It would be possible to feel quite sad in the areas of the north of France that were the sites of so much death and destruction and are the final home of so many of the young people who went to war. I thought a lot when I was there about the collective memory of the towns — how the past must permeate even today's generation and the small children growing up there, surrounded as they are by so many reminders of what took place there.
But maybe I'm projecting and maybe if one lives there, it's so much a part of life that it has less effect on the residents than it has on the visitors.
The fact is, the people who live in Arras live in a very attractive town and the people whom we saw out on the streets, in the restaurants, in the shops seemed to be enjoying life so what can I say?
Because the weekend has come and I've had a disorganized and distracted day, I'll just share some photos with you. Our tour guide said, in his opinion, Arras has one of the prettiest town squares in all of France. The town squares are surrounded by a unique architectural ensemble of 155 Flemish-Baroque-style townhouses. The Town Hall belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What do you think of Arras?
Oh it is beautiful. I visited Brittany one year for a friends wedding. I absolutely loved it. Would love to buy a little farm house there. Actually we came across an old stone farm house that was for sale at a price of $500. Canadian. The price wasn't the object, it was the commitment of restoring and commuting.
ReplyDeleteLove those old European cities.
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