16 juin 2009, Dunlop

TUESDAY
After work I took a walk to northern Montluçon to the site of the Dunlop factory, which helped support Montluçon's second industrial boom.

A large poster hanging outside a store reads: Le vrai hard shopping c'est ici et pas ailleurs. (The real "hard shopping" is here and not elsewhere). I have never heard the expression "hard shopping," but the French decided to adopt it anyway.

Beyond this building site one can see the castle.
Rue de Pasquis has a nice selection of car dealerships kind of making it Montluçon's version of Seattle's Aurora Avenue.
La Passion du Futur (The passion of the future). In 1920, Dunlop opened a factory in Montluçon. During WWII, Montluçon was part of the free zone, but nevertheless the Germans occupied this factory to profit from the production of rubber used for export and tire production for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). Allie forces bombed the factory in September 1943 to prevent the Germans from continuing to profit from the factory.

This mirror gives bus drivers a rear view at Saint-Pierre bus stop, which is the main hub.

The roof of Lycée [high school] Paul Constans. View from kitchen window.