Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Days in Northern France
Well, we've made it to Banbridge, Northern Ireland. Whew! We'll just backtrack a bit, and post some of the pictures along the way to London. So we left Paris, and headed North on a train toward Amiens. The cemetery site of George Hunter is in Longueau, and we found out our train to Amiens actually stopped in Longueau first. So, we got off at the Longueau train station, planning to get a taxi to the cemetery site and find the gravestone. Now, Longueau is about the size of Sunderland, maybe, and nary a taxi was to be found. So, we had to start walking. Which way was the next question. We clearly were not in a "town". So we found a sign pointing to "Longueau" and off we went. As the rain clouds threatened above our heads, we finally came to a "main' road where I (Nancy) found a nice young girl and I stammered along in my broken French asking where the cemetery could be found. Of course, they had no idea what we were talking about. So we headed down the main street and knowing that the site was close to a major highway ahead of us, I was just hoping George would lead us there. Then, miraculously, as we were reaching the crest of a hill, over a hedgerow to our right, was a giant memorial cross! OH MY GOD I was so relieved. To be in the middle of nowhere Northern France, and to find exactly what we were looking for!! I was so excited I literally threw off my pack, starting jumping up and down and all my exhaustion from the walk (30+plus minutes, but seemed like forever) disappeared. JR was so elated he just sat down. We spent a while there, looking at all the grave stones and taking the important pictures. The site was so well maintained (as we saw all of them are) it was a really beautiful and thoughtful site. It was quite small, only 200 headstones, and most of them were British, but there were a handful of Canadians (George) and some Australian ones as well.
We left Longueau in a bit of a daze I think. Walking back to the train station full of thought... it was so incredible to see the site, and to think of what happened to these young men, literally stuck in hell on earth, made it all so real and meaningful to be alive and experiencing life.
At the train station we had a couple of hours before our train to Arras arrived. JR volunteered (gotta love him) to walk back into town to find some rations to hold us over for the next few hours. He came back with some sandwiches and juice and we ate and caught our train to Arras. Now, Arras was a much more lively than Longueau, and had taxis and hotels, and places to eat all over the place. Our taxi driver knew exactly where we wanted to go, and we able to get to the Vimy Memorial site quickly and easily. When we arrived, there was a Frenchman who kindly asked us how much time we had to view the site, and in saying only a few hours, he quickly radioed to the guides at the trench tours and was able to tell us to run "tout suite" to the trench area. So off we went, literally running down the road about 1 km to the entrance of the trenches and underground tunnels. Just as we were tiring, I looked over at JR and said, if the young guys could run with 60 pds on their backs, so can we! God were we tired when we got there! They were able to take our packs in the office and we met up with the rest of the tour group. The tour was great - learning and walking through the trenches, actually seeing how close the German and Canadian trenches were! (they could hear each other talking!) and to go underground and see where the officers and men waited before the attack on the ridge. After the tour, we went back to the top of the ridge were the massive Canadian monument stands as a remembrance and tribute to the 60,000 Canadian soldiers who were killed and remains are missing, or unaccounted for. As the monument has just completed years of restoration, it was magnificent. Luckily, JR and I had a few moments where we were alone on the hill, and he was able to get pictures without people running all over the statues.
Our taxi came and picked us up and off to the train station we went.
We left Arras totally silent, pondering everything we had taken in that day... it's hard to put into words, even now, so many days later. It was an experience both of us will never forget.
We arrived in Calais around 8pm that night, and found two young Australians, who had been denied entry into the UK as they had no proof of leaving (no exit ticket) so were turned over to the French police. The police had dropped them off at the station, but they were clueless as to what to do. They were so happy to have found people speaking English! I showed them how to operate the automated ticket machine, and got them tickets to inward France, as they wanted to eventually make it to Germany. Hope they made out ok!
