ALLAN ROGERS VISITS FRANCE LOOKING FOR LOCAL HEROES
It was was a children's theme park that really introduced us to the Aube en Champagne in France and the area around The Parc Naturel Regional de la Foret d’Orient

Nigloland “hedgehog’s country" opened its doors for the first time back in 1987 but it has its origins in a family of travelling funfair professionals who founded the Caron Circus in 1838.

Anyone who has visited the massive theme parks of Florida will appreciate the contrast.

To reach it you drive down the N19 turn off at the ancient village of Doulancourt.

Set in gardens Nigloland is pleasantly manageable and you do feel that they are not set on extracting every last dollar out of your pocket.

For a start, parking is free, the entrance is 15.5 € (infants 14€) and picnic tables are provided for those who want to bring their own food. (There are of course restaurants and cafes.)

The best way to get your bearings is to hop on the little blue train that loops around the park. It meanders though the “Canadian village,” and by the lake where you can travel on the new Louisiana style riverboat.




You also see the “Adventure Jungle,” the children’s carousel and the more dramatic rides; these include the “Spatiale Experience” roller coaster, a river ride over a 20 metre high waterfall, the inverted “Bat Coaster” and the “Gold Mine Train.”

There is also the haunted mansion and the old style theatre with it’s “Nigoshow”

So there is plenty to occupy children of all ages.

If I had to pick a favourite experience it would be the “Dinosaurs Adventure” In this monsters from the past come alive thanks to hydraulic and electronic devices.

The Brontosaurs, Stegosaurs and Triceatops seemed scaringly real to me but a toddler walking ahead of me took them all in his stride accepting them as normal and was just as interested in the ducks and birds that wandered in and out of the trees.

The park is open from the April until 1st November. Website: http://www.nigloland.fr

You get lots of useful information at the local tourist offices, from concerts to the
‘vide griener’ (means empty loft, the French equivalent of the UK’s car boot sale)

LOCAL HEROES

Napoleon Bonaparte

The Tourism Office at Breinne-le-Chateau offers something extra, “The Musee Napoleon” - It is housed in the original building of the military academy where the young Napoleon Bonapatre studied for six years.

The museum describes Bonapartes stay in Brienne and the campaign in France. There is an excellent audio visual preserntation with commentary in French.

A statue of Napoleon also stands in front of the town hall and just a few miles away at La Rothiere there is a monument to commemorate the battle that took place there, resulting in his first defeat in the 1814 Campaign of France.

Charles De Gaulle

Another monument, one that can be seen for miles stands on the hill above the village of Colombey-les-deux-Eglises.

It is the Cross of Loraine, a symbol of Free France in World War Two; it is over 44 metres tall.



Sixty-three different countries subscribed a total of seven million French Francs to erect it as a memorial to the General De Gaulle.

In 1939, World War II began and in May 1940 France was attacked by Germany and the Battle of France was fought.

General de Gaulle was only 49, the youngest general in the French Army. De Gaulle desperately tried to save France from invasion, but the situation got worse, and the French government surrendered to the Nazis. De Gaulle managed to escape to England.

He spent the next 4 years organizing increasing French resistance and calling for support from French colonies. He proclaimed himself the leader of the Free French (later the Fighting French) forces.

In 1944, the invasion of France by the Allies on D-Day, brought De Gaulle back to France. He triumphantly entered Paris on August 26, 1944 and became the President of the country.

In 1969 retired to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises to write his memoirs. He died from a heart attack on 9 November 1970.

The Foret d’Orient

The Foret d’Orient is a regional National Park which boasts the largest artificial lakes in Western Europe .

Lac Amance is the place for jet skiing and fast watersports,

Lac du Temple is dedicated to wildlife and fishing while

Lac d’Orient is the place for sailing and swimming.

The latter has pleasant sandy beaches at Plage de Geraudot and along the wooded shoreline.

If you want to make a holiday base in the area I would suggest the little town of Dienville.

It has an attractive campsite with swimming pool and is located directly oposite Lac Amance's Port Dienville.

report by Allan Rogers

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