A b/w photograph from WWII (ca.1945)

My Leger (m.Theriault) grandmother and uncle in front of their Cool St. flat in Verdun, Quebec.

Related Posts:

In Living Memory: The Twentieth Century

Photo by: Pablojinko

In english: “Curiosity of the Day! Algeria will be in the 2010 World Cup of soccer in South Africa… Go Greens go”

Photo by: Pablojinko

I wonder whether the guy was happier because of his team’s qualification or because Metro put it on today’s front page.

Found at: Verdun and fifth avenue

Verdun (Quebec) 1956

A b/w photograph of my mother and me at my Theriault cousins’ Verdun flat.

Related Posts:

In Living Memory: The Twentieth Century

• Verdun in Black and White(1): Family Photographs from the 1940s/1950s
• Verdun in Black and White (2): Family Photographs from the 1940s/1950s

Back from the land of work and nothingness – I work a job in a political field, so the end of October and the beginning of November are busy times.

That is unimportant, though. I sit here on Veteran’s Day watching a Victory at Sea marathon. It is a fantastic piece of propaganda – totally dominated by the allies, but it is also pretty educational, and some of the film footage is amazing.

Also, the theme to it is delightful. I watched this as a kid quite a lot – we had no cable, so I got to watch a lot of PBS (and I got to watch the Bean television series. Totally underrated. But I digress).

It is Veterans Day here and all, and I am happy to see that nobody has flipped out and made the day over-dramatic and fake, but at the same time, it is a little somber how regular of a day this is. Granted, it began as Armistice Day and the end to World War I, which America avoided the worst parts of; but thinking about what the day commemorates – the end of a bloodbath, a disaster of a war, of poor leadership and the destruction of a generation in Europe – this isn’t a regular holiday. It commemorates something real.

I’m almost done with Laffin’s Jackboot and I also can’t help but think of the German side of today. World War I has, on some level, spun from the romantic notion of war, which it was before men went off to war, to the romantic notion of tragedy. Reading through the poetry of the soldiers at the front as well as about battles such as the Somme or Verdun, where immense amounts of men were killed, the tragedy is made clear. Not that World War I needs to be viewed totally in another light, but the stigma of tragedy is empty without an understanding of what that tragedy means.

Today is a day to honor veterans, and to also take a small step to understand the nature of war and why we honor those veterans – because they do deserve it.

On that note, I’m learning about Jeep Carriers and Destroyer Escorts. Serving on a DE seems like an awful job.

Bonfire night…and today the entire trip almost went bang on us.

Verdun to Reims was the planned trip today. 70 miles of open but mainly flat countryside should have been ok as long as the weather held up..We set off early and by 8.30am we were out of Verdun and out on the open road. Things were going well. The countryside surrounding the north of Verdun is as magnificent as it is sad. The land is littered with cemeteries and land still bears the marks of the savage fighting of early 1916 where the German army threatened to ‘Bleed France white’…

Then, 10.5 miles north of Verdun something bad happened. 4 spokes from my back wheel decided that they didn’t want to continue on the trip and snapped. The diagnosis wasn’t good, the bike couldn’t be ridden until some more spokes could be found…and in the middle of nowhere those spokes were not forthcoming.

The only option was to walk back to Verdun and try and find a place that sold spokes…so off we trudged, walking the 10 miles were had just ridden over..During that walk my heart sank so low…I was convinced that I was not going to be able to continue the ride…I started to think about how I would get home, and how I would face everyone having failed to complete the trip, those thoughts got me very depressed and I will be honest – I cried like a baby…it was a long long walk back to Verdun. Thankfully the rain was only very light, but the wind was still very strong and the walk was not fun. We found a supermarche but they didnt sell spokes, they did however sell spoke keys and so Steve set about trying to repair the spokes I did have and even took a few from the front wheel to put in the back one. It was freezing cold and the job was painful but he managed to replace 2 spokes. After a quick test drive in the carpark we then found out that Steve also had a puncture, so that needed to be repaired before we decided what to do next.

