We're back in France - a short trip this year to celebrate Laurie's "milestone" birthday.

We visited the area of France where the Battle of the Somme occurred during World War I. To say that it's sobering seriously understates the experience.

Last year we stumbled on an old abbey, started in 1181(!), but we could only look through a gate to see the buildings. This year we are here at a time we could visit it, so we did just that. This was a memorable experience.