back from france.... trip brag! :D +many pictures!!!

[mrsJOEwackIM]

Hey there all.... So I am back from my trip and finally have some time to post pictures you may all be interested in seeing, since we are all Canadian.

We landed in Paris, got our rental car ($120 Canadian for 4 days - great deal!) and drove north to Vimy Ridge, one of the main spots where the Canadians fought in France for European freedom in WWI. Vimy Ridge had been taken by the Germans because it was very high up and gave them a commanding view of the area - it was strategic, to say the least. There is now a monument to commemorate Canada's contribution to the war effort (built on hill 145, the highest point on the ridge), a cemetery to remember those who lost their lives and the actual battle field is now a place where you can take a tour, walk in the trenches and learn about the battle (the tour is FREE and given by bilingual Canadian university students). The land where the battle was fought has not been touched since the war - the way you see it now is how it was back then. The land is covered by craters that were made by artillery shelling and explosions. The land is grazed by sheep who are watched over by the only shepherd to still be employed by the Canadian government.

This was not the only Canadian cemetery we visited in France, we saw many others.... we even saw one in Holland, where we traveled after France.

We saw poppies growing on the side of the road!!! :D

Here are some pictures of Vimy...

[web3]

thanks for sharing
was France as beautiful as they say?

[walkonby]

Beautiful pics mrsJoewhackIM! Sounds like you really enjoyed what you did on your trip. Proud Canadians we are!!

[mrsJOEwackIM]

thanks for sharing
was France as beautiful as they say?

France is beautiful! The north very much so... I wanted to take pictures of every single perfect little cottage we drove past, but then we would have had to stop every 5 seconds... It is breathtaking and doesn't seem real....

[mrsJOEwackIM]

Beautiful pics mrsJoewhackIM! Sounds like you really enjoyed what you did on your trip. Proud Canadians we are!!

Very proud indeed... And we should be!!!

[coupon girl]

awesome proud as can be -awesome pictures too

[mrsJOEwackIM]

awesome proud as can be -awesome pictures too

thanks!

[Snow In Summer]

My next door neighbour Vincent was a veteran of WW1 and Vimy. We would sit on his back patio and he would talk to me for hours to me about how they landed and fought. He was so detailed in telling me his stories, I could almost envision it. He passed away 6 years ago and I miss him dearly. Thank you for sharing these pictures as now all of his stories have come to life.

[luckbealady]

Beautiful pictures.

I come from a family of farmers and welders, none that I know of were ever soldiers - they helped out in other ways.
But I get teary eyed whenever I think about what our country and our soldiers contributed during the wars. I am fiercely proud about it, though I can't fully explain why.

I hope younger people (I'm in my 20s, but still!) learn about the importance of these moments, and to give the respect that our soldiers (past and present) deserve.
I was taught you always stand when vets walk by during a parade and I hope this is a tradition that continues.

[Natalka]

So wonderful you were able to have such a lovely and meaningful trip!
Thanks for sharing your photos!

That memorial is so very beautiful - and awe-inspiring.

My sister went to France last year, and enjoyed every second! (she brought me back several things, but the best of all was a box of macarons!)

[mrsJOEwackIM]

My next door neighbour Vincent was a veteran of WW1 and Vimy. We would sit on his back patio and he would talk to me for hours to me about how they landed and fought. He was so detailed in telling me his stories, I could almost envision it. He passed away 6 years ago and I miss him dearly. Thank you for sharing these pictures as now all of his stories have come to life.

It was very sad to see the gravestones of boys so young... The youngest I saw was 17 years old. They did give so much... As the tombstone says in the picture I posted... "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"... SO beautiful and so true!!!!

[mrsJOEwackIM]

Beautiful pictures.

I come from a family of farmers and welders, none that I know of were ever soldiers - they helped out in other ways.
But I get teary eyed whenever I think about what our country and our soldiers contributed during the wars. I am fiercely proud about it, though I can't fully explain why.

I hope younger people (I'm in my 20s, but still!) learn about the importance of these moments, and to give the respect that our soldiers (past and present) deserve.
I was taught you always stand when vets walk by during a parade and I hope this is a tradition that continues.

My DH just got a job teaching Grade 4 this year. I told him to show these pictures and others we took at places similar to it in France and Holland to his students. It is one thing to talk about how people sacrificed their lives for our freedom, but it is something else to say...

"Look. This place exists. I was there. This is where men, some still boys, went to fight a war to liberate Europe and to keep our freedom. This is the land they were on and now it is where many of them are buried."

I am a teacher too and I can honestly say that most kids just don't get it. Hopefully he can make some of them understand how important the history is... and how lucky we are to still be Canadian!

[mrsJOEwackIM]

So wonderful you were able to have such a lovely and meaningful trip!
Thanks for sharing your photos!

That memorial is so very beautiful - and awe-inspiring.

My sister went to France last year, and enjoyed every second! (she brought me back several things, but the best of all was a box of macarons!)

Haha... Funny you should mention macarons... My DH loves macarons, he bakes them allll the time, so I planned a little surprise for him. On the day we visited the Louvre (and the Mona Lisa!), walked by the Jardin de Tuileres, through Place de la Concorde, up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triumphe... We made a stop at Laduree (a Parisian pastry shop that specializes in macarons). It was cute - I have a picture of him waiting in the pretty long line to get in. He had no idea what it was. I found it the night before in our guide book as I was looking up places to eat along the way to the Arc. Needless to say, we didn't actually eat lunch that day. We bought 8 macarons and shared them while sitting on a bench on the Champs Elysees. Those 8 macarons cost us 17 Euros, which is roughly $22, but they were the best macarons we have ever had - and probably ever will.

[mrsJOEwackIM]

My next door neighbour Vincent was a veteran of WW1 and Vimy. We would sit on his back patio and he would talk to me for hours to me about how they landed and fought. He was so detailed in telling me his stories, I could almost envision it. He passed away 6 years ago and I miss him dearly. Thank you for sharing these pictures as now all of his stories have come to life.

Thank you for your story... So sweet!!

[Anna Michele]

wow amazing- thanks for the history lessons