Saturday, 11 October 2014

Out of the ashes...

There are villages in this area which were destroyed in World War 1 and which have been left as memorials to those who died or were displaced to other parts of France, never to return. There was nothing for them to return to.  Sometimes churches were left or memorial chapels built and services are usually held once a year.

Yesterday we found a village which too was completely destroyed but which was partially re-built.  It is called Regnéville-sur-Meuse.





A notice board shows the re-build after the war

From the notice board, the nearby village of Samogneux and The Meuse Heights in the distance

 


 A pretty garden adjacent to a picnic area...


and a pathway to the river


The village is now a pretty and peaceful place which has risen out of the bitter ashes of WW1.

2 comments:

  1. This kind of story makes me thankful for the EU - partly formed to avoid more European wars. Here in the UK we find it difficult to appreciate the damage done in WW1 and WW2. In parts of France this is much more obvious.
    Thanks for bringing this place to my attention.

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  2. And thank you, Alison, for the read and your comments. Places like this certainly make one think. I hope to get to some other destroyed villages with my camera...we have visited several, some with old photos of the villagers in situ which I found very moving.

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