We've made our way to Amiens, in the Somme region, north of Paris. This is our last stop for our whirlwind tour of France. Although we've spent almost 3 weeks here now it seems to have zoomed by, and yet the first days in Paris seem so long ago!
I've been for a run around Amiens. We're staying in the Tour Perret, which is an Amiens landmark in itself. We're staying on the 19th floor, and the views of Amiens and the Somme are just amazing.
Amiens and surrounds were the sight of a major battle, and ultimately the turning point of the first world war. During the war there were 3 million men from both sides fighting in the country side here, of which 1.2 million were killed, injured or lost. I just can't fathom those kind of numbers of people here, let alone the casualties. It's simply unbelievable, if it were not true.
Amiens is inextricably linked to Australia, in that the ANZAC troops ultimately halted the German push into France. This became the impetus for the armistice.
As we wandered around Amiens we saw tributes to the ANZACs and posters commemorating ANZAC day.
It's strange but I feel a connection to this place, perhaps since many Australians called it home whilst deployed here in battle.
It's now a beautiful French city.
Today we will visit some of the nearby historical sites where my wife's family fought, and were lost at war. I'll write that story once we're finished. I think it's important we teach our children of the family involvement, it makes the war more personal, and hopefully reminds the next generation of the atrocities of war, and serves as a reminder to never let that scale of war happen again.