Travels with Forty Roses: La Marne

Les Bords de la Marne, 1888 by Paul Cézanne

To begin the journey up the Marne is to begin a journey to meet the great rivers of the east : the Meuse via the Canal de l’Aisne à la Marne and the Canal des Ardennes; the Moselle and the Rhine via the Marne-Rhine Canal, and the Saône and the Rhône via the Canal de la Marne à la Saône. The Marne, is an eastern tributary of the Seine, running in great loops and meanders, east and southeast of Paris. It is 514 km long, rising 7.2 km south of Langres on the Langres Plateau. Its drainage basin covers some 5,000 square miles (13,000 square km) in all. Important canalization works, entailing the submerging of some villages took place to attempt regulation of water levels on the Marne and the Seine into which it flows. In the heyday of canal transportation the Marne was a major artery connecting the Seine and Paris to the rivers of the east. The canals that exist shorten the long loops and bypass non-navigable portions of the river.

The Marne River valley saw heavy fighting in World War I. The valley is famous as the site of two important battles of World War I. The first was a turning point of the war, fought in 1914. On September 9, the exhausted Germans began a fighting retreat to the Aisne River. The Battle of the Marne was the first significant Allied victory of World War I, saving Paris and thwarting Germany's plan for a quick victory over France. The losses were staggering. During the battle, the French experienced 250,000 casualties. Although the Germans never published the figures, it is believed that German losses were similar to those of France. The British Expeditionary Force, who fought alongside the French lost 12,733 men..

The second battle was fought four years later, in 1918. And it marked the turning of the tide in World War I. It began with the last German offensive of the conflict and met by the first Allied offensive victory of 1918. But again Allied casualties during the 2nd battle were heavy: French (95,000), British (13,000) and United States (12,000). It is estimated that the German army suffered an estimated 168,000 casualties and this defeat marked the last real attempt by Germany to win the First World War.

We have followed the Marne from the point it joins the Seine and crossed through the areas where such tragedy of war occurred. This past week the sun has shone and the first tinges of autumn have appeared; the early chill in the evenings, the rising mist on the river in early morning. We have thought of those who lost their lives in the two Great Wars as we pass through this beautiful area. It is difficult not to when we see the bridges and their commemorative build date inscriptions; so many in the 1940’s. Today fertile fields along the peaceful river are full of crops and now as we move through the Champagne district the hills are magnificent with vineyards. We advance quietly up the river and enjoy the little villages perched on hillsides and we think of those young men and all who were the casualties of war and all the beautiful days they did not see. How terrible is war and how fortunate are we.

We have reached the village of Cumières, just west of Epernay and have a wonderful tie up where we plan to stay for the next week. We really have not stopped traveling since we left Wambrechies, so stopping is simply grand. Today was a big clean-up day both inside and out so that

tomorrow we explore and check out some local wine makers. Already I have been to the top of the hillside through the vines and checked out all the ripening grapes (ne pas consommer les raisins) and resisted temptation. So tomorrow we taste the product.