L'horloge Dewailly

Our host in Rouen took these photos

as we were leaving this morning.

We really enjoyed our time in Rouen.

The building we stayed in was built 

in 1599...half timbered but

completely renovated inside.

We then drove 120k's to Amiens this morning,

We went exploring the town, first stop was

the Hortillonnages, also known as the floating gardens.

They cover 300 hectares of small islands and

are criss-crossed by 65 k's of canals.

The ancient marshes were originally exploited for their peat

and later for market gardening.

Market gardening has been the main activity

of the hortillonages for centuries.

In 1900, almost 1000 people had garden plots here.

Today, there are fewer farmer farms in operation.

Harvests (mainly fresh vegetables) are

sold each Saturday at a market.

We took a tour is a traditional boat,

they have a flat bottom that enables

them to move in the shallow canals of the hortillonnages.

The boats are electric: silent and non-polluting,

they allow tourism and preserve the site,

avoiding large waves which damage the banks.

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Amiens Cathedral was built between 1220 and c.1270

and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.

It is France's largest Gothic Cathedral.

It could hold two cathedrals the size of Notre Dame in Paris!

Flags and plaques honouring the troops

who led the allies to victory adorn the southern transept.

The 'Weeping Angel' sculpted in the 17^thcentury

represents sorrow and became symbolic

of the suffering endured by the soldiers in the trenches.

Postcards of the angel were sent far and wide throughout the world.

A labyrinth is featured on the floor...walking or kneeling

along the maze was an alternative to going on a pilgrimage

to Jerusalem or Santiago de Compostela.

I also found another memorial

for Joan of Arc.

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Located in the heart of the pedestrian shopping area, 
is l'horloge Dewailly (the Dewailly clock).

It was donated in 1896 by the former mayor...Mayor Dr. Dewailly

His idea was to allow all residents whose financial resources

were not sufficient to acquire a watch,

to be able to tell the time and be able to use

the newly installed train through Amiens.

It was sculpted by Albert Roze and is decorated with a beautiful statue often called Marie-sans-chemise (topless Mary).

With this work he wanted to make an allegory to spring.

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Around town we noticed many tributes to

Australia's support in The Somme during WW1.

Tomorrow we will drive to some of the WW1 sites in The Somme.

Today we walked 12.2 k's