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Published: October 1st 2008
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Tuesday 1st October, 2008
The plan today was to move from Saint Quentin to Compiegne.
The journey was a little longer than we have been completing, we filled up with petrol first thing, only our second time since arriving.
Drove through all the minor roads, which we prefer to do, you get to see the sights that way, rather than just hammering along the main roads.
Stopped at a French Military Cemetery at Cambronne-Les- Ribecourt 2100+ mainly second world war. Laid out in circles, very few flowers.
Our first planned stop was the Chateau de Compiegne, which Pat had found in the guide books. A Royal / Imperial Palace. We arrived when it was closed for lunch, so popped across the road to Les Accordialles, the Madame was very much in charge of the place and gave her staff a hard time, a good quality restaurant. We had a plat du jour fish in tomato sauce and a spaghetti carbonara. Good food, we were told some of the vegetables were grown in her own garden and fussed over with great ceremony.
Back over to the Chateau / Museum, which kept us occupied for a couple
of hours. I was very underwhelmed when we arrived initially as it was not what I expected, but inside there is a lot to see and a great deal of information. It has apparently 1337 rooms. There is a large park behind it, but it had been raining while we were inside so we didn't look around.
We then moved off to the Clairere De L'Armistice, just outside Compiegne which is the site where the Armistice, was signed on 11 November, 1918, which stopped the war. Basically it was a train siding and both parties arrived by train in a clearing and after 2/3 days of talks, the armistice was signed. After the first war the place was turned into a Museum and site of special interest, the Train carriage was preserved. However, in 1940, Hitler made the French sign their Armistice in the same location and on the Train Carriage. He then moved the Carriage to Berlin and destroyed the Museum. The Carriage was later destroyed by the Germans before the end of the war, but in 1992 some parts of it were found, and are now in the Museum.
There is now a replica carriage on
the site and a new museum, telling the story of it all, and information about the Great War. A lot of photographs were on display that I have not seen in the many books I have read.
There is also a lot of Trench Art on display and we found one that looks exactly like the one, that I was given as a present. No photos were allowed in the Museum, so I can't show you it.
We moved off to our accommodation for the night, again at the Premier Classe.
Went for a walk and had a Quick Giant Burger and chips. Quick is the French's equivalent to McDonald's.
Weather not warm, rained but not on us.
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