6/27 Nancy - Art Nouveaux

The title says it all really. We had discovered during our arrival day that Nancy is renowned as a center for Art Nouveaux and decided to focus on this during our rest day. We put the kids on a tourist tram to see the sights while Tam and I did a tour of the Art N. architecture in the commercial district with the aid of English audio guide we picked up at tourist info center in Stanislas square. Retrieving the kids and enjoying an ice cream was followed by a tram ride to a neighborhood with many Art N. homes. We salivated over these and many pixels were collected. We then walked many blocks to reach the Ecole d'Nancy Museum of Art N. For the lover of this style,  the museum contains a collection surpassing anything I have seen or heard of. Perhaps because I love nature, and the Art N. movement sought to incorporate natural forms and imagery as  key
elements, I found the collection stunning, some pieces almost painfully beautiful..... We stopped for some panini's then  walked from the museum to the home of Louis Majorelle -  a home built for an artist by an artist. We only had a peek insides as it's open to the public weekends. We walked back to midtown taking in more buildings along avenue Foch and marveled at the sublime ambiance of Brasserie Flo. I popped into a salon place and with the assistance is a visiting Australian student had my haircut - short and cool. We ended the day having some excellent tapas at a Spanish restaurant and prepared for the next day of walking.

6/26 Pont-a-Mousson to Pompey/Nancy

Using the topoguide, I decided it would be interesting to try the GR5F route today which is shorter yet ends up near our starting place when the walk continues. Ciera elected to chill her heels an extra day and enjoy the town, so the intrepid 3 train commuted back upstream to Pont-a-Mousson. At the station there is a large panel with the walking route and were quickly on our way. At a way marker we discovered we were also on the Compostella route which we hadn't see since Luxembourg. It was a beautiful warm day and the route was great. We walked open roads to Jezainville where friendly gardeners greeted us. Up hill along the road emerges sweeping views across fields of wheat where we paused to enjoy a snack. The patchwork of fields with red poppies here and there in clumps against a pastel blue sky was the stuff off paintings and the Lorraine I had imagined seen at last. We came to a bluff with another war memorial crowned by Jeanne d'Arc and then dropped into the old town of Dieulard. We past the ramparts of an old chateau. Had we peeked around the corner we would have seen more of it and a roman museum. We missed that when we saw an old church and intrigued we stepped into the musty place. Eyes finally adjusting to the dim light we appreciated the glass windows. But I was astounded to see two WW1 vintage bombs - duds I guess- strapped to the columns!! The iphone pic is grainy but you get the idea. We finally moved on, rested a bit out of town, then pushed on to the next town- Saizerais- where all was closed in usual afternoon fashion. We sat outside of the church and ate lunch surrounded by tombstones. Finally we pushed on and the GR5F leaves town and after crossing fields runs along gravel lanes flanked by woods and fields. Eventually crossing the formal GR5, the GR5F continued straight on then we turned left at some tennis courts to walk through the woods on forest road to reach the gare at Pompey. This was navigated using the iphone google map app. We waited with others in afternoon heat for almost 2 hours enduring multiple passing trains to for one  to finally stop. If I had to do it over I would have followed the GR to Liverdun where the stops are more regular. We finished the day at an Alsatian restaurant where the ladies shared a Limousine steak, while Ethan and I had brochettes of beef and seafood respectively. We had the abbey beer from the place we stayed 2 night before. And it didn't come close to the Belgian equivalents which Tammy and I really miss!

6/25 Pont-a-Mousson to Nancy- by train

We slept in - the abbey quiet and restful- it serves as a major conference center. Breakfast was fantastic with protien- eggs& sausage - a treat from the more typical bread intense breakfasts in France. We spent several hours casually looking over the abbey and it's art. A treat for the walker and worth the detour! We then went to the station and took a short train to Nancy. We dropped our bags at the hotel in the old city and explored the immediate area. And there is an abundance to see such as the huge Stanislas square. Restaurants abound and there is a certain elegance yet easiness about this town easy to appreciate and relax in. I brought in take out sandwiches for dinner as everyone was rather still full after a large quality salad at lunch. The day was beautiful and the camera had a workout!

6/24 Pagny sur Moselle to Pont-a-Mousson

Today we left Metz for good and it was the first day for the kiddos carrying the full packs. We had convinced the kids to part with some weight in Metz but I suspected more to come. I out early and ran around for lunch supplies and finally back - tracking people carrying baguettes came upon a open bakery this Sunday morning. Lunch in hand I caught a quick breakfast with the group then saddled up off to the station for the
train back to Pagny. A beautiful weather start, we headed up hill caught the GR entered woods and after crossing a stream climbed uphill to Preny. Here are the ruins of a ancient chateaux which was the seat of the Dukes of Lorraine. Far reaching Views in the windy prominence but a cold place in winter I suspect. Down in the valley we saw the TGV zip by and soon the route descends and crosses the tracks then back into the forest.The trail emerges at a farm and the original site of the Abbey des Premontres which then moved to Pont-a-Mousson our destination for the day. We walked along open quiet road with views across fields and finally sat along the side to eat lunch. Then we dropped trough the village of Vilcey-sur-Trey and began the final ascent of the day. Going up the road I pulled ahead of the group but then they called me back where they were looking closely along the road. They were finding large lead balls in the road wash - bullets ? - more likely canister shot from artillery air burst! Shrapnal chunks were easily found in the road. We were approaching the WW1 battlefield of the Forest of Pretre. The French saw 7000 dead and 22000 wounded - the Germans the same. A mere skirmish by WW1 standards. And we came upon the overgrown trenchworks . Here there remains still impassable barbed wire. The area was moonscape after the battle. The guide warns against straying off trail as there remains unexploded munitions. We finally passed a large memorial before the descent to Montauville. It began sprinkling an we emergered at a massive cemetery where the dead were buried. The graves were distinguished for Russian or Arabic dead. It is a 3km walk into town and the kids were trashed again -painful faces. The rain was falling and nobody cared. Passing a bakery, we loaded up with food for the evening. We arrived at the Abbey - our destination. With its large comfortable room and bath tub / microwave kitchenette everyone was instantly very happy!!