We trekked along and eventually found our hotel, facing the Channel! WOW! Then the next morning we got up very early, walked to the ferry port, went through security and customs, and boarded the ferry! I must say, it was more packed than I had hoped and although I did get some great pictures of the Cliffs of Dover, one couldn't really stand on the top deck and bask in the sunshine. It was more of a small space the smokers were coveting and you couldn't squeeze in for too long. Alas, we saw the crisp, grandiose cliffs glimmering in the morning sun, and that was the whole point.
Once in Dover, we boarded a bus and picked Canterbury as our place to stay the night. Like we mentioned before - it was packed full of people and we were so relieved when we found a room at a Bed and Breakfast. Canterbury was beautiful; the cathedral majestic, the castle was superb, and the quaint streets and canals were like a fairytale town. We left Canterbury for London on Sunday and we'll put up at post about that next.
I'll end this post now, as I think it's been quite lengthy. JR will definitely put some pictures up later.
We're loving Northern Ireland right now, and last night I looked up the census from 1911 and found the Apsley family from Carrickfergus! I'll print out the info and bring it home!
Hope everyone is well!
love you all!
We left Longueau in a bit of a daze I think. Walking back to the train station full of thought... it was so incredible to see the site, and to think of what happened to these young men, literally stuck in hell on earth, made it all so real and meaningful to be alive and experiencing life.
At the train station we had a couple of hours before our train to Arras arrived. JR volunteered (gotta love him) to walk back into town to find some rations to hold us over for the next few hours. He came back with some sandwiches and juice and we ate and caught our train to Arras. Now, Arras was a much more lively than Longueau, and had taxis and hotels, and places to eat all over the place. Our taxi driver knew exactly where we wanted to go, and we able to get to the Vimy Memorial site quickly and easily. When we arrived, there was a Frenchman who kindly asked us how much time we had to view the site, and in saying only a few hours, he quickly radioed to the guides at the trench tours and was able to tell us to run "tout suite" to the trench area. So off we went, literally running down the road about 1 km to the entrance of the trenches and underground tunnels. Just as we were tiring, I looked over at JR and said, if the young guys could run with 60 pds on their backs, so can we! God were we tired when we got there! They were able to take our packs in the office and we met up with the rest of the tour group. The tour was great - learning and walking through the trenches, actually seeing how close the German and Canadian trenches were! (they could hear each other talking!) and to go underground and see where the officers and men waited before the attack on the ridge. After the tour, we went back to the top of the ridge were the massive Canadian monument stands as a remembrance and tribute to the 60,000 Canadian soldiers who were killed and remains are missing, or unaccounted for. As the monument has just completed years of restoration, it was magnificent. Luckily, JR and I had a few moments where we were alone on the hill, and he was able to get pictures without people running all over the statues.
Our taxi came and picked us up and off to the train station we went.
We left Arras totally silent, pondering everything we had taken in that day... it's hard to put into words, even now, so many days later. It was an experience both of us will never forget.
We arrived in Calais around 8pm that night, and found two young Australians, who had been denied entry into the UK as they had no proof of leaving (no exit ticket) so were turned over to the French police. The police had dropped them off at the station, but they were clueless as to what to do. They were so happy to have found people speaking English! I showed them how to operate the automated ticket machine, and got them tickets to inward France, as they wanted to eventually make it to Germany. Hope they made out ok!
We trekked along and eventually found our hotel, facing the Channel! WOW! Then the next morning we got up very early, walked to the ferry port, went through security and customs, and boarded the ferry! I must say, it was more packed than I had hoped and although I did get some great pictures of the Cliffs of Dover, one couldn't really stand on the top deck and bask in the sunshine. It was more of a small space the smokers were coveting and you couldn't squeeze in for too long. Alas, we saw the crisp, grandiose cliffs glimmering in the morning sun, and that was the whole point.
Once in Dover, we boarded a bus and picked Canterbury as our place to stay the night. Like we mentioned before - it was packed full of people and we were so relieved when we found a room at a Bed and Breakfast. Canterbury was beautiful; the cathedral majestic, the castle was superb, and the quaint streets and canals were like a fairytale town. We left Canterbury for London on Sunday and we'll put up at post about that next.
I'll end this post now, as I think it's been quite lengthy. JR will definitely put some pictures up later.
