The Road to Diamond, Day 333, Part II: Castle in the Gloaming

2

October 26, 2025, Edinburgh- The crowd stood, silently, almost breathless, in front of the great castle gate. It was past sunset and the building was closed, yet the multitude stood in awe. The allure of so many centuries’ legacy cannot be easily explained, but there it was.

I took the train from the small town of Forres, past Elgin (where a couple of disgruntled travelers had gone, after the long bus ride to Inverness yesterday), and through Aberdeen, a surprisingly bustling city-even on a Sunday.

North Sea, off Elgin, Scotland
Montrose Harbour

The train ride this time was uncomplicated, and I was back at Waverley around 3:30. Getting to my lodging, Argyle Backpackers, involved a short walk (albeit up the Roxborough Steps) and one bus ride. Along the steps, there is a “greeter”, who offers to help carry one’s bags. I was able to carry my own, but he offers a nice service to those in need.

Argyle is an old building, a bit shopworn, but the warmth of this place and the enthusiasm of its staff would bring me back, in a heartbeat, if I am ever again in Edinburgh.

Argyle Backpackers Hostel, Edinburgh New Town

After check-in, though, I felt the clock ticking, if I had any hope of visiting Royal Mile-and Edinburgh Castle, so back on the bus I went.

The Mile was already enveloped in gloaming, but no matter. Several enthusiastic crowds, of all ages, were in the streets, and looking down from the castle walls.

Royal Mile (above, and below)
Brightness along Royal Mile
View from Edinburgh Castle (above and below)
Edinburgh Castle (above and below)
Castle and crowd
Edinburgh Castle-banners and high watch tower
72nd Highlanders Memorial-honouring those who died in the Afghan Campaigns of 1878-80.
Celtic Cross, at Castle Esplanade. This honours Scottish cavalrymen who died in the Boer War.

Once down from the Castle, I headed to Burgers and Beers-for a burger and an N/A. The staff and a few of us patrons, offered encouragement to a fellow visitor who was having a medical issue. Her uncle showed up a few minutes later, and took charge of the situation. The place was, all in all, lively, with families flowing through to the back restaurant and a few of us just enjoying the atmosphere in the front. Afterward, I resumed my walkabout of Royal Mile.

St. Giles Cathedral
Bank of Scotland
Statue of Adam Smith

Seeing the founder of capitalism was enough for one night, so I headed back to the warmth and comfort of Argyle, spending the rest of the evening with other hostelers, from Italy and Spain. The sounds of Spanish guitar are ever soothing.

The Road to Diamond, Day 333, Part I: Round Houses in the Mist

1

October 26, 2025, Edinburgh- We had a fine Scottish breakfast, on this misty morning. Again, there was no haggis-and nary a bit of porridge. Scrambled eggs, a small bit of bacon and grilled tomatoes filled the bill, along with Alan’s fresh-baked bread and plum jam-plus cheese.

Lisa then took me on a tour of Findhorn’s round houses and small gardens. Here is a look at some of these.

Round home, Findhorn Eco Village. Lisa said this house is presently unoccupied.
Wishing Stone, Findhorn Eco Village. Here is a good place for meditation, on a fine day. (Above and below)
Lisa at the Wishing Stone
This round house is near my lodging of last night.
A wee bit of foliage
Two more round houses
Findhorn Forest
Inside a gathering place
Inside Meditation Round House. The similarity of this and another such house with Indigenous American round houses is remarkable.
A “hobbit house” (Above and below)
Community Center
Open meditation centre
Open meditation centre
Another sacred space and standing stone, an ARK (Area of Restorative Kindness) above and below

This is the sort of place where one goes for restoration. Thankfully, I need not board a plane to find such a space. There are ARKs of this sort, just about anywhere one might go in the world, and we have our share in the Southwest U.S. I will return here again, if it be the Divine Will, yet in the meantime, it makes me all the more appreciative of sacred spaces closer to Home Base.

I bid farewell to Lisa, Alan and Pupak- and boarded a train bound for Edinburgh, via Aberdeen. The magic was not done with me yet.

The Road to Diamond, Day 329, Part II: A Sacred Triangle

0

October 22, 2025, Dublin- In any given new city, my wont is to wander a bit, usually towards a spire, dome or other prominent landmark-and sometimes off to a nearby spot that captures my attention.