By this time it was gone 2pm. There was no way we could ride to Reims, and indeed we didn’t know if my bike could take the journey, so we decided to get the train. French trains are great – Mr Brown, pls take a few trips on the French railway system and make copious notes on how to improve our sorry national rail service.

We arrived in Reims about 6pm and then preceded to walk another 7 or 8 miles across town to our hotel.

So we have arrived at Reims, it is a very busy place with a remarkable cathedrale..we are off to St. Quentin tomorrow – 55 miles or so, I am not sure if the bike will make it to be honest, I will have to go careful with it, it could break at any moment and short of buying a new wheel or new bike (I went in to a bike shop in Reims only to be told to get out as they closed 3 minutes before) there will be no cure and it will be the Eurostar back to Blighty..

Fingers crossed for tomorrow let’s get this cycle ride back on track…

Day 4 of the cycle ride and our destination was the fortress city of Verdun. I was looking forward to getting to Verdun for two reasons, firstly it has huge significance for the First World War, and secondly, it meant we would finally get a rest day!

We set off from our Hotel Paradiso at about 9am but by the time we had stocked up on supplies it was nearer 10 before we got pedalling. The first 2 miles out of town were up a killer hill. I was expecting a long day and this was not the best start.. I didn’t really get much better either, the terrain was very hilly – we went through some wonderful countryside with tiny villages in valleys, but valleys been hills and that was not good. Also there was the weather. Gale force winds and torrential rain made things just miserable…At this point I think it is worthwhile to point out that Steve was wearing swimming trunks for the days cycling…red swimming trunks and a camouflage jacket…the mad fool.

The first 30 miles were tough…really tough, it seemed to be uphill all the time and the weather was appalling. We arrived at a place called Pont-a-Mousson around 1pm and in the space of 3 minutes were hit with a huge double whammy that nocked us both for 6…

First, I had to pay the best part of 5 Euros for 2 cokes…(did I swear or what). Then, no sooner had we finished hurling abuse at the cafe owner and got on our way that we say a signpost saying ‘Verdun – 69km! In proper distances that is about 40 miles…my heart sank.

Fortunately the road out of Pont-a-Mousson was flat and we made decent progress however our speed was severely hampered by the weather which was not letting up..by this point we resembled a couple of drowned rats..we stopped off at a small place and got some more supplies, including a small bottle of whiskey to warm us up a bit. Little did we know how grateful we would be for that whiskey later on..

We headed across open country for what seemed like eternity watching as the signposts slowly counted down the kilometers to Verdun. The light was fading fast and in a country where they seem to have forgotten about the street light, this was becoming an issue for us..

The hills reappeared again just as dusk fell, Steve’s back light lasted about 5 minutes before the rain got the better of it…luckily mine seemed to work ok…There was one hill that was too much so we had to get off and walk, I was about 50m behind steve and as he walked up to the top of the hill he was silhouetted against the the lights of the oncoming cars. which, mixed with the fog and rain, gave an eery yet poignant image reminiscent of a solitary soldier walking off to the front, it is an image I will not forget in a long time.

The last 10miles into Verdun were perhaps the longest 10 miles I have every had on a cycle, they were simply horrible. At the foot of the final hill I was so tired I just lay on the floor – I think I must have passed out momentarily until Steve shouted at me to get up and have some whiskey. It is that whiskey that got us up that final hill and into Verdun at about 7pm…We had done nearly 70miles, were freezing cold, soaking wet, and so very very tired..

World War I cemetery, Douaumont, near Verdun.  15,000 men are buried here.

click here for a random photo

There was a wreath laying ceremony when Richard and I visited the Ossuaire de Douaumont, near Verdun, this morning.

click here for a random photo

DC, a man after my own stomach, had been looking up MPT places as he was concerned about the recent lack of Chronicles of MPT posts. He found this place at Verdun Road that supposedly used buah keluak as one of the magic ingredients in its chilli sauce. Of course we had to find the next opportunity to go!

