Supplies

The Resistance was active everywhere in France, and their fighters didn’t always take up arms. They were often ordinary people slowing, and frustrating the German progress. They were also intermediaries, enabling supplies to be collected and moved to where they were needed.

The Resistance in France didn’t fight their war alone. Friendly nations would fly in supplies to bolster specific actions and ensure the fighters had what they needed. So that these supplies could be picked up quickly and accurately there were specific codes, for the place and time of a drop, that were broadcast via ‘Ici la France’ on Radio Londres, a channel supplied by the BBC to Charles de Gaulle when he arrived in London in 1940. Our village of Viviers-sur-Artaut had its own codes. The closest drop zone was ‘Nicole’.

A typical message would be passed by incorporating a coded phrase, the name of the drop zone, and a specific time all within a sentence spoken during one of these broadcasts. The phrase would indicate the town or village where the drop zone would be closest. This would activate the Resistance member, or team, in that location.

Vivier’s coded phrase was, “Je joue sans atout”, or “I play with no trumps”. 

Never forget

August 1, 1944 - the Germans were approaching the forest around Mussy and nearby Grancey. They were aware of the Maquis of Montcalm, but did not know it’s true size and determination, or position. Locals, becoming aware of the German build up, had got word to the Maquis to warn them that the Germans were approaching and deploying their troops so as to surround the forest. It was a long night for the young men of the Maquis in anticipation of what was to come.

August 2 - The Réveillon farm, lofted in the heart of the forest, served as a meeting point for the volunteers, and there a planned approach for repelling the attack was shared. The Maquis took position at the nearby crossroads, ready to meet their enemy. The fighting lasted throughout the day, with the Germans weakened in their attack by lack of knowledge of the forest. They needed to bring in reinforcements, determined not to lose the battle and committed to eradicating the Maquis. However Montcalm made the tactical decision to withdraw. The Maquis was needed to support the liberation of Troyes, so a plan to leave the forest via Villers-Patras and cross the Seine at Pothières was hastily developed and the Maquis mobilised. They joined another maquis at Chaource and made their way together to help liberate Troyes.

“Never forget”, General de Gaulle said, “the flame of resistance does not go out”. There is now a very worthy and fitting monument located at the crossroads between Mussy, Essoyes and Grancey at the place where 49 young men lost their lives in the fight to free France that day.

Maquis Montcalm

The Maquis were rural guerilla bands of French resistance fighters, during the occupation of France in WW II. Vichy France were conscripting young French men to work in forced labour camps in Germany, this was known as the Service du Travail Obligatoire - STO. To avoid this, many of them escaped into the mountains’s and woods and organised themselves into active resistance groups called Maquis. 

In the forest between the valley of the Seine and the valley of the Ource, just near Mussy, a well organised maquis was formed and called The Maquis Montcalm. It was headed by Commander Marceau and Lieutenant-Colonel Émile Alagiraude, alias Montcalm.

It originally included around 200 french freedom fighters when it was created in the summer of 1944, but in just a month, it had over 1200 men, 850 of whom lived permanently in the woods. It had the discipline of a real army and organised itself into 6 companies strategically situated throughout the area. Their primary objective to come together with other Maquis in the area and help liberate Troyes.

The Resistance Museum

Mussy-sur-Seine is a pretty little village about 20 minutes drive from us. It has a small local market under the covered market building in the centre of the village every Thursday. Great place to buy the local soft cheese from, or fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and last time we went there was a very nice patisserie stall. All really fresh.

However the really interesting thing about Mussy is it’s history. I find that the local history, about how the resistance movement fought to protect France in this area, fascinating. When we first visited Mussy we were lucky enough to be some of the last people who got to see inside the old resistance museum – which traces the history of the Maquis Mussy-Grancey, also known as the Maquis Montcalm. I will share more on this in a later blog.

