I awoke to water splashing on my head. What the heck?! A wood pigeon had landed on the tent causing drops of condensation to fly. I smacked the roof of the tent to dislodge the bird (and got more drops for my trouble)and realized I was not going to get back to sleep. The sun was just coming up over the trees, so I got dressed and went off in search of coffee, the stove being out of fuel. The bar I had eaten in the night before was closed, but there was another nearby that was open. I ordered a big coffee and asked if they had any croissants. They didn't sell food, but told me I could go across the street to the bakery and bring back whatever I wanted to eat. I got to the bakery just as the croissants aux amands (almond croissants) were coming out of the oven. Yum, my favorite! (I really indulge myself on these tours, don't I?) Back to the bar for breakfast. The sun was well up by the time I got back to the campground, so I began a leisurly packing up which gave the tent a chance to dry out. I used the wifi in the campground to check the weather. Thunderstorms were being predicted for the evening hours, so I decided I would end my day in or near Amiens and (hopefully) find a cheap hotel. I rode out of Peronne northward, and was almost clobbered at a roundabout by an impatient driver. My adrenalin up, I got onto the back roads ASAP. And continued on my way. My first goal of the morning was Bray-sur-Somme, where I arrived withoout further incident. After getting my card stamped at the mairie, I looked around town for something of interest, but really there isn't much there.
I was now entering the area where some of the worst battle of the first world war were fought. Here is the strangely decorated monument in Bray.
Along the way, I came upon this Scots flag in a country churchyard. Apparently the entire regiment, including most of the Midlothian football club, got wiped out in the fighting. There were numerous paper wreaths from relatives in Edinburgh around the plaque noting the event. Very sad.
Pozieres is surrounded by graveyards for fallen soldiers, mostly British and Australian, but also Canadian, South African, French, and German. There's a small bar there that serves sandwiches and after visiting several monuments, I went in for lunch. I met two Ozzies, a husband and wife, in the bar who were on a trip to find the grave of the husband's uncle who had died in the second world war but had stopped to pay respects to their countrymen lost in the first as well.
The Newfoundland regiment was positioned a little farther down the road. The site is maintained by the Canadian government and staffed with a uniformed Parks Canada guide.
The area is full of preserved trenches and unexploded bombs. Walking off the paths is NOT advised, and there is electric cattle fencing to remind you not to stray!
This is what they were fighting over. The bombs have been mostly cleared away, but every so often somebody finds an intact bamb. A construction crew set off a phosphorus grenade when I was in St. Quentin. Nobody hurt, but scared the stuffing out of them.
I didn't take too many more photos. I got very emotional looking at all the reminders of carnage, so I proceeded in the general direction of Amiens. Once there, I found an inexpensive hotel near the railway station.
A nice place to stay. My room was on the ground floor in the front. A little noisy, but comfortable. The owner put my bike in her garden out back for safe-keeping.
I wandered around Amiens waiting for the restaurants to open up for dinner. The cathedral is well worth a look.
Its impossible to get far enough back from the cathedral to get it all in one shot. This is the upper part of the front (west) side. Restoration work is ongoing.
