What is History?

Entrevaux is a tiny town in the Var, about 60km along the railway from Nice. It's much closer as the crow flies, but they have to cross some pretty high mountains. The town has a citadel, a castle high above the town built upon a ridge of rock, which has been a military stronghold for centuries if not millennia. It was only decommissioned as a French army base in the 1920's, and was decaying gently until recently when it has been refurbished in parts to make it safe and more attractive for tourists. But there are many seemingly un-noticed memorabilia in the corners. Can you read the graffito upon the plaster, which is now crumbling away?

Dated 1939, after France had surrendered to the Germans at the beginning of the second World War, it reads (in my translation) : "This beat [castle] is for the French. For the Boche, never. " I find this human artifact more relevant, more touching, than any number of massive depersonalised ruins.


:-]