The stall is nestled in a coffee shop just by Mustafa’s, that emporium of everything you need in this world (except MPT). We ordered a bowl each, DC being a purist for my blog’s sake ordered meepok, while I on advice from some reports went for the meekia.

Each bowl came with a generous topping of fish dumplings, pork mince, sliced pork, fishball and a piece of crisp dried sole. I liked the gluey fish dumplings and didn’t mind the fishball. DC didn’t like the fishball though, he felt that it tasted too mass-produced. He was also pretty unlucky because his pork was undercooked and noodles soggy. For the former, he simply pushed the offending pink pieces away, but for the latter he had no choice but to slurp up the  soft pap. Why? The chilli was heavenly. I think it’s by far the best MPT chilli I’ve had. It was smoky with deep earthy buah keluak flavour and had plenty of kick. Complemented by the crisp lard pieces and a splash of black vinegar, this combination is to die for. Do yourself a favour and order the meekia. Mine was perfect. The best in a long while.

Ah Hor Teochew Kway Teow Mee
12 Verdun Road

At last, the Cycling the Line press release has now been issued. I sent it out to a handful of military/history magazines yesterday and it will go out to a wider audience later in the week..

Cycling the Line to Raise £10,000 for the Royal British Legion

2 Guys, 2 Cycles, 580 miles of WW1 trenches…and £10,000 for our soldiers.  

Two military history enthusiasts are soon to embark on a 580 mile cycle trip in an attempt to raise £10,000 for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. The ride will follow the WW1 Western Front trench system from the Franco/Swiss border all the way up to the Belgian coast, a fitting route as Britain this year bade farewell to the last remaining veterans of the Great War; Bill Stone, Henry Allingham and Harry Patch.

Scott Addington of Basingstoke and Steve Habbishaw of Slough are lifelong mates with a keen interest in military history. The duo are to set off via EuroStar at the end of October and aim to complete the trip on Armistice Day, 11^th November 2009.

The pair will be Twittering and blogging during their trip at www.worldwarone.wordpress.com in an effort to keep everyone updated on their progress.

Scott and Steve have been sponsored by Outstanding Branding, a specialist merchandise and clothing company who have produced Cycling the Line T-shirts that will be worn by the cyclists throughout the duration of their fundraising efforts, one of which has been sent to the patron of The Royal British Legion, HRH Queen Elizabeth II, and has been duly acknowledged in a good luck message from Buckingham Palace.

Speaking about the charity fund raising event Scott Addington is urging the public to support this year’s Poppy Appeal following the generosity and success shown in recent years and in line with the poignancy of the 2009 event.

“This year’s Remembrance Day will take on special significance as we remember Harry Patch and the other WW1 veterans who faded away this year, but there are many thousands of soldiers from The Second World War, The Falklands campaign, not to mention Iraq and Afghanistan, that need the help of the Legion. This is our small way of saying thank you to those who have served and continue to serve with the British Armed Forces.”  

Anyone wishing to get involved in the event by sponsoring Scott and Steve’s efforts can donate online at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

-ends-

The countdown is well and truly on for our bike ride for the Legion. Here is a quick rundown of the schedule for those that are interested…

Day 1 – We start on the Franco Swiss border at Pfetterhouse and cycle north(ish) through Seppois, Largitzen, Hirtzbach, Carspach, Altkirch, Aspach, St. Bernard, Balschwiller, Aspacht before arriving in the town of Thann at the foot of the Vosges Mountains. We plan to stay at Thann overnight and tackle the hills fresh on day two..

Day 2 – This is going to be a killer. From Thann we transend the Vosges going through Willer, St Amarin, Ranspach, Fellering, Oderen, Kruth, Wildenstein, Barmont, Belles-Huttes, Collet Jardin, Le Valtin, Habeaurupt, Plainfaing, Fraize, Vencheres, St Leonard before we arrive at the aptly named St Die after 70 plus horrid miles…where will probably feel like dying.

