The French Journal

Belatedly, Anzac Day in Villers-Bretonneux

Late last week, in the village of Villers-Bretonneux, hundreds of Australians gathered to commemorate the efforts of their countrymen in World War I (Sydney Morning-Herald). VB, as it was known, had been captured by the Germans, who viewed it as a gateway for a march on Paris. The Australians fought - and regained - the town, but at an enormous cost: 1,200 lives. Even so, this battle was not the bloodiest for the Aussies on the French front during the Great War. At Fromelles, in 1916,  there were over 5,000 casualties, including nearly 2,000 deaths.

Villers-Bretonneau planned a week-long celebration of the Australians, in recognition of the 90th anniversary of the battle. Anzac Day is a national holiday in Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, which takes place on April 25, and which honors the soldiers of World War I who fought at Gallipoli.

Amiens: From city gardens to majesty

A profile of the city of Amiens, a college town and more in the Picardy region, starts off as if it will concentrate on les Hortillonnages, that is, city gardens, recovered from swampland, where urban dwellers grow produce to be sold in local markets. It's a false start, however. The piece (taken from The Guardian U.K.) wanders away from fresh radishes and meanders to the other big attractions of the town: a major art museum, medieval squares, a center devoted to Jules Verne (who moved there), and, of course, its magisterial cathedral, Notre Dame, France's largest, and "the last resting place of John the Baptist's forehead." (Saint's relics can show up in the most unusual spots.) As long as you're aware that the story shifts mid-way, you'll enjoy the stroll.

Green France: Four for the environment

Label France, an official publication of the French Cultural Services, highlights four cities this month for unique and/or exceptional efforts to protect the environment. While some of the articles are very brief, at a minimum they will introduce you to a few places you've never heard of before. They include:

• Angers, a "city of the Pays de la Loire region (which) has become a European benchmark in its treatment of environmental, economic and social issues,"
• Amiens, in Picardie, producing energy by the use of the Volaga Process, which creates fuel from household waste,
• Caen, pioneering in the cultivation of "bêtes à bon dieu," a.k.a. ladybugs, as a way to control pests that infest the town's gardens, and
• Chambéry, a city in the Rhône-Alpes, investing heavily in solar energy.