This is a warm winter. The phoenix trees, which usually drop their leaves in October, did not shed them reluctantly until mid-November this year.
About 60 kilometers north of Paris, in the Nonette River Valley, stands a medieval castle on a precipitous cliff surrounded by water: Chantilly Castle.
During wartime, this castle built in the forest has been closed to the public.
Because no one has the leisure to visit here, citizens in a state of material shortage would rather trade their tickets for bread, which at least can fill their stomachs.
However, the previously desolate castle is a different scene today.
The overgrown lawn is filled with fully armed soldiers, some setting up posts, some blocking roads, and others patrolling in formation along the forest edge.
On the gravel path, cars shuttle back and forth, carrying high-ranking officers with various ranks, some wearing large-brimmed hats from the British, and others with the cylindrical hats of the French.