After leaving Peace Park, that meant heading towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Knowing that it had closed to visitors for the day, I still wanted to get a sense of the exterior and the ambiance of the cathedral close. This was the deanery of one of 17th-18th Century Ireland’s most fascinating thinkers: Jonathan Swift. His satire was brought to me, early on. I treasured reading “Gulliver’s Travels”, when I was nine. I discussed “A Modest Proposal” with a cousin, when I was twelve. His admirers were the original “Swifties”.

The seat of the Church of Ireland was the second point in what turned out to be a triangular route. Here are some scenes of the exterior and of St. Patrick’s Park.

Main fountain, St. Patrick’s Park, Dublin
North face, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin (above and below)
Bridge between Towers, St. Patrick’s Cathedral
West face (front) of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin

I will return here some day and look into the interior of the great cathedral. For now, my quest turned a bit westward in Wood Quay, and past 18th Century row houses near St. Patrick’s Close.

Row houses of Davies Place, Dublin (above and below). There was an election scheduled for Friday, thus the signs for Polling Place.
St. Nicholas Church, Francis Street, Dublin. This little gem is tucked away, behind a secure gate.
Church of St. Augustine and St. John (aka John’s Lane Church, Dublin. It is a Catholic Church, with the highest steeple in Ireland.
St. Audoen’s Church. This is the third point on the triangular route I took today. It was built in the late Twelfth Century and named for St. Ouen, a Norman French cleric. St. Audoen’s also served as the west gate to Dublin and was the last gate still intact in the 20th Century. Today, it serves Polish Catholics.
West Wall of Dublin, near St. Audoen’s Church (Above and below)
St. Audoen’s Church, behind linden trees
The Singing Hollow, St. Audoen’s Park, Dublin. Anyone who puts their head in the hollow and makes a noise, will hear it amplified.
Child’s drawing of a medieval nun, St. Audoen’s Park
West Gate of Dublin

Walking back towards Temple Bar, I passed Dublin City Hall. Of course, all business was finished for the day, but it still stood in stately pose.

Dublin City Hall

Molly Malone stood selling cockles and mussels, by Dublin Castle.

Statue of maiden selling wares, near Dublin Castle

It was a tad late, so I found Tapped, a small pub that serves a small variety of comfort food sandwiches, and whose main line is, of course, beer. I stuck with my N/A beverage and got decent service from the lone young lady who was zipping around the floor and taking the best care she could of the sizable crowd of rowdies. Cajun Chicken took care of my appetite.

Tomorrow will be another very full day-Birth of Baha’ullah celebration at the National Gallery of Ireland, a visit to Dublinia- a museum of city history, focused on the Vikings and a reunion with an old Baha’i friend from our Phoenix years.

The Road to Diamond, Day 329, Part I: The Cat, The Rat and The Cathedral

0

October 22, 2025, Dublin- The story is as old as mammals themselves: A pest is pursued by its primary predator, and tries to escape into a safe haven. The only problem is, the hiding place is big enough for the pursuer as well. In the end, neither got out.

Christ Church Cathedral is one of three major houses of worship in Dublin. It was the only one of the three that I was able to enter and wander its two accessible floors. Time and the flow only allow for a little on any given day. St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Audoen’s Church offered glimpses of their exteriors and closes. The interiors will wait for another time.

I spent last night in the company of fellow Baha’is, at our Faith’s National Centre, in Ballsbridge on the near South Side. We celebrated the Birth of al-Bab which, as readers may remember, occurs back-to-back with the celebration of the Birth of Baha’ullah. It is these Holy Days which give me the reason to stay in one place for 2-3 days, and what finer place is there than the capital of the Irish Republic, with its spirit of independent investigation and expression of truth.

Christ Church Cathedral lies almost due west of stately Dublin Castle, the old seat of the British Viceroys. These two were the focus of today’s walkabout, once I set out from Abigail’s Hostel, a bit north of them in Temple Bar, across from the River Liffey. This is the heart of Dublin and, despite their association with colonialism and the Reformation, Castle and Cathedral are reflective of the fierceness of Irish spirit.

A Temple Bar scene, Dublin

I began at the Castle, and its adjacent Chapel.

