  Lovely!!". 

One moment please, I beg to differ. 

Your average baguette is pretty much inedible if attempts are made to chew on it if it has been out of the oven in excess of about 15 minutes.  It's too hot when it first comes out of the oven, so there is a brief window of opportunity between the 5th and 15th minute.  Thereafter, for the next couple of hours, it is used by body builders to tone up their jaw and neck muscles, and after that the best use is to soak it in paraffin or diesel and use it as an effective fire-lighter. 

There is an alternatively shaped bread, variously called 'ancienne', 'traditionelle' or 'un flute'.  It's like a baguette, except that at the ends it comes to a much finer point that is 100% crust - burnt crust.  These ends are somewhat reminiscent of a small dildo, so (presumably) could be used (in an emergency) as such. 

There is a thing which is usually called a 'pain' which has a light crust, enclosing some actual bread.  This is quite edible for 2 or 3 hours after being baked, but thereafter it's back to the body builders. 

I now understand why the French buy their bread 2 or 3 times a day, and why the bread shops are open on Sundays. 

Croissants are another much over-rated bready foodstuff.  They don't taste too bad, but if a two year old child left their plate in such a disgusting mess as a croissant plate invariably ends up as, then parental words would be dispensed, and behavioural adaptations and adjustments insisted upon. 

C'est la fin, pour aujourd'hui. 

Toodle pip!! 

Bill