The Post House looks pretty much like it must have been on the eve of the battle, when it was headquarters to the Russian staff. The night after the battle it served the same function for the French staff.
By the time we arrived the rain has stopped, though we were all wet and cold. We were greatly cheered to hear that we would have lunch here. This consisted of a goulash type meal called “The Santon Cannonball”. A large round bread loaf filled with very tasty meat and potatoes, all washed down with a bottle of local wine. Just what we all needed to raise our morale reach for the afternoon walk.
The Post House is similar to an English coaching inn. It is now a combined hotel, restaurant and museum. It has been renovated to retain its original feel, but with all modern amenities. The dining room is a large barn type room with long wooden tables and a large stone fireplace. It was crowded when we arrived, but fortunately Midas had booked ahead.
The stables are still in use. They offer a horse drawn guided tour of the battlefield, which would be a wonderful way to see it. There is also a very modern training area at the back of the building. The stables are used as accommodation for participants at the annual reenactment of the battle in December.
This unhappy looking group had not yet been fed and watered. It’s a shame that I do not have an after lunch photo as a comparison.
This photo is staged to advertise the Post House. It is taken at the top of the stairs leading to the wine store. We were invited down to sample a selection of local wines.
We had a demonstration of infantry drill by a couple of Imperial Grenadiers. Jan is looking rather bedraggled beside this impressive looking guardsman.
We also had a guided tour of the outbuildings and the museum. It is housed in the building where Napoleon held a staff meeting after the battle to plan the pursuit of the defeated Austrian and Russian armies.
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