We're loving Northern Ireland right now, and last night I looked up the census from 1911 and found the Apsley family from Carrickfergus! I'll print out the info and bring it home!
Hope everyone is well!
love you all!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Made it to Canterbury
We made it to Canterbury! Saw the Cliffs of Dover from the ferry. Just what Nancy wanted :) We ended up taking the bus from Dover to Canterbury and now we've just found some lodging for the night (WOO HOO"!!) so we're off to get rid of our bags and come back and check out the town! Finding a place has been no easy task, but it's amazing how kind people have been in this little town. Apparently it's graduation weekend and this town is FULL of people... especially STUDENTS!!! aaaahhhhh!!
so we're off to trek to our b&b. Hopefully can post again soon! Thinking of you all!
so we're off to trek to our b&b. Hopefully can post again soon! Thinking of you all!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Au revoir Paris
Another busy day in Paris. The weather was nicer than yesterday, and with Nancy mastering the subway system we did much less walking. We visited a number of places such as the Orangerie Gallery, which houses Monet's large water lilly paintings. Then we visited the tomb of Napoleon at the Musee L'Armee, a huge military building/museum. His tomb is outrageous, full of marble, decorations, relief carving and guilding. We also visited the Musee Rodin, and walked through the sculpture gardens. We finished the morning visiting the Eugene Delacroix home and studio. In the afternoon, we ventured to the Cathedral Notre Dame. No Quasimodo to be found. :( Nancy liked the Cathedral, but did not find it as stunning as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal. We had a very enjoyable day, but were quite tired. We packed it in for the evening and planned the next couple of days.
Tomorrow we have a big day of travelling planned. We hope to take the 8am train from Paris to Amiens. Then travel to the Longueau British Cemetary, to find the grave site of George Hunter. From there, we will catch a train to Arras to visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial. Finally, catch the train from Arras to Calais, where we have a room booked. We better make those trains! Our plan is to take the ferry to Dover the next morning. Fingers crossed for good weather!
Hope to check in again soon, and we hope all is well with family and friends back home. Thinking of you all while we are away!
Love, JR and Nancy
Tomorrow we have a big day of travelling planned. We hope to take the 8am train from Paris to Amiens. Then travel to the Longueau British Cemetary, to find the grave site of George Hunter. From there, we will catch a train to Arras to visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial. Finally, catch the train from Arras to Calais, where we have a room booked. We better make those trains! Our plan is to take the ferry to Dover the next morning. Fingers crossed for good weather!
Hope to check in again soon, and we hope all is well with family and friends back home. Thinking of you all while we are away!
Love, JR and Nancy
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Paris... Ooo la la
Nancy insisted on the title...
We have had a busy couple of days. Leaving Brussels went very smoothly. After our very comfortable train ride, we embarked on our journey to find our hotel in Paris. Our grand illusions of easily finding our hotel were shattered. Our planned route developed into a sit down at a cyber cafe to regroup and find our way. WARNING! Do not use GOOGLE MAPS for European cities. Some streets are not correctly labelled, oh well.
We found our hotel to our great relief, and had a little nap. When we awoke, we decided to venture out into the city. We took a looooooong walk along the Seine River to the Eiffel Tower. Apparently, everyone else decided to do the same thing, but before us, for there were extremely long lines to go up the tower. Hours later, we found ourselves looking out over the city skyline as the light show began.
Then we decided to do more walking... to the Arc de Triomphe. Unfortunately we didn't get to go inside to the top, as it was closed. Finally, we decided to take the metro instead of walking back to our hotel.
Day2 (it's getting late, going to bed now)
Amazing day of art. Went to the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay and Centre Pompidou... simply amazing. My favourite day of art viewing ever. Nancy was very patient :) but she enjoyed it too.
Big day planned tomorrow... must sleep now
Goodnight
=JR and Nancy
We have had a busy couple of days. Leaving Brussels went very smoothly. After our very comfortable train ride, we embarked on our journey to find our hotel in Paris. Our grand illusions of easily finding our hotel were shattered. Our planned route developed into a sit down at a cyber cafe to regroup and find our way. WARNING! Do not use GOOGLE MAPS for European cities. Some streets are not correctly labelled, oh well.