Day 3 – With the worst of the hills behind us we head off to La Pecherie, La Voivre, Etival-Clairfontaine, Raon-l’Etape, Neufmaisons, Pexonne, Fennevillier, Badonvillier, Montreaux, Ninhigny, Barbas, Blamont, Repaix, Igney, Avrincourt, Moussey, Maizieres, Bourdonnay, Lezey and finally Chateau-Salins were will will stop for a well earned overnight rest.

Day 4  sees us head upto Verdun, via Montauville, Limey, Flirey, Beaumont, Rambucourt, Apremont, St Mihiel, Rouvrois, Lacroix, Troyon, Ambly, Genicourt, Dreue, Haudainville and then Verdun.

Day 5 – Rest Day. We will take a day out at Verdun and do a spot of sight seeing around the Verdun battlefield.

Day 6 – Onward we go upto Fleury, Douaumont, Ossuaire, Charny, Marre, Chattancourt, Esnes, Avocourt, Vauquois, Varennes, Montblainville, Apremont, Charleyaux, Conde, Cernay, Rouvroy-Ripint, Fontain, Gratreuil, Manre, Aure, Sommepy-Tahure, Ste Marie, St Souplet, St Martin-l’Heureux, St Hilaire-le-Petit, Betheniville, Pontfaverger, Epoye, Lavannes, Pomacie, Fresnes-Les-Reims and Bourgogne before dropping a few miles south for our overnigh stay on the outskirts of Reims. There are a lot of town/villages in this list, it looks like it could be a long day!!

It really is a long, long way..

Day 7 – We head north out of Reims to Coivre and on to Villers-Franquex, Hermonville, Bouvancourt, Ventelay, Roucy, Pomavert, Craonnelle, Mon le Pantheon, Chavignon, Pinon, Anizy, Wissignicourt, Premontre, Septvaux, St Gobain, Deuillet, Andelain, Charmes, Danizy, Achery, Mayot, Brissay-Cholgny, Brissay-Hamegicourt, Sery-les Mezieres, Mezieres-sur-Oise, Itancourt, Neuville St Amand before finally arriving at St Quentin – a landmark place in our tour as it marks the start of the British sector on the Western Front…

Day 8 Sees us explore more familiar names to us British as we cycle up towards the Somme battlefields. Fayet, Fresnoy-le-Petit, Pontru, Verguie, Jeancourt, Montingny, Hervilly, Roisel, Marquaix, Tincourt, Peronne, Clery-sur-Somme, Maricourt, Carnoy, Ficourt, Bercorde before ending up at Albert where we stop.

Day9- Rest day on the Somme.  We will be taking a car and taking in all the sights of the Somme battlefield. I think this is going to be a cracking day.

Day 10 – From Albert we had north(ish) to Aveluy, Authuille, Thiepval, Hamel, Beaumont, Serre, Puisieux, Bucquoy, Ayette, Boiry St Martin, Arras, Bailleu sur Berthoult, Farbus, Vimy, Avion, and Lens were we are scheduled for an overnight stay.

Day 11 is a landmark day in our ride as it is the day we say Goodbye to France and Hello to Belgium. From Lens we move on to Benifontaine, Haisnes, La Basee, Lorgies, Neuve-Chappelle, Fauquissart, Retillon, Fleurbaix, Armentieres, Le Bizet (French Border) Ploegsteert, Mesen, Wijtshcate, St Elooi and finally to Ypres.

Day 12 (Rememberance Day) We start the day with a trip to the Menin Gate just outside Ypres where we will take part in the Remembrance Day sevice and then off we go to Potizje, Frizenberg, Zonnebeke, Paschendaele, St Juliaan, Poelkapelle, Madonna, Hothulst, Kierken, Diksmuide, Ijertoren, Stuivekenkerke, Schoorbakke, Ramsapelle, Belge, Nieuwpoort, Lombardsijde and Westende…where we have one or 5 beers before getting the ferry back home the next day…

We have raised ov£1200 so far but more is needed, please help any way you can by visiting www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

25 janvier 2006

I discovered the existence of this cute café while I was on my way to the police station to give my statement, to report my Ex-Roommate from Hell. I was feeling “not quite there” as I was walking and I took another route than the one I usually take to go on Wellington street.