North Arch, Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle (Above and below)
Chapel Royal, east of Dublin Castle
Grand Hallway, Dublin Castle

The Presidents of Ireland have their portraits hung here, as did the Viceroys of the British regime before them. Thus has the Irish nation made use of a building that was once the symbol of subjugation.

The first Irish President I remember from childhood was Eamon de Valera. He was one of the few remaining heroes of the Easter Rising (1916) and was also a celebrated figure among the Irish of eastern Massachusetts, New York, Chicago and elsewhere in North America.

Eamon de Valera, President of Ireland from 1959-1973.
Mary Robinson, first female President of Ireland (1990-97)

After going through the crown rooms of the Castle, it was time to go to the Cathedral. A short five minute walk found me at the entrance to Christ Church, seat of the Church of Ireland.

Foyer, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Nave, Christ Church Cathedral (above and below)
Nave and transept, Christ Church Cathedral
Tiled floor, Nave of Christ Church Cathedral
Tiled floor of the south chapel, Christ Church Cathedral
Altar and sanctuary, South Chapel, Christ Church Cathedral
Great organ, Christ Church Cathedral
A scene from the Crypt, Christ Church Cathedral (above and below)

This brings us to the titular cat and rat. The two were found, mummified, inside the great organ. They are now framed and placed next to the Crypt toilets.

Two errant adversaries

Once I left the Crypt, lighter figures greeted me.

Millennium Child, Peace Park, Dublin
Peace Park, Dublin
Peace Park, Dublin

With that, my attentions were drawn to the exterior and close of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, about which more in the next post.

The Road to Diamond, Day 328: An Ancient Surprise

2

October 21, 2025, Dublin- The two ladies, ecstatic at seeing one another after an apparently long time, began excitedly chatting as the bus left Rosslare, for central Wexford. They were mirrors of my mother, and two of her three sisters.

I know that my grandfather’s family left this part of Ireland for Germany, sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century. That information was passed to me as a child, by my eldest maternal aunt, who looked exactly like the silver-blonde haired woman holding court on the bus. The other two ladies could have been Mom and her closest sister, when they were in their forties. I have long felt a bond with the Irish, and with Celts in general, without really knowing why-until today.

Once in Wexford, I had about an hour to while away, until the train to Dublin was ready to leave. So, with bag and baggage, I walked about Redmond Square and the West Side Cultural District. Here are some scenes from this town that, in an ancient surprise, was likely the ancestral home of the Cooks, who became the Kusch family, once in Germany.

Redmond Obelisk, Wexford
A broader view of Redmond Square, Wexford

The Redmond family brought the train to Wexford and drained marshland, to make the area fit for human habitation.

West Gate, Old Wexford
West Wall, Wexford (above and below)
The “Sheriff Street Bull” of Old Wexford. Ironically, the sculpture by John Behan is titled after Sheriff Street, Dublin, which is where he grew up. There is another replica, I’m told, in Galway, western Ireland. John was fascinated with bulls, which he likened to the Irish male, who felt forced to move away or to return to an uncertain future. That may well have been the case with my Cook forebear, off to Germany to seek his fortune, in the days of the Hanseatic League.
Statue of Irish Wolfhound, Westgate, Wexford
Nicky Rackford, a legendary Irish Hurler, who hailed from Wexford. Hurling is an ancient Gaelic sport, akin in many ways to Gaelic football. It is described more fully here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurling
Ruins of Selskar Abbey, an Augustinian monastery of the 12th Century. (Above and below)
The indomitable Irish women, celebrated in Westgate, Wexford

It was time to board the train, so I left things like the John F. Kennedy Arboretum for another time. I did get a few glimpses of Muir Eirann (Irish Sea) from the train, between Wexford and Dublin.

Irish Sea, south of Arklow
Irish horses, enjoying life by the sea
North end of inlet, above Wexford
Avoca River, near Wicklow
Foliage, outside Wicklow
River Vartry, near Wicklow
Rainbow above Irish Sea
Wicklow Head
Wicklow
Irish Lights Building, Dun Laoghire (pronounced dun leary)

At long last, we arrived at Connolly Station.

River Liffey, from Connolly Station

To my Cook relatives, your song resonates through the centuries. To my Connolly relatives (on my Dad’s side), this station is named for your distant cousin, an Irish national hero-but you knew that.

