By coincidence

I came across this postcard today depicting a terrible storm back in 1904 in a town in the North of France. As a result of a storm, high winds and a deluge of rain, the little river that went through the town turned into a raging torrent. Houses that overhung the river were destroyed as their foundations were washed away. There was plenty of flooding and damage throughout the rest of the town too. 21 people died that day. A reminder perhaps, that we have always been at the mercy of nature.
(Whether the government be right or left!)

Anyone for ice?

I think it’s important to show the glaciers of France before they all disappear. These tourists were visiting the ice grotto of ‘ice for drinks’(?) around 1908. Perhaps people needed carrying out more than in.

Unfortunately, the glacier is shrinking by 70 meters a year, but a grotto is still opened up for visitors today

La Rochelle Ladies

These ladies are typical of the women who worked along the shore at the beginning of the 20th century. There lives would have been very hard. The climate is cold, damp and very windy in winter and the summer sun is very hot. Throughout history the women of La Rochelle have been special, The first was Eleanor Of Aquitaine who owned la Rochelle, she married the King of France and later the King of England. I’m sure that the women of La Rochelle would have played a courageous part in the sieges where many Rochelais lost their lives. The women of La Rochelle were also amongst the most determined passengers to the Americas.

Later on, some of the ladies of La Rochelle were to become famous amongst sailors and ships crews from all over the world….

The Ice Man

I thought I’d better post this one before everyone forgets what ice is. The postcard is around 100 years old. I know from reports on TV that there is less and less ice in the Chamonix region of France, as with a lot of places in the world.

(I didn't realise that I was reducing the cards so much before uploading them. From now on if you click on them they will be larger and easier to see.)