Armistice Day 100 years later

It was hard not to be aware that Sunday was the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

When we arrived in Paris the Arc d'Triumph was surrounded by police barriers and reviewing stands had already gone up. On Thursday we saw a ceremony staged under the arch and broadcast on the giant screens.

On Shabbat we went to services at the nearby Liberal synagogue on Rue Copernic. During services they read the long list of shul members who had died serving France during World War I.

My husband has been eager to show me buildings he loves in Paris. He took me to see Gare l'Est, the station that leads to points east.

My husband loved how the big window looks like a rising sun.

We walked through the station. I was unexpectedly moved to tears to see this memorial

for railway workers who died serving during WWI.
I guess what moved me so much was realizing that most of them had probably left for the front from this train station.

The bouquets were left by railway worker unions railway police unions and other rail associated worker associatons.

The 100 years didn't seem so far away.

Comments

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