We found our hotel to our great relief, and had a little nap. When we awoke, we decided to venture out into the city. We took a looooooong walk along the Seine River to the Eiffel Tower. Apparently, everyone else decided to do the same thing, but before us, for there were extremely long lines to go up the tower. Hours later, we found ourselves looking out over the city skyline as the light show began.
Then we decided to do more walking... to the Arc de Triomphe. Unfortunately we didn't get to go inside to the top, as it was closed. Finally, we decided to take the metro instead of walking back to our hotel.
Day2 (it's getting late, going to bed now)
Amazing day of art. Went to the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay and Centre Pompidou... simply amazing. My favourite day of art viewing ever. Nancy was very patient :) but she enjoyed it too.
Big day planned tomorrow... must sleep now
Goodnight
=JR and Nancy
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Leaving for Paris
Had a great morning in Brussels. The hotel held onto our bags while we went to the Gallery Beaux Arts. I'm so glad we decided to go there today! I saw some works that really surprised me: Rembrandt, Van dyke, Jordaens, Boosch, Ruebens, Bruehgel! Just amazing, I had asked people on the way to Brussels what kind of art they had, the response was mediocre. Nancy and I had a really nice lunch at a 'traditional Irish pub'. I did a sketch after lunch and then we stopped by the internet cafe before we walk to the train station. We are now off to Paris!
Ciao!
thanks for the comments everyone!
Ciao!
thanks for the comments everyone!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Enjoying Belgium
Hello,
Nancy and I have had some very enjoyable days in Belgium. Yesterday, we got up very early to catch a train to Brugges. There we were picked up by a tour group to go on a tour of Ypres and Flanders fields. We visited many commonwealth memorial sites, and cemeteries. We had a very informative tour guide and a small group, including a Canadian couple from Montreal and a family of three from Newcastle, England. It was a long day, but interesting and sombre. Two sites that stood out in paricular was the Canadian Memorial at "Vancouver Corner", and the cemetery site, which was originally the dressing station run by Dr.John McCrae(Flander's Fields).
After the tour, we planned on going back to Brussels, but luckly decided last minute to head into Brugge. This turned out to be a great idea, as it was a very beautiful city. It is known as the Venice of the north, with canals running through various parts of the city centre. Initially we were going to head back the next day, but there were chances of rain and we felt we were simply didn't have the time to train back to the city for another trip.
Instead, we decided to spend Monday in Brussels. A city that has surprised me in a very positive way. I expected it to be like a lay over before we reached Paris, however it has been a very pleasant surprise, with its beautiful cobble stone walk ways, historic buildings and many outdoor patios. A benefit to the experience is how friendly and helpful the staff has been at our hotel. The Pantone has been very great, where our front desk will do anything for us. Our hotel room has been a real luxury, spacious sitting area, a huge terrace balcony and air conditioning. We decided to stay an extra night, leaving for Paris on Tuesday from Brussels.
Unfortunately the galleries and museums are closed here on Mondays, so in the morning we plan to visit the Gallery Beaux Arts before we leave for Paris.
Until next post
- JR and Nancy
Nancy and I have had some very enjoyable days in Belgium. Yesterday, we got up very early to catch a train to Brugges. There we were picked up by a tour group to go on a tour of Ypres and Flanders fields. We visited many commonwealth memorial sites, and cemeteries. We had a very informative tour guide and a small group, including a Canadian couple from Montreal and a family of three from Newcastle, England. It was a long day, but interesting and sombre. Two sites that stood out in paricular was the Canadian Memorial at "Vancouver Corner", and the cemetery site, which was originally the dressing station run by Dr.John McCrae(Flander's Fields).
After the tour, we planned on going back to Brussels, but luckly decided last minute to head into Brugge. This turned out to be a great idea, as it was a very beautiful city. It is known as the Venice of the north, with canals running through various parts of the city centre. Initially we were going to head back the next day, but there were chances of rain and we felt we were simply didn't have the time to train back to the city for another trip.
