At the corner of Rue de Californie and Rue Crocker sits the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The Church was originally built at the end of the 15th century on the foundation of the Notre-Dame de Pitié chapel in 1489, then later of the Sainte-Barbe chapel. In 1846, the bell tower was erected. 

The church sustained damage but not as much as the rest of the town in World War I. When the town was chosen by the California Committee and the French Government to be rebuilt in 1916, the citizens asked that their little church be first on the list. It is also where Daisy and the General married in 1917.

​The Church in 1914, 1917 and today

Historic Photographs of the village of Vitrimont in Lorraine, France. Some taken by Daisy. 

Planning a vist to Nancy, Luneville and (of course) Vitrimont, I wanted to visit Verdun for a day. From Nancy it's an easy 1 hour+ drive. Daisy wrote of the devastation in the northern part of the front and it is well worth a visit today.

However ... I needed a simple map. What I found were endless sites trying to sell me a map or a tour. Some sites had great info, but no directions or details showing order or access. There are busses and drivers aplenty if that's what you want. But if you want to tour at your own pace by bike, foot or car, I offer my self-guided do-it-yourself Verdun visit. I created a route and some basic info, knowing I had plenty of history to accompany me on site. My two adult sons had done some research, but the Verdun Memorial Museum was a perfect place to start.

This is what I offer here. Ten must-see Verdun sites. I'll add further comments and maybe more sites later. But for now - here's a free map to help you navigate the memorials and battlefields of Verdun. 

​An easy to follow free map for a day tour of the Verdun Battlefields, Memorials & Monuments

     This 19th century song could have been written about Daisy Polk. She was uprooted and replanted throughout her life, and she always looked upward or forward. By any definition, she was resilient.
     Here are Daisy's thoughts about her name (excerpted from Book One - Chapter 6; Cotillions, Clubs and Courtship; Kansas City: 1887-1889;
     No-one was more aptly named than I. Daisy was a popular name to be sure. But it fit me as well as any name could. A daisy is the definition of resilience and simple can-do. Where nothing else grows, there will be daisies. From a crack in a busy city sidewalk to a field kissed by the sun and blessed with rich soil, a daisy is a flower that can grow anywhere and thrives despite any and all weather conditions.
     I had grown up a daisy, whereas my Endemial was the family rose. She needed nurturing and tending to show her best bloom and train her natural beauty and gifts. No amount of tending changes a daisy. A daisy just is.

     I guess gift-giving is like home building. Who doesn't love a unique personalized gift that says "I carefully chose this for you." And I even give credit to those who just give it their best shot. Because, the thought really does count. Especially, when you can see the thinking behind it! 
     My brother has a knack for this type of gifting. One year he gave me a refurbished sign I had carved for my grandmothers house. The sign we believed stolen long ago. He found it in a sorry state while clearing brush at the fence-line. Repaired and renewed, it now graces the wall above my doorway. He's given other meaningful, memorable gifts over the years, many Polk drawings and ephemera, but this year was something I didn't even know existed!