The Resistance Museum at Mussy-sur-Seine was unique in the department of Aube and the Grand-Est region, and was classified as part of a network of museums called the ‘Museums of France on the Resistance’, which means they have the support of the Ministry of Culture. It was a small museum with a unique local collection of information and physical objects donated by the resisters and their families, who experienced the delicate and dangerous times of occupied France. But it also provided a balanced view of pro- and anti-propaganda.

When we visited we were fortunate to have a presentation from a local resident who had lived through the war in the area as a young boy, and I remember him telling us that his mother used to have a very large map of France and the local area on one of their walls, which she used to have pins in that she moved around. I think at the time he thought she had it as a display item, but later realised there was probably more to it than that.

The museum closed its doors a few years ago, with the plan to renovate and relaunch as a more interactive, modern museum, but also keeping some of the old displays for added atmosphere.

Things have not gone according to plan. Obviously there has been some unprecedented delays due to the current situation. But the exciting thing is they have the funding to do the work, and are in the process of rebuilding. I can’t wait to visit it again when it’s completed.

Look at that beautiful blue sky, photo taken by Brian today.

This wasn’t on the list!

What’s going on here? This wasn’t on the list.

We had decorated the hallway by the front door a few years back, but when the new boiler went in we acquired some additional pipes in the hallway which caused a little damage here and there. I actually don’t mind pipes being seen, they are just part of adapting an old house, and I really like to see radiators especially when they are old. It looks like Brian has started to reveal the radiator in the hallway and removed the slatted cover. I’m just not quite sure what’s coming next!

Templars

I’ve been reading about the Templars to try and understand their importance in history, it appears that they were kind of the first international bankers. Back as far as 1095 Jerusalem had become a place of pilgrimage for Europeans, after it was taken from the Muslims in the crusades, but the journey was not a safe one, especially if you were carrying money.

Around 1118, a French knight by the name of Hugues de Payens, formed a military order, later to be known as the Knights Templar, that swore to protect the pilgrims visiting the city of Jerusalem. The move was popular with rich Christians, and the Catholic Church soon started to support them. Donations started to pour in, but the Templars took an oath of poverty, so the donations soon started to mount up. Their distinctive uniform of a Red Cross on a white tabard, made them distinguishable, and their reputation as hardened warriors preceded them, so soon their numbers readily expanded into thousands, and this enabled them to protect pilgrims from all across Europe travelling to Jerusalem. With their fortune amassing, they created banks in key countries to allow the pilgrims to deposit money at the start of their journey and travel safely across Europe, withdrawing it when they arrived in Jerusalem. They became a powerful financial force.

Toward the end of the 12th century the Knights Templar were forced from Jerusalem as Muslims reclaimed the city. They began a retreat that would find them centering their order in Paris, where they then fell fowl of King Philip IV, a french king who they declined to lend money to – not a good move. Their wealth was immense, and their plans for the order were bold, they were starting to become too powerful. King Philip was not happy. Soon many of the French Templars were taken into custody, and were falsely charged with crimes such as devil worshipping, homosexuality, and financial misdealings. The men were tortured and forced to confess their sins. King Philip asked Pope Clement V to launch his own inquiry, which would find them guilty as accused.

In the following 4 years, 54 Templars were burned at the stake in Paris. In 1312, King Philip, let’s say ‘persuaded’ Pope Clement to dissolve the order of the Knights Templar. They were disbanded and their followers dispersed. The Templars were ended.

Skirting around the issue

In the twin room, attached to the Jeroboam, we had an issue with the skirting, that did not appear attached to the floor. Brian has applied his creative thinking though to adapt the skirting we had in place without spending a fortune on wood. He had some smaller pieces of wood in the barn, which he was able to add a curved edge to, that he stuck to the existing skirting. This, as you can see below, has filled in the gaps we had between the skirting and the floorboards.

With some thought, foresight, quite a lot of sanding and filling, some white paint, and more importantly time, we are able to achieve some great results. I think the idea of adding the additional piece of wood has really tidied it up and brought the floorboards and walls together, rather than them looking like they are separating from each other.

