Dimanche le 21 septembre

Wahoo – a sleep in, amazingly I was up and dressed by the time of my morning phone call.
This weekend was a huge weekend all across France for World Heritage sites and important places. From the brochure I had figured out a few things to go and see that were “gratuit”! SO I headed off into town to the Lycée Louis Pasteur – thought this would be great, open access through the Lycée take heaps of photos of classrooms etc for the kids back at school.
When I got there the lady led me off to this amazing chapel on the school grounds, stayed there for 10-15 minutes before I braved and asked one of the students from the Lycée what else is there to see? Nothing! SO much for my plans!
Next on the list : Musée des beaux-arts et D’Archéologie for the “La Momie aux amulettes” exhibition. In other words, a museum with newer works that was having an exhibition with Egyptian Mummies.
I wasn’t so impressed with this either but did see some great paintings – Renoir among them.
Next, was to get the bus out to one or the suburbs to go the Fort by the Funiculaire (tram), this is not usually going and has been restored, in the brochure it sounded great – 2 comedians acting the roles of the technicians during the ride which was about 15 mins. SO off I went getting there on time so that I didn’t have to wait in queues. As this weekend is huge, every man and his kids were out!

An aside: The French don’t “queue” – I was waiting at the toilets along with a couple of others – they just push through everyone and go straight in to next available! Same happened today at the Citadelle – a large queue waiting to pay for tickets to get in, they get right behind you, beside you and end up pushing you out – this has happened a few times at the bus too, you can be there ready to get on and people come from behind and just squeeze you out and them in!

Well got there, walked in and around the 1 tram, looked at all the ancient photos and then the restoration only to discover that it wasn’t running, but the comedians will still turn up and the first one now will be in 40 minutes – that changed my mind – no point waiting for comedians whose jokes I won’t understand anyway!

So… off I went to walk to the next one as buses on Sundays don’t go that frequently, maybe 1 an hour. Trying to follow the map I finally headed to the Citadelle – a very famous landmark, designed by Vauban – who is that I hear you say? As I did, on my first day here, being very naïve in these matters but this guy is HUGE here, everywhere you go Vauban this Vauban that, tours of Vauban etc..and it is not just Besancon. Even, when I was in Strasbourg, Vauban this and that.
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (May 15, 1633–March 30, 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and in breaking through them. He also advised Louis XIV on how to consolidate France's borders, to make them more defensible. Vauban made a radical suggestion of giving up some land that was indefensible to allow for a stronger, less porous border with France's neighbours.
I think he was responsible for about 400 towns fortifications, upgrading and designing!
Wow! What a place – no one was going to get in there without them knowing about it – never really thought about it but for people who are in to history and forts and wars and defence of towns etc it really is fascinating! I didn’t realise I would enjoy history so much really.
Climbed up to walk around the ramparts(?) along the very top from tower to tower. It was a bit giddying – a bit windy and so so high! I never have suffered from Vertigo but I felt a slight unease up there. All I could imagine is soldiers walking , patrolling, watching with their weapons ready. I can’t imagine anyone being able to penetrate it is so high and with vast drops.

On site up there, I think it is 50 hectares, there are all sorts of things to do –
· Including an: insectarium, one of worlds biggest,
· Aquarium
· Noctarium
· Small Zoo includes tigers, kangaroos, baboons and farm animals
· Vauban museum – funny that!
· 3D film of the site
· Couple of restaurants
· Comtois Musée
· Musée de la resistance et de la deportation
This last museum is dedicated to the Resistance and Deportation of people during the second world war.
I went in here and spent over 2 hours. It is a very thorough museum with graphic and vivid displays of this awful part of the war. It even has an actual post from where people were stood tied and executed by the firing squad, to name 1. It has many relics and evidence, one thing that stood out to me were the “striped” uniforms that were given to workers in the concentration camps.
It was really well set out – 20 rooms full – at the start to 1 room I could pick up the text translated in English for the next 2 rooms. At the end of the second room I replaced the text and collected the next 2 rooms and so on. Really brilliant! It was absolutely silent in there, probably as I sign of respect to those who did lose their lives but it was very powerful.
What amazes me is that they have so much to be angry at Germany for but it is all forgiven and they move on in the name of peace. (The main bridge in town flies the German and French flag – this shocked me on the first day here.) Besancon being so close to many borders has had a lot to fight for over the years and definitely needed the fortifications to protect themselves.
Now Strasbourg – who has been at the centre of fighting for centuries is the place for International European Parliament showing that they can move on and find peace with their neighbour.
When I left the Museum it was 5:15 – cold and so I headed for the free bus back into town so I could catch bus home.