Lac Madine is a man-made lake in Lorraine, France, near la belle ville of Nancy. Though we only got a sprinkling of sunshine, it was beautiful.
We took a little detour, climbing to the top of Montsec, a hill that over looked the lake. At the top was this monument, dedicated to the American soldiers who fought in this region during WWI. Actually, as we learned from another American who was visiting the monument at the same time, this hill was site of an important battle. The details escape me for the moment (I've never had a brain for battle history), but I remember sitting up there, wondering how many people visit this place. It must have been important at the time of it's construction - why else would it be there - but now? Now it's just a forgotten memory, until, maybe, another group of hikers gets a little curious.
It's something that I love about France, about Europe in general. No matter where you go, there's a treasure commemorating a moment in history. Sometimes its a monument, sometimes just a simple plaque, but it always makes you pause for just one second longer, to remember.
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