I spend a lot of free time walking in Metz, partly due to neither having a car nor taking the time to figure out the bus system, and partly due to the fact that there is a lot within walking distance that is interesting. Last Saturday, I trudged along the Moselle again, where it joins the Seille, to explore the Chemin des Corporations, a rampart dating from the Middle Ages, which at its longest in the 15th century, stretched for 7 km. Today, a short stretch of walls and towers remains along the banks of the Seille.
The Chemin des Corporations is so named because corporations (which I think are actually trade associations) maintain them in times of peace (and theoretically, protect them during war). It is part of the Circuit des Remparts, which also includes the Porte des Allemandes and Forte Bellecroix. Everyone else does the circuit in one shot, but I have to be different and cover each on different days and separate entries, because I am slow!
I discovered the ramparts accidentally! I was walking down the Moselle (Northward, but downriver) and saw a huge wall with a drainspout filled with grass and flowers, and thought it was pretty, so I took a photo of it. A sign on the grass below described the walls and towers, so I decided to see what it was about.
I walked through an entry on a path that wound by a series of towers behind a wall overlooking the river. Entrances to the towers themselves were blocked, so passers-by can only look through the windows, which is a disappointing sight, as garbage is strewn about everywhere!
The wall overlooking the river has arrow slits along it. Considering the narrow vantage afforded by the slits, I am amazed that these things were effective for defense, and yet, they were standard in Medieval castles, so they must have been!
Coming out of the walled area, I was on the bank of the Seille, and headed upriver. In my photo of the river in the album, there is a man fishing under the tree on the right, which should give you some perspective as to its size.
I turned back in toward Centre Ville, heading across the narrow streets. I passed a yard with a group of people relaxing at a table, and saw a gawky brown tabby kitten walking across. The cat saw me stop at the fence and pick up my camera, became curious, walked over, and propped itself up on the wall to get a better look. Unfortunately, I had focused the camera before the cat made it into the viewfinder, so kitty is fuzzy and the background is sharp, but you can still see how cute she was! She reminded me of my own group of quadripedal fuzzies back home, and how much I miss them, especially my little Mini cat -- the others will accept food and attention from anyone, but Mini is bonded to me. I feel especially guilty, because I let Piglet sleep with me my last few nights at home. Mini is terrified of Piglet, and would not go near my room. Okay, confession over.
I walked all the way back to the Moselle side (not much of a feat, it's a narrow town), watched some kayakers, took photos of interesting graffiti on some planters, which I'll hopefully have in an album soon, and on one of the bridges, passed a family making their way on little push scooters! I thought they looked cute, and … took a photo!
As an aside, there are now two other people living on my floor (I was the only one at first). I was fawning over my herb plants yesterday, when Dimitry walked up to my window and introduced himself. He is an engineer and lives in the apartment in front of mine. This morning, Farida knocked on my door to introduce herself. She is in the front apartment on the other side, so there is another apartment separating hers from mine. I still see the other three neighbors I met earlier ... and still do not know their names! The one man stops on occasion and attempts conversation. I decided it is better to respond with more than "oui," "non" and "pourriez vous répéter, s'il vous plaît?" (could you repeat, please?), so I have taken to responding to him in Franglish. I admire his patience. Sometimes we chatter for several minutes, and I have no idea what either of us has said!
The photos in this entry are from my Circuit des Remparts album:
More about The Circuit des Remparts can be found on the Parks and Gardens Promenades du Centre and the Circuit des Remparts pages of the Ville de Metz websites, however, there is not much there, and it's all in French. If anyone finds anything with more detail, in any language, please let me know!
One of my favorite places to walk in Metz is along the Moselle. There is something soothing about being near the water for me. Where the river hits centre ville, the walkway along the banks turns into a wooden promenade, with a cement wall leading up to the streets above.
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