going to verdun

[Guest sanfermin]

leaving for verdun next wednesday! cannot stop thinking and planning for it. i really appreciate all of the tips and suggestions from everyone. they have been very helpful. we decided to forgo thionville and just stay in verdun longer. i am glad we did that. we are staying at the village gaulois, and from what it looks like on the web, i think we are going to try and rent bikes to get to the battlefields, unless it is raining. we are pretty hearty riders, so if we are within a reasonable distance, i think that will be cool. does anybody have any idea what the weather conditions generally are with regards to rain and temp? we'll be there sept 26-30, if anybody will be there, let me know and we'll get together for dinner and beaucoup de vin. au revoir!

[bluedog]

Sanfermin

G'Day

For your trip to Verdun I reccommend that you contact

Christina Holstein, either by private e-mail

[Christina is a well respected forum member]

and in my mind, Christina has forgotten more about

Verdun than most people will ever know.

Enjoy your visit, I thoroughly enjoyed both of mine

Peter

[Christina Holstein]

Hi Sanfermin,

Try this address for the weather at Verdun:

http://meteo.club-internet.fr/partenaire/c...?num_ville=5738

You can hire bikes in Verdun - I think you have to go to the tourist office. There used to be another place you could hire them but I think it's closed now. At the Memorial de Fleury, on the battlefield, you can get a little brochure of walks and bike rides. You can also buy there, in the forts, the Ossuary or in the bookshop on the main street of Verdun, a 1:25000 map called 'Forêts de Verdun et le Mort-Homme: Champ de bataille de Verdun" That has walks marked on it, plus all sorts of other interesting features.

You should note that the firing range to the north of Ft. Douaumont is in use on Mondays and Tuesdays and access to any of the ravines leading in the direction of the firing range is prohibited on those days.

I had a fascinating visit last week to Jean-Paul de Vries' private museum in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon. You can check it out at this address: http://home.tiscali.nl/~otis//jpmuseum/ or call him on 0033 3 29 85 10 14. It's open by appointment and he speaks English. It's an amazing place.

If you want somewhere good to eat, try the Pizzeria Toscana, which is right behind the fortified gate at the end of the bridge over the Meuse (you can't miss it). In the little street behind the restaurant (parallel with the river), there is the Table d'Alsace and a bar called the Estaminet, where the owner makes his own beer. If you walk along the quai by the river towards the other bridge, there's a nice little Turkish place called Snack Istanbul. I eat there a lot and recommend the Turkish rosé!

It's beautiful weather here at the moment - sunny and warm with bright skies and a nice wind. Just the weather for cycling. You'll enjoy the Village Gaulois. Ask the owner if there's any chance of visiting Fort Marre - the village of Marre has recently bought it for opening up to the public. He might be able to give you a private visit.

Tell us all about it when you get back. You'll have a wonderful time. Sorry I can't join you - work gets in the way of the good things in life.

Christina

[Guest Battle of Verdun]

A supplement to Cristina's post about the museum of Jean-Paul de Vries mentioned above. At www.battleofverdun.nl new article is published about this great collection, click on special in the menu for the article. The website of Jean-Paul is not really up to date and because of that it does not shows how the museum looks nowadays..

I have been there several times and every time it is fascinating!

[Chris Boonzaier]

I will be at Estaminet (the bar mentioned) on Thursday night 18:00. if anyone here will be in the area.

All the best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Is the famous "Le Coq Hardi" a place you MUST see?

[paul guthrie]

Table d Alsace is real good. Coq Hardi was years ago but unless things have changed for better last 2 years it had gond down real badly. Hotel St Paul was great but a few months ago Christina said restaurant was close, see if it's on agian, really good.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I will be at Estaminet (the bar mentioned) on Thursday night 18:00. if anyone here will be in the area.

All the best

Chris

I Sanfermin,

I will be at the Estaminet on Thursday and Friday 18:00 to 20:00.

See if you can make it and I will let you buy me a beer. ;-)

Would be interested to hear what you have seen.

All the best

Chris

[Christina Holstein]

The Coq Hardi's restaurant is very good but very pricey. The breakfast buffet is excellent but so it is at the Prunellia, which is cheaper. The CH's rooms are variable - that is, they are all very nice but some are rather small. There are two with double beds but having slept in both of the beds I can tell you that if you're any taller than I am - 5' 3" - the beds will be too small! There's some nice antique furniture in the hotel and it has a central location but it is by far and away the most expensive place in town and parking is difficult. The hotel has a private car park some distance away but having been recently in Verdun with friends that parked a car there, I can tell you that the parking charge there is 12.5 euro/night!

The St. Paul's restaurant is closed except for breakfast.

Christina

[Alec Trevelyan 006]

I saw verdun a few weeks ago, but im planing to join the French Foreign Legion any tips what i should expect?

[derwisj]

Alec,

the legion is very very hard;

did you see their site?

http://www.legionetrangere.fr/leg/default_...l/framesfr.html

pascal

[Christina Holstein]

Alec - do you mean that you're seriously thinking of joining the FFL? Why? Have you read 'A mouthful of rocks'? I would have thought that the FFL was something to avoid at all costs.

Apart from that - what did you see at Verdun?

Christina

[CROONAERT]

Alec.

Think twice about what you plan to do. An old comrade and mate of mine (ex.III Para) joined about 7 years ago. He came out after his 5 year service a very disillusioned guy. He says that the image is far bigger than the reality. He found it very (too!) easy as compared with the British Army once he mastered the language and that, if he didn't install a fitness regime upon himself, he would have grown sloppy during his time. He was offered the chance to extend his committment, but decided (strongly)against it as he was "bored"!!! He also turned down the chance of French citizenship.

I don't know your nationality, but if you really want to join an elite and test yourself , sign up for the British Army (if you can). It's the best in the world!!!

Failing that, the Spanish Foreign Legion has the best motto!

Dave. ("Long Live Death" (Viva le Muerte - or something like that!) in case you were wondering)

[Chris Boonzaier]

I was 5 years in the legion (89-94) and found it depends on the guy and what he makes of his time.

I got to go to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Central Africa, Zaire, Tchad and Bosnia. I really can't complain.

If you are stuck in a unit that does a tour of Tchad every 2 years, or were in the legion in the mid 80s it could have been a drag, but there is no unit that is more active as far as operational postings.