VIMY: 29-IV-09

North of Paris, close to Arras, is the Vimy Ridge Monument dedicated to the fallen Canadian soldiers from WWI. It’s an immense monument which can be seen from very far away, and it’s so impressive! Designed by Canadian sculptor and architect Walter Seymour Allward, the monument took 11 years to build. The towering pylons and sculptured figures contain almost 6,000 tonnes of limestone brought to the site from an abandoned Roman quarry on the Adriatic Sea. If you’ve ever read “The Stone Carvers” by Jane Urquhart, you’ll understand the challenges that entailed.

Canada is represented by the cloaked figure of a woman with her head bowed – a young nation mourning her dead. On each side of the front walls at the base of the steps are the Defenders: two groupings of figures known as the Breaking of the Sword, and Sympathy for the Helpless. At the top of the pylons are figures representing Peace and Justice; below them are Truth and Knowledge. At the base is a young dying soldier, the Spirit of Sacrifice, and the Torch Bearer. On each side of the staircase are the male and female Mourner figures. Carved on the walls are the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers who were killed in France and whose final resting place was then unknown.

We visited a few of the 30 cemeteries within a 20-km radius of the Vimy Memorial. We were touched by the rows and rows of perfectly aligned white headstones, a few small Canadian flags fluttering in the breeze, and some of the epitaphs, one which read “In loving memory of our only child who died for his country. Age: 20 years.” Altogether, more than 66,000 Canadian service personnel died in the First World War.

IN THE BEGINNING - April 28, 2009

Our trip to France exceeded our expectations and then some. Having only visited Paris twice before, we weren't sure what the folks in the rest of France would be like. We found them warm, welcoming, willing to make concessions when we couldn't express exactly what we wanted, patient on the roads, and generous. There remained a certain formality with the "vous" instead of the "tu" in our meetings, but it didn't seem to diminish the encounters in the least. The French people are beautiful!

France itself is an amazing country. It has scenic beauty that takes your breath away, a history that would require a few lifetimes to study, and a gastronomy that is so worth exploring, one bite at a time! We absolutely loved the food and this blog will no doubt read like a food magazine at times, since we don’t want to forget one single morsel.

It’s always expensive to travel, but the way we did it, by renting a house for 2 months, seems to be a wonderful compromise. We were able to cook a lot of our meals and only go out as often as our wallet would allow. Renting a car is a must in order to explore all the little towns and be free to go down windy little sheep paths, and we’re glad that our Renault Megane was not too big so that we could venture through those crooked and narrow medieval town streets.

Karl and I can’t seem to pinpoint any one highlight because every day seemed to bring a new adventure, a new discovery, and it was always our “highlight" until of course the next day brought something just as wonderful our way. We did, however, appreciate the food. Not just the meals in the restaurants (and we didn’t have one bad meal during the entire time) but the quality of what we were buying in the markets. The fruit and vegetables tasted like they were all freshly picked from an organic garden moments before. We watched the men and women choose their produce and it was always done so carefully. A light squeeze, a tweak of the stem, a deep inhale; yes, this melon will be perfect! The produce we find in some Canadian supermarkets that have travelled days to reach us from far away lands, covered with wax and pesticide sprays, ripening somewhere along their trek instead of on the vine, well they just can’t compare.

We also appreciate the pace of life in France. Stores close from noon to 2:30 for lunch and a “sieste”. The only places opened are restaurants. Of course everything is closed on Sunday and Monday. When there’s a long week-end involved, it’s not unusual to go 4 days without access to a store, so it’s important to stock up ahead of time. I cringe to think that there is a debate going on right now in France, hoping to start Sunday shopping…

So come along on our adventure, or at least in the retelling of it.