A Meaningful Detour to Metz & Saint-Avold | Saying "au revoir" to France

[@TonyMeyrick-bd6ou]

Visiting the war cemeteries, regimental memorials and battlefields in NE France should be on anybody’s bucket list. It is a very evocative and emotional experience

[@cecilefox9136]

The cathedral there has stained glass by Marc Chagall!

[@Rahmotpro-yz7lv]

What a beautiful way to spend your final days in France! Metz and Saint-Avold offer such rich history and culture. Wishing you memorable moments and safe travels on your detour!

[@PeterDeBrook]

There are also many interesting places to visit in the Meuse, a green region (next to the Moselle where you were): linked to the W.War I (Verdun for example)....Joan of Arc (she was born in a small town in Meuse)... and Gallo-Roman sites. Every region of France has something to offer, but visitors need to take their time to appreciate it. I loved your trip, and your kind words to the French: yes there are stereotypes, and the truth is often between black and white, but if you use the magic formula “bonjour...merci...au revoir” it's the best way to be polite to merchants and people in general. Learning more French words is even better. By the way, June marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings and the Battle of Normandy, and around June 6 there will be festivities.

[@ashleydavis6809]

So special you were able to see your great grand dads grave❤❤❤❤

[@olivierpuyou3621]

Travel trains youth and deforms suitcases. These “little” annoyances that are painful at the moment will make excellent memories in a few years. C'est la vie.😉

[@RollerbazAndCoasterDad]

While I lost nobody in the wars my visits to war graves in France down the years have always been moving. The first world war especially as those conditions were so particularly awful and evocative (My Great Grandfather fought in that one but made it back alive). Vimy Ridge sticks in my mind most.

[@marilynfdavis891]

I have 2 relatives from WW11 buried in French graveyards, but I don’t know where. So nice to see your vlogs. 💜

[@risellventura4454]

Wao what an amazing video you guys, thank you for sharing this special trip to his grave. I’m beyond proud of you two 🫶🏽!

[@qlctravels]

🫶🏻

[@anns390]

So happy you got to see your great grandfather's grave. Even though I did not know anyone buried at the Normandy American Cemetery, it was a bucket list item for me. It was so moving. Always look forward to your next video. Congrats on the engagement.

[@keithflowers5229]

When you travel not every day is going to be easy! But you stuck to your plan and it worked out. Good to know that the French are tolerant to us non French speaking people

[@TimeyWimeyLimey]

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning We will remember them.

[@RadioJammor]

I had a suspicion from your last vid that you were visiting a war grave of a relation for one of you (or possibly both of you). Visiting the smaller, off the tourist track places as a consequence can give you an occasionally unpleasant surprise as to the lack of facilities and businesses etc that a place can have. And that Google maps locations can be a bit out, and you need to check the street views (if available, and recent enough) to see & work out where you need to go. As an aside from your travelogue, and if it's not an imposition, I'd actually be interested to hear about Lauryn's relation and what you know of their service; their unit, where they were stationed (presumably also in England prior to D-Day) and what you know of where and how they served in France until their death. I'd like to check it out, as something of an amateur historian who has read a lot about WWII. To know where and how they served, to see and appreciate what part they played in the liberation of France and WWII in general, and also understand better what they would have experienced and gone through. I've actually done this before with someone I used to know and I think it gave them a better appreciation than they had. That's of course if you don't have that already - and of course if that is of sufficient interest and something you do want to know more about, or feel you can or would find out for yourselves.

[@MmmGallicus]

If you have the SNCF app on your phone, you needn't print your tickets.

[@davidcoxinparis]

Yep, buying your ticket(s) on the app makes it very easy to travel as duo. That's true even if your phone's battery is dead. The rail agent (contrôleur) can check for your name(s) on their own device. So, just hop on the train and relax!

[@qlctravels]

Definitely adding it to our "must downloads" for future trips to France.

[@kerouac2]

Ho could you miss the Metz train station with its big clock tower after walking around it and and even through it a number of times?

[@qlctravels]

We didn't miss that train station. We used it to get to and from Saint-Avold without issue. Our confusion at the end of the video was with Metz Nord, a different train station.

[@kerouac2]

And you didn't think it was the same station to go from central Metz to Luxembourg? (or anywhere else)

[@qlctravels]

The tickets we bought were from Metz Nord to Luxembourg. So no, we knew it wasn't the station we'd used to get to Saint-Avold.

[@kerouac2]

@@qlctravels What a strange thing to do. The Metrolor regional line runs from Nancy to Luxembourg via Metz so all of the stations are on the same line.