Spring 2019

Montmédy 23 April 2019

Had a wander around Sedan this morning with a guide from the Tourist Information. Some of the buildings have serious bullets holes after 3 wars against the Germans. Tintin drove about an hour to the Citidal at Montmédy. On our own again! Didn’t think it warranted €5 to look around the ramparts so

23.04.19 - Last night caught up with Line of Duty - also read today that only a hand full of people actually know who ‘H’ is - enjoying it despite gruesome bits!Well, peaceful night - heard the bin men - but slept ok.

This is how we were to the Chateau entrance

Went for a walking tour around Sedan in the morning. There were more people around and about yesterday, even though most of the shops were closed! Went into the huge church of Saint Charles Borromeo (large picture in yesterday’s blog near bottom!) In 1593 started out as a Protestant church, but after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685 - it was turned into a Catholic Church! It’s very austere inside! Of all the guides we’ve received from tourist offices, think this is up there with the best. Very informative with walking tours and highlights from both before and after the French Revolution. Sedan faced battles in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war, four years of occupation from 1914 to 1918, and it was captured in 1940. Since 2013 it has been part of a national restoration plan for old dilapidated city areas - they’re doing a good job!

La Meuse runs through the town too. We had to laugh, a supermarket trolley was cordoned off - looks like it had been recovered from the river. Why it hadn’t been disposed of - don’t know!

The barriers were cable tied to the railings like its permanent!

Mum - saw the picture of the owl 🦉- and thought of you!

After lunch, yes another baguette (have to take advantage whilst I can - might be in Luxembourg 🇱🇺soon!) - Tintin drove for about an hour to Montmédy. Another easy drive, roads ok, seemed like just one main road which went through a number of towns/villages.

We parked up and walked up the hill to the citadel. It’s like a ghost town! Fair to say it needs a lot of time and money spent on it! Once again, lots of information from the tourist office. Walked all around the inside walls, but didn’t really feel the need to pay to walk the ramparts. Besides which, we hadn’t turned the gas on! (meaning our fridge wasn’t being kept cold!). The only other people we saw had turned up in their camper van with their dog - looked around like us - then drove off!

I think it’s a bit early in the season for the café to be open

Beautiful views to look out over. It was actually quite chilly walking around, so spent the afternoon drinking tea, eating a pain au chocolate, whilst I finished off my third book.

Tea was a very easy Smokey tomato and pepper stew with pesto butter bean mash. So far, it’s easier to cook this trip - stocked the cupboards and brought some simple recipes with us from The Food Medic and some from Joe Wicks to supplement usual cooking.

Tintin cleaned the front windscreen. Gross how many dead bodies on there!