Over 400 kilometers from Paris, Saint-Étienne ranks as the 14th most populous city in France.
Grevy sat alone by the window in Weber Cafe, sipping his coffee while gazing out at the gigantic smokestacks, constantly billowing thick black smoke, occasionally speckled with sparks, like ink spewing high and dyeing the entire sky black.
Even the snow on the ground and rooftops was blanketed with a fine layer of black dots.
Everything was shrouded in gloom, including the suffocating air!
Who could have imagined that decades ago, Saint-Étienne was just a tranquil small town with a population of only a few thousand?
During the industrial boom, various minerals, especially coal, were discovered in Saint-Étienne, bringing the town energy, wealth, and prosperity.
Metallurgy, mining, metalworking, and textiles thrived here, and France's largest military factory was established as well.
