After a night of little restful sleep and after packing the last of my things in the car, I get in the car at 8:00 a.m. on my way to Maastricht. I have a cup of coffee at my parents’ house and, after putting my mother’s things in the car, we drive around 10:45 a.m. towards the Somme in France.

A quick stop for something to eat and drink along the way, and we’re on our way again. Along the way, we enjoy the scenery, which becomes increasingly beautiful as we get closer to our destination. Hills here, a beautiful church there. Around 2:30 p.m., we arrive at the hotel and check in.

We’re staying at Cap Le Hornu, a three-star hotel. But everything looks impeccable. A quick check-in to the room and then it’s off to the bar for a well-deserved French cider. My stomach starts rumbling terribly, so we quickly finish our drink and head towards the village center. Of course, we take some time to look around and see all the beautiful things they’ve built, and I quickly notice that, unlike in Normandy, everything here looks a bit older. I find it quite remarkable because everything in Normandy is pre-World War II, while here in the Somme region, it feels more like it was built during World War I. This is partly what the area is known for.

Anyway, I quickly watch the steam train pull in, and then it’s on to the restaurant where I eat delicious mussels and my mother has a shrimp salad. The beers here are also very good, by the way. After dinner, we’ll take a stroll through the old part of the village and then head back to the hotel. We’ll read a bit, write a story, and then head to bed for a long, packed second day.