Instead, we decided to spend Monday in Brussels. A city that has surprised me in a very positive way. I expected it to be like a lay over before we reached Paris, however it has been a very pleasant surprise, with its beautiful cobble stone walk ways, historic buildings and many outdoor patios. A benefit to the experience is how friendly and helpful the staff has been at our hotel. The Pantone has been very great, where our front desk will do anything for us. Our hotel room has been a real luxury, spacious sitting area, a huge terrace balcony and air conditioning. We decided to stay an extra night, leaving for Paris on Tuesday from Brussels.
Unfortunately the galleries and museums are closed here on Mondays, so in the morning we plan to visit the Gallery Beaux Arts before we leave for Paris.
Until next post
- JR and Nancy
Saturday, July 10, 2010
More Pictures From Amsterdam
These are all from the same post, just broke up the posting of pictures to the site. written blog below pictures. Just click on "July" and it will show the previous posts. click on pictures to get a bigger image.
Pictures from Amsterdam
Here are some pictures from the past few days in Amsterdam. As the post below says = we're now in Brussels.
We're In Brussels!!
Bon soir!
Despite the desire to be in Amsterdam for the World Cup, we skipped town. We are now in Brussels trying to type on a french keyboard. (not so easy)
Amsterdam was great. Luckily our friends Becca and Jeff told us to get an "i amsterdam" card, which allowed us to see all kinds of places; including a tour book, so we knew where exactly to go. We visited the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, some canal houses and a canal tour, just to name a few. My highlight was visiting the Rembrandt house, where I saw his house but also his painting studio and print studio. They had an artist run a print demonstration, I got chatting to him afterward and he gave me a copied print of a Rembrandt print. Very cool! There are many more highlights to relate, such as the Anne Frank House- a very moving exhibit involving a recreation of the Secret Annex, in the actual canal house, followed by documents, letters and interviews. Thanks to Lauren, Nancy read the Diary of Anne Frank just before we left.
So we decided to take a train to Brussels, a step closer to Paris. Plans are to stay here for a couple days, making day trips to Brugge and Ghent.
I will add some photos after this message, they are mostly of Amsterdam.
We are doing really well, and are very pleased with our hotel in Brussels. Nancy picked one out off the net, very quickly: hotel pantone( great pick) a funky colour set up; very new and spacious!
Cheers JR and Nancy
Despite the desire to be in Amsterdam for the World Cup, we skipped town. We are now in Brussels trying to type on a french keyboard. (not so easy)
Amsterdam was great. Luckily our friends Becca and Jeff told us to get an "i amsterdam" card, which allowed us to see all kinds of places; including a tour book, so we knew where exactly to go. We visited the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, some canal houses and a canal tour, just to name a few. My highlight was visiting the Rembrandt house, where I saw his house but also his painting studio and print studio. They had an artist run a print demonstration, I got chatting to him afterward and he gave me a copied print of a Rembrandt print. Very cool! There are many more highlights to relate, such as the Anne Frank House- a very moving exhibit involving a recreation of the Secret Annex, in the actual canal house, followed by documents, letters and interviews. Thanks to Lauren, Nancy read the Diary of Anne Frank just before we left.
So we decided to take a train to Brussels, a step closer to Paris. Plans are to stay here for a couple days, making day trips to Brugge and Ghent.
I will add some photos after this message, they are mostly of Amsterdam.
We are doing really well, and are very pleased with our hotel in Brussels. Nancy picked one out off the net, very quickly: hotel pantone( great pick) a funky colour set up; very new and spacious!
Cheers JR and Nancy
Thursday, July 08, 2010
We Made it to Amsterdam!
Yesterday, we arrived in Amsterdam at about 9am. The flight was great, actually arriving early. We took a short train ride from the airport to the centre of Amsterdam. Here are some pictures from today and yesterday.
Nancy and I have had a great second day, touring museums and galleries, walking about the city.
I'm short on time, more to come!
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