Make room

I thought it was cold in Norfolk, but Brian shared it had got down to -10°c, now that’s chilly, and it just so happened he needed to get a job in the barn done ….. brrrrrh. Joel is coming this week to insulate the new studio room on the first floor of the barn, so Brian wanted to get the walls and floor cleaned down and ready for when he arrives. We had also started to move some items that we wanted to store over there, so he needed to ensure they were tucked out of the way as well.

It will be great to see the room start to come together as it’s a really sizeable space and we are both looking forward to being able to use it. The plan is Brian will build some storage along one of the walls, and we have a big glass topped table which we will place in the middle for doing art and craft on.

Avalleur

The area of France we live in was once heavily influenced by the knights Templar, and many buildings are attributed to their order, such as the nearby commanderie d’Avalleur.

The Templar commandery of Avalleur is a very significant building. The chapel has been classed as an historical monument since 1921, however the commandery was established in 1167, after land of Avalleur was given around 20 years earlier to the Templar Order. The main building with its stone walls, is also dated from a similar period.

This is one of the rare Templar complexes in France with the architecture apparently being indisputable. You can see painted decorations within the chapel, and it’s magnificent frame is a fine example of Eastern French Templar nave design.

I have to admit, until moving here my knowledge on the templars was limited, but they are often referred to, and obviously played a very important role in French history, certainly in the local Champagne history. I will be looking to share more on them over future blogs.

The parish of Bar Sur Seine was donated the chapel at Avalleur in 1905, from Abbot Prud the parish priest, who had bought it some 40 years earlier. It is a wonderful, historic building, and I love the fact that it is still used. A medieval fayre is held there once a year, where local craftsmen demonstrate their skills of tool making, weaving, falconry and such like, along with local producers selling their cheeses or confitures. The participants all make an effort to bring the event to life and get dressed up in period costume, having fun getting into character. Obviously this event did not happen last year, but we are looking forward to once again being able to enjoy events like this around the region, and learning more about the local history.

Mind the gap

When we were fitting the kitchen units, we needed to have an element of flexibility on their positioning . And with this meant that at one end we would have a gap. Rather than just leaving this Brian suggested we could use this space to store trays, and had the idea to box off the bottom of it so it looks more incorporated. It’s one of those little fiddly jobs that could well have got left, and left. So it was a lovely surprise when Brian sent me the pictures to show me what he had done, and how he had used the wood from the top he had cut off the unit to build up the base.

It’s a perfect use of space - I love how it’s turned out.

A big hug

I’ve been struggling on whether to include this in my blog, but this is a really tough time for me and Brian and I’d always wanted to ensure I captured all my thoughts and feelings, and this has had such an impact on us that I felt I needed to include it.

I headed back to the UK recently as my mum has been seriously unwell in hospital, and I was finding not being close to her very difficult. My dad was staying with my brother Jon until Mum came home, so it would be okay for me to complete my ten day self-isolation at mum and dad’s house before going to see Mum in hospital. I travelled to Kent by train and Eurostar, where I then picked up a car, that my friend Sharon has very kindly lent me for my visit, and drove to Norfolk. The trip was stressful in itself, but layered with having to provide additional documentation and signed declarations it was very challenging (many were turned back), and I was so glad to arrive safely late Friday evening, in very dense fog. Once in Norfolk I planned to complete my ‘test and release’ so I could go into hospital to be with Mum.

In France, Brian and I had both been keeping busy with the house, and I’d been calling Mum daily in the hospital to speak with her and keep her updated with what we were doing. At home she loved reading our blogs, and her and dad would sit and look at the photographs and chat about our adventures. Mum was kept in hospital longer than we all expected, and as time went on she had good days and bad days, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to get through to speak with her. It became clear that she wasn’t getting better, so I made the decision to return to the UK. Unfortunately though the delay in me leaving France, due to the additional paperwork, tests and checks, and the need to quarantine once I reached the UK, I was not able to see Mum, or get to hold her hand one last time, before she passed away.

