Verdun
Day 3
It's always a heavy day when visiting war memorial sites, especially for those of us who had parents or grandparents who were serving in Europe during the first two world wars. On this outing, we toured Fort de Douaumont, the fort that protected the city of Verdun. We also saw the Douaumont National Cemetery and Ossuary, where French soldiers killed in WWI were laid to rest and the bones of 130,000 unknown soldiers are stored. 700,000 people perished here during the battles. The trenches around the fort are still there as they were in the early 1900's.
On a brighter note, we ended the visit with a great lunch at a nearby restaurant. It was good! Ham, chicken, pasta salad, slaw and apple cobbler with whipped cream for dessert!
Fort de Douaumont
The interior of the fort was very interesting. It was cold and damp and dark. It's so hard to imagine what life was like for the soldiers who spent months at a time living in such rugged conditions. Thousands of French and German soldiers lost their lives here. One tip if you're planning to visit, because it can be very cold and wet, dress appropriately.
