The gigantic staircase and memorial in the first several photos is a monument commemorating Verdun's utter devastation during the First World War, and its subsequent rebirth. Inside the memorial at the top of the staircase is a small visitor's center, which includes several large cabinets full of US military service records in the Verdun area. This is a bit strange, since the US entered World War I so late in the game, after most of the bad stuff around Verdun had already happened. My Dad asked the man on staff (in French) if he spoke English. The guy answered (in perfect English), "No, I'm French."

This was hilarious, especially considering the fact that he really didn't speak English. That was the only sentence he knew. We laughed.

At the base of the steps, a pedestrian plaza leads to the canal, and then another pedestrian area full of shops and fantastic restaurants.

Our hotel, Le Coq Hardi, is the red and white half-timber building next to the canal. This wonderful hotel was built in 1827. It has a world-class restaurant, creaky floorboards, quirky bathrooms, and an old-fashioned metal cage elevator that sometimes didn't work at all. When it did work, it tended to get stuck between floors. It happened several times and was a bit scary. All in all, though, it was a fantastic hotel in a perfect location.

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