I knew living in France, away from our parents, was never going to be easy, but we had always had a plan to travel back every few months to visit Brian’s mum and my parents. We never could have imagined how a global pandemic was going to change that plan. Both my parents and Hilda, Brian’s mum, had all totally supported us in our decision to move to France, and were so happy and delighted for us to be making such a change and commitment.

Here I am now, back in Norfolk, in mum and dads cottage. I thought being in their home on my own at such a time would prove to be really quite difficult for me, but it’s like having a big hug – mum’s warmth and laughter is everywhere. Yes, I have my moments, and I miss her terribly, but I think ‘What would Mum do if she was feeling low?’, and I look out of the window at the winter bulbs she had planted and see them with their pretty little, purple flowers coming into bloom. It makes me smile and I feel calm again, and feel the warmth of her touch.

I am going off to Jon’s to bring Dad home today. I’m looking forward to spending some time with him.

Whilst I’m in the UK, with Brian’s support on content, we will still be doing the blogs. We were thinking, with me being away, it may be a good time to research some of the places we want to visit, once this crazy world gets back to some normality, and I make it back to France. We also love getting your feedback and comments, so hope you continue to follow us, and share in our French experience.

Whatever the weather

We continue to appreciate the effort and dedication the vigneron put in to tending their vines. Some vigneron choose to prune their vines shortly after the end of the vendange (harvest), probably because it gets the job out of the way and generally provides better working conditions. But not everyone agrees that it is the best time to prune. Some prefer to wait until early in the year, ensuring that the plant is suitably prepared, having stored away its nutrients during winter. Some also believe that pruning at this time of year encourages the first growth. The problem however is that the weather can be far less favourable for the vigneron.

That said the commute to work isn’t bad.

It looks just like it’s been dusted with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Ouch!

This morning Boo needed to have a trip to the vets. Last week Boo had got into a cat fight in the barn. A little bruiser of a grey tabby was hanging around and obviously Boo was protecting his property, and a noisy spat ensued. We didn’t think too much of it at the time, but the following day he started limping. This went on for a few days, so we decided he needed to be checked out just in case there was an infection. Brian had managed to get him an early appointment, so once he had been captured in his cat box it was off to the vets.

Luckily no infection, just a sprained ankle/wrist joint - and I think a bruised ego. The vet did give him a shot of antibiotics to be on the safe side and an anti-inflammatory. He is feeling very sorry for himself, but loving all the cuddles and extra treats.

That old thing

We needed a shelf to go in the shower room downstairs, something that would work with the mirror and lights we had bought off eBay. We realised that actually we had it already. The shelf we had taken down from the old bathroom, with a bit of cleaning up, would work perfectly. Out came the metal polish and the glass cleaner and Brian got to work.

The shape and style work perfectly, and I just love being able to reuse old fixtures and fittings, rather than chucking it all away and buying everything new. The mix of old and new can really compliment each other, and can provide years more use out of beautiful objects.

Essoyes

We nipped into Essoyes today to buy some bread, and thought we’d take a little stroll across the river to get some fresh air. The river was extremely high. To think in the summer this is often just a trickle.

