Arras, French Flanders 2016 🇫🇷 – Michael and Pam's Travels

Travelled : 40 kilometres from Pozieres to Arras

Visited : Arras

Stayed : Arras Municipal Aire, free. The usual service, but power and water €2 extra. Problem being by token available from the Tourist Information Centre which is more than a kilometre from the Aire (we don’t need either). N50.29507 E02.78844

We have enjoyed our visit to Pozieres but it’s time to move north. The local French people are so friendly and cannot do enough for us. Claude looks a little dusty this morning but has come to wish us well and we set of to Bapaume. The Hymer is serviced and full of water and we should be right for at least a couple of days. It’s Sunday and France closes on Sunday, just a little inconvenient if your have run out of milk. Luckily there is a large Carrefour supermarket in Bapaume and by chance it’s open until 12.30pm. We do a mini shop and pick up a few things to keep us going.

Our original plan today was Lille but after checking the Lonely Planet and Google we should not bypass Arras. It’s ornate Boroque townhouses hark back to it’s Flemish past and as you know Pam is a really enthusiastic about Flemish culture so it’s a short drive today.

A panorama of the Place des Heros’ in Arras (the main square). You can now understand Pam’s Flemish passion.

Place du Marechal Fosh in Arras. Another Memorial to the French fallen during WW1.

The Church of St Jean (John) the Baptist in Arras.

Interesting tile insert on a column at the entrance.

Whilst Church of St Jean is a little tired and dirty on the outside it’s quite special inside. Mind you we were puzzled by the two louvred boxes on the Alter ?

The town hall and bell tower in Arras. We pay €3 each to visit the tower and another €4 each for a walking tour of the Bove, the underground tunnels.

The Saint Vaast Abbey (now a museum) and Notre Dame from the tower.

The Place des Heros, from the tower. The Baroque style facades on display.

One of the huge bells in the tower, glad they didn’t sound the hour until we were back in the square.

The Boves in Arras. Apparently a local Flemish word for tunnel or cave. Anyway it was a very interesting walking tour.

While the Boves were excavated for limestone building block until the 17th century they were extensively expanded during the WW1 and housed thousands of troops safe from German artillery fire.

The Notre Dame or Cathedral in Arras. Not much of a photo but the exterior of the Cathedral is pock marked from exploding shellfire.

Inside the Cathedral it’s a scene of light and serenity. Some beautiful music was playing in the background. We also noticed a special area for pilgrims as they make their way to Rome.

The ceiling above the Chapel of the Virgin within the Notre Dame.

Just an interesting plague in the Notre Dame.

Another free Aire. Just after I took this photo a Dutch couple arrived, we had a good old chit chat and they recommended some of their favourite places in Germany.

Michael and Pam

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