The Road to Diamond, Day 327: Across an Emerald Sea

0

October 20, 2025, Rosslare, Ireland- It had slipped my mind, the location of Ocean Lab Cafe-a function of “landmark bleed” (my term), where two places that are close to one another while still some distance apart, become adjacent in my mind. So, my friend Sian and I walked to the grocer, looking for the cafe. As we learned, Ocean Lab Cafe is on the berm that is closer to Goodwick Jetty. The grocer is off the street below. I had been to both, yesterday, while a bit tired from the day’s journey-thus, the landmark bleed.

No matter, we sat and enjoyed hot tea, with no crumpets, as it was mid-morning, and I had enjoyed a full Irish breakfast at Rose & Crown, prior to meeting Sian in the foyer of the guest house. We walked a short bit along the beach, both savouring the salt air and very pleasant clear sky. Ocean Lab is a small aquarium and oceanographic education centre for local children. It also offers Welsh products for visitors, so I purchased a box of tea bags and a tin of chai, each produced locally.

Our meeting lasted about two hours, then it was time for me to head towards the ferry to Ireland. Sian drove me as far as the ferry entrance. I then had to walk around a few barriers, to what turned out to be the Fishguard Harbour Train Station. I was the last one through the chute, but no matter-I was still five minutes shy of the gate closing, and that was only to board the bus to the ship. As it happened, we had to go back and pick up all the people who had been inside the priority visitors’ lounge. We ended up leaving well in time.

I decided to do something different this time-put my computer and journal in stowage and turn off my mobile phone. I enjoyed a full lunch, then sat and contemplated St. George’s Channel-the narrows of the Irish Sea, only nodding off for a short time, in mid-voyage. A few small children who were excited to look for whales, and a snoring man, the next table over, were there to break any monotony. The emerald sea was basically rather calm today, and the mood on board rather relaxed. We were in Rosslare in four hours and twenty minutes.

Irish customs and immigration checked the two American passports separately, but were a pleasant, jovial pair, thanking us for our cooperation. The rest of the bus riders faced a canine unit inspection, which turned up a couple of cans of English ale, and thankfully no drugs. We were let loose within ninety minutes. My transition from Europort to Home from Home Guest House did, however, entail a workaround past the usual tut-tutting from Spectrum, that I could not call my host without being connected to WiFi, and there was no connection at the port. A kind fellow passenger, who lives in Wexford, called my host and got directions. I found the bus that serves Rosslare, rode as far as Coast Hotel and voila, my host, Gemma, was waiting for me as I got off the bus.
“You’d never find the place, in this darkness”, she said, and we walked the five minutes to the apartment house. I was given a cozy and warm introduction to Irish lodging facilities, with the requisite bath tub (in the British Isles, a mere shower stall is frowned upon, though some hoteliers have little choice.) Gemma excused herself, and I headed back to Coast Hotel, for a dinner of fish and chips. The meal was more than ample, and I felt another nice day had passed.

The Road to Diamond, Day 325, Part II: Robe and Town in Salisbury

0

October 18, 2025, Salisbury, England- I arrived at Victoria Lodge, on Salisbury’s north side, a little after 3. The kindly, proper host’s intel said that the last bus to Stonehenge would leave the train station at 4. She was going by the summer schedule, which ended on September 30.
I thanked her, and realized that the afternoon was meant for Salisbury Cathedral, a place that was set aside for special study by my Art History professor, in 1973.

The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally at a site now called Old Sarum, as was the community of Salisbury. Old Sarum is now an English Heritage property, a recognized and well-preserved historical site. The community moved two miles south, to its present location, in the early 13th Century (1220) and the new cathedral was completed by 1330. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Cathedral

I walked about the Cathedral Close (area outside the church) first, then took in the magnificence of the use of light, which so enthralled Dr. Eichholz, back in the 1970s, that we spent nearly two weeks on various aspects of Salisbury Cathedral.

