Paris and Arras

I’ve just realised I haven’t written anything about our second day in Paris. I went with the group going to the Louvre. I don’t really know anything about art nor even particularly like the type of stuff they hold but I thought it would be worth a visit. I made the pilgrimage to see La Joconde (the Mona Lisa) and then was at a loss at what else to see in the 2-3 hours we were there. I guess I found it interesting enough but I wouldn’t go again unless I had something specific to see. Having said that, I don’t feel dissatisfied with having gone since I expected it to be like that. I gather the guys who went to Versailles had a great time. We spent that afternoon at Montmatre amongst throngs of tourists and hawkers trying to catch your wrist in ‘friendship bracelets’ which they weave on  unsolicited then demand money for.

 Today was all Battlefields in the Somme. First visit was to the Newfoundland Cemetary which was interesting since at the time, the Newfoundlanders (?) were independent of Canada and formed their own battalion. Went on to the Lochnagar Mine crater which was absolutely immense and then several large cemetaries and the Thiepval monument. They’re very calm places and it was nice to just to spend some time wandering around in the sun contemplating. Im sure theyll only get more profound.