The source of the Meuse

[shewhomust]

Here's the logical centre of our autumn holiday.

The plan was to find the source of the river Meuse, and then follow it downstream, through France and Belgium and the Netherlands, until it either reached the sea or became so urban and industrialised that it wasn't fun any more. It didn't quite work out like that, and, as I said back in October, considering that we set off with that overall plan, the trip felt less like one unit, more like a sequence of events - but here, at least, is an undeniable fixed point, the source of the Meuse.

It isn't very impressive. For one thing, it rises very close to the Marne, in the department called, for that reason, the Haute Marne, so we had for some time been following a major river, often braided with a complex pattern of canals. For another, the countryside, while pleasant, is not dramatic; the Meuse doesn't rise in the mountains (as far as I can discover, the source is about 400m up). A finger post directs you through the village of Pouilly-en-Bassigny to a monument by the roadside, from below which seeps a puddle - and that's it.

Still, the locality makes the most of its claim to fame; as you drive off, towards a sequence of villages all called "something-or-other-sur-Meuse" another sign invites you to detour down a farm lane towards the first bridge over the Meuse, the first resaurant you come to is called 'la Source de la Meuse'. As arbitrarily chosen destinations go, it's a good one.

Comments

off-topic

[cinderberry.livejournal.com]

Thought I'd let you know that Jeremy's in the hospital with appendicitis; he had a surgery yesterday. He's in University hospital, Ward 13, if you were inclined to visit; the hours are 2-3pm and 7-8pm. They're keeping him until the middle of next week. :(

Re: off-topic

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know, Vic - we'll see what we can do...