Salisbury Cathedral, full exterior
“Walking Madonna”, by Dame Elisabeth Frink, north lawn of Salisbury Cathedral
North face of Salisbury Cathedral
Stained glass of North Side, Salisbury Cathedral
Transept, Salisbury Cathedral (above and below)
Nave, Salisbury Cathedral
Ceiling, Salisbury Cathedral
Chancel, with choir in practice, Salisbury Cathedral
Bumping Stone, Salisbury Cathedral-at which a new initiate into the choristry has his or her head bumped on the stone seven times, whilst the chorus sings.
Stained glass, above Baptismal Font, Salisbury Cathedral
Altar, Salisbury Cathedral
Explanation of Magna Carta, Chapter House, Salisbury Cathedral. The original was brought to Salisbury by Elias of Dereham, who had been at Runnymede, in 1215, and was now supervisor of the initial construction of the Cathedral.

The docent in Chapter House explained the course of the Magna Carta’s being first signed by King John, then repudiated by him, with the connivance of Pope Innocent IV. It was this papal duplicity that set the wheels in motion for the English Reformation, which took place 300 years later.

West Gate (Church Gate), Salisbury Town
River Avon, with Cathedral spire in background.
River Avon, serving as a canal, center Salisbury
Clock Tower, Salisbury City Centre

The center of Salisbury was packed with visitors, and many dining venues were expected to be packed. I had an early dinner at Cote, a French-style cafe, then walked back to Victoria Lodge, the day having been more than full-even without Stonehenge.

The Road to Diamond, Day 324: Part I- Le Havre’s New Legacy

2

October 17, 2025, Portsmouth, England- The earnest young man, a maintenance worker for the City of Dieppe, told me that the route to the ferry terminal was “not long” and was “visible straightaway from around the corner to the left.” I followed his directions, met a couple who were out walking on a delightful Friday afternoon and got more complete directions. Twenty-five minutes later, I walked into the Ferry Terminal.

Taking on the road involves just this sort of time allowance, and patience with people whose own understanding of routes and systems is not as complete as they fancy it to be. It also involves workarounds for spotty WiFi and being a quicker study for technological innovations than has ever been the case. That alone, to me, is a cure for dementia. (Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I just know how it feels to be adapting to a savvier world.)

The day started with a fine breakfast at JOST Hostel. Before checking out, I did a walkabout to Le Havre’s waterfront and back. Here are some scenes:

Le Havre Palais de Justice
Le Havre City Hall
Monument to Resistance Fighters of World War II
Seine River, approaching the English Channel (La Manche)
Monument aux Morts, Le Havre
Alta Tower, with fluid geometry; created by Auguste Perret
Twin Rainbow Arches, Le Havre Port. This was in celebration of Le Havre’s 500th anniversary and was also designed by Auguste Perret. It is made of 36 shipping containers, welded together.
Sea gate, with approaching ferry ship.
“The Signal”, by Henri-Georges Adam, at Malraux Museum of Modern Art
Auguste Perret’s Show Apartment
Notre Dame de Le Havre (Cathedral)
Interior of Notre Dame de Le Havre
Pipe Organ, Notre Dame de Le Havre
Stained glass, at Le Havre Central Train Station

With my walkabout complete, I headed on the train bound for Rouen, then transferred to another train to Dieppe.

The Road to Diamond, Day 323: The Goodwill of Immigrants

0

October 16,2025, Le Havre– I left Metz, after a sumptuous breakfast in Hotel Escurial’s fine restaurant. The train ride to Paris Est was uneventful, though the French countryside is always a tonic for the soul. Once in Paris, I asked an African immigrant, a security guard, where to find the bus to Gare St. Lazare, from which trains to Normandy and Brittany are dispatched. He personally favoured the Metro, but with baggage to handle, I was in no mood for the grifters and pickpockets who hang out in all too many Metro stations. He then directed me to the area south of the train station, where buses arrive and depart.

After a few minutes of asking around, I spotted the bus that goes to St. Lazare. Another young immigrant was getting set to start his driving shift, and invited me on, sans ticket. He maneuvered swiftly through Paris traffic, and we were near St. Lazare, with plenty of time to spare before my train to Rouen and Le Havre was set to depart. His “price”? I had to get off two stops later and walk back. “No one can have everything”, he said, knowingly. It was no big deal.

In 2014, I was on another train to Rouen, and we passed through a suburb called Mantes-La Jolie. My seat mate pointed out that there was little “jolie” about the town. This time, though, Mantes-La Jolie presented a clean, upbeat appearance-even lacking the graffiti that seems to be universal elsewhere across Europe.

