Our Hotel

THIS HOTEL IS WHERE ALL OF OUR 345 ENLISTED MEN WERE IN QUARTERS.  MY ROOM WAS ON THE SECOND FLOOR AT THE FRONT CORNER WHERE I COULD SEE UP AND DOWN BOTH STREETS AT THIS CORNER.  OUR DETACHMENT WOULD STAND REVEILLE  IN FRONT OF THE QUARTERS EVERY MORNING.  THE STONE WALL BEHIND THE MEN WAS A PRISON OR JAIL WHERE I WAS DETAINED FOR SOME HOURS ON ONE OCCASION; I WAS CAUGHT FOR BEING OUT AFTER CURFEW.   AFTER BREAKFAST WE WOULD THEN GO TO OUR ASSIGNMENTS AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL BUILDINGS WHICH WERE REQUISITIONED BY THE ARMY FOR USE AS A HOSPITAL.  THE MESS HALL AND DAY ROOM WERE ON THE FIRST FLOOR.  THE UPPER THREE STORIES IS WHERE THE MEN LIVED.  WE HAD DANCES ON THE ROOF WITH LIVE BIG BANDS.

MEALS WERE NOT TO OUR LIKING BECAUSE WE HAD NO FRESH FOOD. WE HAD POWDERED POTATOES, POWDERED EGGS, POWDERED MILK, ALONG WITH "SPAM" WHICH  COULD BE SMELLED BEFORE WE GOT TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOTEL. WE SOON FOUND SOME LOCAL EATING PLACES WHERE AT LEAST WE COULD GET FRESH EGGS; COW'S MILK WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE, BUT  GOAT'S MILK WAS SERVED WITH COFFEE.  I RENTED AN APARTMENT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FROM THIS HOTEL.

                                                                     THE "HOTEL DES VOYAGEURS"

A FOUR STORY  STRUCTURE, TYPICALLY  FRENCH INSIDE.  NOTE THE FRONT ENTRANCE  WHERE  SOME SOLDIERS OF MY UNIT WERE LOUNGING AT THE ENTRANCE.     THE BOTTOM PICTURE ON THE LEFT ABOVE SHOWS THE STREET SCENE TAKEN FROM MY SECOND FLOOR FRONT ROOM

NOTE HOW THE MEN OF THE UNIT WERE HOUSED AT THIS HOTEL, FOUR MEN TO A ROOM, TWO IN EACH OF THE TWO DOUBLE BEDS.  WE HAD TO PUT UP WITH  LOVELY WHITE SHEETS:  THIS WAS WAR!  THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT SHOWS ME IN UNIFORM.  EACH ROOM HAD A SINK AND A BIDET (FRENCH, OF COURSE).  THE TOILET WAS DOWN THE HALL ON EACH FLOOR.

"OLD JOE", THE BEGGAR, WHOM WE WOULD PASS GOING TO AND FROM THE HOSPITAL AND OUR QUARTERS.  HE MADE OUT VERY WELL BECAUSE MANY OF US WOULD TOSS HIM A COIN AS WE WENT BY.
 

YOUNG GIRLS WERE DRESSED IN VERY COLORFUL COSTUMES FOR AN ARABIC CELEBRATION.  AT THAT AGE THEY WERE PERMITTED ON THE STREET SHOWING THEIR FACES. THIS WAS NOT ALLOWED FOR ADULT FEMALES.  SEE IMMEDIATELY BELOW

OUR HOTEL

I WAS TRYING TO HAVE A PICTURE TAKEN AS THOUGH I WAS WALKING WITH THE FIGURE ON MY LEFT, BUT THE WOMEN CAUGHT ON AND BACKED AWAY.

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