Reims, this City is even more historic than Compiegne.

Little did we know. Remis came here after Romulus sent him away from Rome - or perhaps I have it backwards. Nevertheless, to the Romans this too is important. In the very good historic museum here this place was important to stone age, bronze age too. There is a huge significant Roman gate here too, now under a protective cover for restoration work so not visible to our eyes; and grain storage bins —

The grain is now long gone, but the underground storage bins are still pretty impressive.

In the Saint Remis museum are lots of carvings stone, marble, various artifacts and some pretty impressive tile work including this quite large tile work of two gladiators from the 2nd century.

 These 700 year old tapestries (10 of then) depicting the life of St. Clovis are pretty impressive too.

This small fireplace kept a large room with no central heat warm enough for human habitation.

In the military section of the museum that focuses on the Franco - Allemande War of 1870 -75, I was much taken with the headgear that was on display and a little surprised at the breast plates so prominently on display. Especially with knowledge that this is five years after our Civil War and the awareness that European Military Officials studied the strategy and battles of the Civil war as it was happening and of what purpose either hat or breastplate they deemed of value is beyond me.

In the center of town is a Notre Dame Cathedral - this one larger than the previous cathedrals we've seen. And well this one should be large. Thirty-three French kings were crowned in this Notre Dame Cathedral.  

Forget your Paris centric thoughts that everything important about French history happened in Paris.  Heck, Victor Hugo was from here. St Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, considered the father of education of the public, lived here too.

Back to the Cathedral.  It is huge, the flying buttresses are flying too.

Wish the stained glass windows would photograph.  

awesome!

the pillars holding up this cathedral are large too.

Reims also was important in World War II. It became General Eisenhower's headquarters in the spring of 1945. And as Germany was collapsing and seeking to end the war, it was here that the German generals came seeking to end the hostilities and try to avoid an "unconditional surrender".  Eisenhower denied that request and on May 7th. 1945, a military end of the war came as General Bedel Smith of the US Army and General Jodl of the German Wehrmacht signed an agreement ending hostilities between Germany and the Allies. On May 8th in Berlin, at Stalin's insistence. there was another "surrender".

The room was left exactly as it was after the surrender papers were signed. The battle maps are still on the walls, the chairs now have labels on who sat where and of course there are a host of photographs around.  

Eisenhower's headquarters or SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces), were in a technical college. Reims was chosen as the headquarters site as it was a relatively undamaged city with a rail junction, airport, major highway intersection and near the front at the time.

Note the MPs in the photo below taken in 1945.

Note the absence of same in photo below.

Now the site is Rosevelt High School, you get here turning off Rue de Lyon

onto Rue de Roosevelt.

For the record, in Compiegne we visited the site where World War I ended also. Just forgot to put it into the post. The site is out of town a few miles in a forest. Site chosen for secrecy. The rail car is now in a rather small building and is not the original, but a "sister" car and identical to the one used to establish the armistice on 11/11/1918 to end the fighting. The original rail car was also used by the Germans in 1940 to record the surrender of France early in WW II and then taken back to Germany. to put on display. The Germans at Hitler's command then destroyed the Compiegne site (the site of German humiliation) - the site and all the monuments associated with it.

The original car was damaged and burned in Berlin in 1945, thus the use of the 'sister' car at the re-established Glade of the Armistice site outside Compiegne.

There is but one large monument now at the site to Marshall Foch, the French General who was the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War and was highly revered by the French.

And I will have to come back later to some street scenes of Reims and dining here, both are delightful. We have enjoyed being here very much. Yes pronouncing Reims is hardest yet of the places we have been. Not even close. Forget the "M", add a z and trill the r— might get you close.