Arras - European Road Trip Day One part 1

As you'll have gathered from my previous post, Mrs Gow and I been away in mainland Europe for a few days.  The device pictured above was both our transport and accommodation for the week.  Sharp eyed readers will note that this is a different 'Command Bus' to that deployed last year in Belgium.  A wee bit bigger all round, it is still less than 6 metres long and provided a very comfortable home from home.

We used the overnight P&O ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, arriving on the morning of Saturday 6th May.

 After crossing the border into France, first stop was Arras.  Specifically the Citadel.  One of M. Vauban's finest, this was occupied until recently by the French Army.  Now it forms the site of new student accommodation - lucky sods!

 The chapel is particularly pleasing.

 Mrs G takes in the atmosphere.

 The interior of the chapel.

The walls are adorned with lists of the fallen - mostly from a single engineer regiment in the Great War..

 There are also plaques commemorating other units...

...and more recent conflicts.

The Great War dead of 1st Escadron du Train - I'm not sure how big this unit was but I suspect this list represents a casualty rate of about 200%  Grim.