Take a trip to Paris at the end of the month and drop in to the Musee de l’Armee at Les Invalides. This is the old military hospital complex near the Tour d’ Eiffel which is now a museum complex.
The London National Maritime Museum is lending the uniform that Horatio Nelson was wearing when he was mortally wounded at Trafalgar – his “undress uniform”. Look up what his “dress uniform” was and you’ll see something that it resembles a Christmas Tree! This will now be exhibited at Greenwich for the first time for 10+ years.
This is the first time it has left the UK since it returned from Trafalgar. The musket hole in the left shoulder is there, as are bloodstains on the tails and sleeve, but you’ll have to see those you youself.
Nelson was shot at 13.15pm on 21st October 1805 and is revered as one of Britain’s great heroes.
At Les Invalides he thus joins with one of France’s Great heroes – Napoleon Bonaparte where there is an exhibition on Napoleon and Europe.
Apart from marvelling on the height of these two men you will be able to get an understanding on the French’s take on Napoleon and, from experience, realise that French history is very different from everyone else’s !
27th March to 14th July, so book the TGV now and make a day of it.