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- neglect to bring it. It is poseible to obtain "cafe au lait" for breakfast, but at ell other meals beer or wine is served almost exclusively, We got around the difficulty by ordering a bottle of Vichy water, or "citronede", as lemonade is called over here.
Dinner over, we hailed a taxi, and journeyed across the Seine •to Kotel des Invalides, where Napoleon’s tomb is located. The In- velides was erected in l635» an(? Ux> a years ago was used as a home for old pensioners. Now there are only some twenty odd of them left, the remainder having been sent to the provinces in which they were born. Those who are left act as guides to the visitors who flock there every day. One of them, an old fellow who said that he had shown Sir Wilfred Laurier around 23 years previously, took us in tow. He asked us where we had come from, and when we said "Vimy" he informed us that he had fought over that same ground in the Franco- Prussian war of 1870. Quite an interesting old character, and could speak English fluently. You’ll find a picture of him in the bunch of poet cards sent under separate mail.
Entering the gates of the building and going under an archway, we found ourselves in a huge courtyard, possibly some 200 yards square all cobble stoned, and as dean as a new pin. At the far end of the courtyard is a collection of machine guns, trencl? mortars, cannon, etc. captured from the enemy in this war. Having seen plenty of such material before, we didn’t spend much time in inspecting them. Were more interested in the three different types of German Planes that were also on view. A French plane that had made more than 400 flights, a really remarkable record, came in for a share of our inspection.
It was at this stage of our visit that we were picked up by our old soldier* He gave us the information about the Invalides that I have already written. Leading us through a ldng corridor we came to the chapel housing Napoleon’s tomb, A flight of granite steps leads up to the massive wooden doors, and we entered with bared heads to view the last resting place of one of the greatest soldiers the world has ever seen.
Following our guidd across the beautifully tiled floor, we came to a waist high granite railing, and leaning over we saw, in a hollow some 20 ft, in diameter, the massive piece of marble in the center of which Napoleon lies. We were informed that his body was embalmed, sealed in a lead casket, then in one of ebony, and a third of marble,, the whole surmounted by a magnificently carved block of red Russian marble, the gift of a Russian Czar, The base fcs of gray marble and is a massive slab also. The tomb reposes in the center of the hollow, and the floor is a magnificent example of the tiler’s art.- At intervals of six feet, supporting the floor on which we stood were pillars 08rved in the form of women, each one representing one of his victories. In stands on the floor were placed a number of flags captured in battle.
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