Essoyes is a small village about a ten minutes drive from us. It is quite beautiful, and in the summer comes to life with masses of flowers around the centre, along the river and bridges and outside the few restaurants that are all good to visit in their own way. Essoyes is at the centre of Champagne's Côte des Bar, on the border of Champagne and Burgundy. The river Ource, a tributary of the Seine, runs through it, and provides a delightful place to sit and watch the world go by, very slowly.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style, bought a house and settled in Essoyes. He loved to paint in the surrounding countryside, and there are lots of familiar vistas that are known from his paintings. In the centre of Essoyes, next to the river, is a really well considered museum. Entry includes a short film, of his and his families life, along with entry to his workshop, which was constructed in 1905 in the garden of his family home on rue de l'Extra. You can now also visit his home, which is also included in the entry ticket. The whole trip takes about 2-3 hours, depending on how long you spend at each site. You are given a map, when you buy your ticket at the museum, which directs you on a walking tour around Essoyes to the various different entry points. In the warmer months it’s nice to enjoy coffee at one of the cafes by the river or, if you time it properly, lunch. I love to have lunch at La Guinguette des Arts, a restaurant that you can sit outside by the river. I think having time for lunch is always such a treat. Dreaming of gorgeous sunny days in Essoyes.

Back to the floor, again

The floor in the twin room was in need of some repair. Unlike the other floorboards Brian had fixed, this one was slightly different because there was some damage to one of the beams. Nothing to be concerned about, but it did mean that he needed to build and level off one of them. This took a bit of effort, but it gave him a good level base to work from.

He needed to replace seven boards in total, but it now means the floor is, once again, stable to walk on. We can now get on with the decorating.

Finishing touches

We wanted to add something a little different to the Jeroboam. We felt it needed something more to give the room local flavour, and a little bit of us. Brian had the idea of adding some very subtle painting around the fireplace surround. He sketched the pattern out on some paper first to get an idea of how it would look and frame the fireplace. He then cut a couple of grapevine leaf shaped stencils to use as a template, for sizing more than anything. He then slowly and carefully hand painted the vines onto the fire surround. It has taken him most of today, but he loved doing it, and I think it looks brilliant.

WOW!

Bloody Mary

I do like a spicy Bloody Mary occasionally, and last night in front of the roaring fire, chatting to friends on FaceTime we sat down and enjoyed one of Brian’s Bloody Mary specials. It’s also a simple recipe to remember, as it’s two parts alcohol and four parts everything else;

2 parts vodka
4 parts tomato juice
4 good dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes of tabasco
4 ice cubes
juice of half a fresh lemon
good pinch of salt and pepper
optional celery stick for garnish

put it all together in a cocktail shaker and shake away, then serve.

We enjoyed it with some local cold meats, fresh baguette and cheese.

The Seine

The Seine’s source can be found about one and a quarter hours drive from us in a small village aptly called Source-Seine on the borders of the Côte-d'Or. From here the river flows into Chatillon-Sur-Seine where it divides to flow through the town before rejoining on the other side. Another river of note though is La Douix, which springs from the foot of a small limestone cliff nearby and joins the Seine in Châtillon-sur-Seine. There is, because of this, some debate as to what is considered the true source of the Seine, since the flow of la Douix is often the greater.

As the river proceeds through the Seine valley it picks up a number of other tributaries such as the Ource and the Arce, growing in volume, and speed, and soon becomes that majestic river that cuts deeply through Paris on its way to le Havre.

The bridge over the Seine flowing through Bar-Sur-Seine

We have had quite a bit of rain over the last few days and the rivers are all looking very high. These pictures, of the Seine running through Bar-Sur-Seine, were taken this morning. Those observant of you will have guessed (or know) that ‘sur’ means ‘on’.

Where shall I begin?

Well, it looks like we need to do a bit more work than we originally thought in the twin room. Over the last few years, we had a rug covering this corner and I have to say we both had kind of forgotten about the hole under it. We realised however, once we removed the rug, that it was definitely in need of a bit of attention.

And so it begins

Brian, now enthusiastic by a floorboard challenge, soon went to collect his multi-saw. First of all though we discussed what needed to happen, and which of the floorboards needed to be removed to enable him to repair the damaged area. He then started to cut the relevant pieces of floorboard out. In total he ended up taking up 7 boards. But the good thing is that he has now been able to clean the area underneath, remove any rotten wood, and has treated it with a multi-purpose wood treatment. Tomorrow he will work on putting it back together.

Ripping up the boards

Bit of ‘tlc’