As I was walking, I finally lifted up my head and saw the café. It was closed because it was late at night (after but some lights illuminated the sign that said “Bouchées de bonheur” – Bites of happiness. The café was painted in luminous pale yellow, I could see that they had a few wooden tables and chairs, and shelves of products I couldn’t identify.

A couple of days later I decided to go there (I didn’t have a coffee machine back then so I usually went out for my morning coffee). But I couldn’t find it. So I walked on different streets until I found it again.

I never regretted going there, I was always welcomed even if I could sit for hours writing. I went there with a book or homework. The owners eventually became friends and the usual customers became friends or nice acquaintances. It was a place I felt safe and it was a place to go while I was depressed. It was easy to be myself.

Proving that while all of my desires are, in fact, flagrant, but not all of them are 72% cocoa, I must admit a weakness for the Flagrants Desirs brand of chocolate my local IGA grocery store sells. Available in a variety of flavours, the dark 72% cocoa is my favourite, as I like my chocolate dark, but not too dark. The 72% cocoa is just milky enough to be sweet and creamy, but dark enough to satisfy my craving for that more bitter, earthy taste. There’s an extra-dark 85% cocoa, but I’ve found that anything above 80% is too dark for my tastes. I may be noir at heart, but not that noir.

Also available from this line are chocolates with dark cocoa nibs, as well as the dark orange, dark pear, and dark mint flavours.

Cocoa nibs (image via Gourmet Sleuth)

So far I have also enjoyed the dark cocoa nibs variety, which I find tasty but sort of troubling, since the cocoa nibs are pretty small and tend to come off as random grit in the chocolate. I didn’t really expect them to be hard, since I always visualize cocoa as a powder, but the nibs are actually hard specks of cocoa beans (as per the photo at left). The chocolate itself has more of an earthy dirt-like flavour, thanks to the nibs and the cocoa levels, which is interesting, though not quite the flavour profile I prefer.

As a fan of the original Terry’s Chocolate Orange (the one you have to whack on the table to split into individual orange “wedges”), I am very intrigued by the Dark Orange, but have not yet sampled its wares. I think this may be a winning combination, though the lack of whack may prove to be a liability.

The Dark Pear confuses me, since I’m not a big chocolate-with-fruit combo type of gal (and, in fact, tend to find this type of pairing quite abhorrent, barring the inherent deliciousness of the chocolate covered cherry and aforementioned chocolate orange), but in the interests of science, I may have to investigate this option. I just fear that it will go uneaten, as my husband hates the thought of sweet & savoury together, as well as chocolate plus fruit, so anything I don’t like in this department is definitely going to end up in the trash.

After Eight bar (image via Nestlé)

Dark mint? Obviously delicious. I mean, the York Peppermint Pattie and After Eight mints are proof that chocolate plus mint equals success, and anything darkly chocolatey is clearly a winner in my book.

Overall, I really like this line of chocolates, both for its dark chocolate and willingness to break out of the typically “acceptable” chocolate flavours, and also because it’s hella cheap. The grocery store near me sells these 100 gram bars for only $2.59. Comparably gourmet types of chocolates in this size range often retail for three to five dollars, so this is a rather nice bargain for those with a sweet tooth. I’m also addicted, so I tend to pick one of these suckers up once a week. As far as bad habits go, this one’s pretty cheap, so I’d encourage you to check out the Flagrants Desirs line if you see them at a grocery store near you.

In case you’re having trouble finding the Flagrants Desirs line of chocolates (I’ve noticed they’re not necessarily available at all IGAs), you can currently find them at the IGA at 5144 Bannantyne in Verdun, and you can also order them online for home delivery at the IGA online grocery website.