Arras in May

[kerouac2]

Ten years ago I made a report about Arras in December -- it was at night and it was the Christmas season.  So I know you have been waiting with bated breath to see what it looks like during the day.  Here we go.

The Grand'Place is still majestic and it still hard to believe that it was all totally rebuilt after the Great War.

The arcades do not need to protects everyone from the weather as much as during the winter.

The little side alleys do not hold dark secrets during the day.

[kerouac2]

Concrete and steel beams were used during the reconstruction, so there should be more left after the next war.



I was a bit dismayed to discover that when there is not a Christmas market, the Grand'Place is used as a car park.



Only a small section, perhaps 25%, is spared this indignity.





I continued to the Place des Héros a block away.





Thank god, this is all reserved for pedestrians.



The old town hall and belfry are here.



The square is completely filled with café tables starting at 15:00 but I was a bit early.



It was nice to see a few different architectural flourishes.





There is a lift most of the way up the belfry, but it would not reopen until 14:30.



In the meantime, keep your distance at the base in the event of a thunderstorm.

[kerouac2]

All of these buildings have cartouches above the ground floor, which can be personalised.

       

       

       

kind of empty without a Christmas market





Some attempts at innovative commerces failed, maybe during covid.



a bit more about the Grand'Place before I leave



This is the new town hall, certainly much more efficient than the place with the belfry.

[kerouac2]

Towns like this have the most wonderful old shops.



I have to admit that these items in the window gave me pause.



I got a bit lost trying to find the car, and I discovered the cathedral instead.



It has a sound & light show, so the whole place was fully wired.  Good place for old people to trip and fall.





Rebuilding the place was hard enough. Don't ask for stained glass, too. Much too expensive.



There were a few photos inside to show what was left in 1918.





This statue in the outside garden has clearly not changed since the Great War.

And that's all I have to say about Arras this time around. It deserves better.

[bixaorellana]

Well! This is unexpected and different. Let me quickly add that it is quite interesting as well.

One thing that fascinates me is that just today I had occasion to visit your excellent Le Havre report, which beautifully explains and shows the rebuilding of that city after WWII. Seeing Arras, with its somewhat more convincing "as-it-was" reconstruction is a comparison that leads to thinking about things we don't often have to confront. The decision to remake what was there is particularly interesting, considerig that, as you point out, "Concrete and steel beams were used during the reconstruction" back in post-WWI times.

May 18, 2024 21:30:18 GMT kerouac2 said:

I was a bit dismayed to discover that when there is not a Christmas market, the Grand'Place is used as a car park.

Indeed! There must be lots of jobs in Arras, with so many cars, yet so few people to be seen.

May 18, 2024 21:30:18 GMT kerouac2 said:

It was nice to see a few different architectural flourishes.

Yes -- and it made me look for other signs of modernity with a nod to the past.

The huge windows in the cathedral are beautiful because of their size. The fact that they're not stained glass adds an extra touch of poignancy & reminder of what what war destroys.

Anyway, great photos throughout & a perfect ending one.

Also, thank you for linking to the previous Arras report. It also is wonderfully photographed and I have no recollection of having seen it before.

[bjd]

Looking at the Wiki page to see exactly where Arras is -- I knew it was in the north -- I saw their photos were taken with blue skies. That certainly makes a difference, because your gray sky and gray buildings are not very cheerful. That is unfortunate since the architecture is interesting.

And, why oh why, when they are rebuilding, why leave this huge empty square as a parking lot? Why not put a small park and trees to add some colour and warmth to the place? Leaving the square full of cars smacks of 1970s town planning, or the lack of it.

[mickthecactus]

AN excellent report. Thanks!

Those items in the window, were they those awful offal sausages?

[kerouac2]

Definitely an uncircumcised version.

[mickthecactus]

Aaah. Gentile sausages.

[htmb]

I once spent some time in Arras while changing to a connecting train in the station. I didn’t have enough time to go out and wander. Thanks for showing a bit of what I missed. It reminds me a bit of Lille.

[fumobici]

Bit of an unpolished gem. Looks worth a day's visit though.