Rouen, too, seemed a tad happier a place than what I saw eleven years ago. For that matter, at least in the above-ground gathering places and along surface streets, I felt perfectly safe in Paris as well. The hype about “crime-ridden France” seems to be just that-a false flag. The train strikes of two weeks ago are a blip.

It was in an upbeat mood, bolstered by the kind, if snarky, immigrants who I encountered everywhere, that I found myself in the shiny port and university city of Le Havre. I had half expected a gritty seaport. There was none of that, and I walked a short distance to JOST (Joy of Sharing Together) Hostel. It is the closest lodging to any train station thus far, except for Helsingor. It also has a Food Court, with six restaurants under the auspices of one bar. I chose a northern Italian option.

The University quarter of Le Havre is a place of great modern art and architecture. Here are a few scenes.

JOST Hostel. I was “only” on the fourth floor.
Pole- Simone Veil. This social and sport event center is named for the late magistrate Simone Veil, who was a survivor of the Holocaust of 1941-45. She became the first President of the directly-elected European Parliament, in 1979. In her years of recovery from the horrors of war, Simone Veil was a champion of women’s rights in France and across Europe. She died in 2017, at the age of 89.
Enclosed arbor, Allee Aimee Cesar. The great social activist from Martinique offered a thought which is apt for people like me, who visit different places, almost with abandon. “Beware, my body and my soul, beware above all of crossing your arms and assuming the sterile attitude of the spectator, for life is not a spectacle, a sea of griefs is not a proscenium, and a man who wails is not a dancing bear.” It is indeed the duty of the traveler to show empathy with those visited.
Rue Le Sueur
Sidewalk cafe, Place Le Sueur
Torso in Action, Place Le Sueur

Le Havre has indeed cast off its former image as a gritty port, and is fully embracing the vibrant commercial culture that has continued across the English Channel, despite BREXIT and largely because of, rather than despite, the Chunnel. I will have time, tomorrow morning, to more fully look around this energetic port.

The Road to Diamond, Day 322: Still A Fine Metz

0

October 15, 2025, Metz- Stately Hotel Escurial is probably the easiest to find, of any hotel that hasn’t been right next to the Train Station (only the hotel in Helsingor, Denmark has fit that description). It is bordered by a health food grocer, with bright green lettering and the Hotel Cecil, which once catered to the British upper crust, is prominently to the west of Escurial. Besides, it has a regal Spanish ring to it.

I arrived here in mid-afternoon, the first stop of three, on a Strasbourg-Luxembourg route, which I last took in the opposite direction, in 2014. At that time, Metz was more a place for regrouping my energy, as Strasbourg was this time. Today was more about giving Metz the limelight.

I got my laundry done in Strasbourg, for the most part figuring out the instructions, which were in French, and managing to get the clothes washed and dried within the allotted time and walked back to Hotel Strasbourg, in plenty of time to return to the main train station. I even helped a college student and a disabled woman, just a little.

Once in Metz and settled in at Hotel Escurial, it was off to look at two different areas of the Old City. First, though, I had to get a new mouse for my computer. A shop was located about four blocks from Hotel Escurial, and the task was quickly done.

Hotel Escurial. Metz
Gare Centrale (Main Train Station), Metz
Gare Centrale (Main Train Station), Metz
Colour matters in Metz, the year round.
North Wall of Old City, with Water Tower in background
Old Water Tower, Metz
General Charles De Gaulle, at his square
Interior of Metz Cathedral (Above and below)
Stretching towards the sky, Metz Cathedral exterior (above and below)

Images of saints, Metz Cathedral
Spires on southwest corner of Metz Cathedral
Western side of Metz Cathedral
Abraham de Faubert, Marshal of France under Henry IV and Louis XIII. Marshal De Faubert established new methods of siegecraft, during the constant wars between England and France during the 17th Century. He is considered a key figure in the survival of the French State, in that uncertain period.
Arizona in Alsace-Lorraine
East Gate of Old City, Metz
Michel Ney, Napoleon’s sub-commander, who was from Lorraine. He was executed for treason, after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.

Three corkscrew spirals, Parc de Ney

My exploration of Metz was complete, for now. Dinner followed, being a simple toasted bagel with cream cheese and minced onion-at a small, cozy place named simply “The Coffee Shop”. It was a fitting end to a day devoted to a blend of simplicity and grandeur.